Annenberg and Brown foundations crown success of Houston A+ Challenge with $30 million in new grants

The Annenberg Foundation of St. David’s, Pennsylvania and the Brown Foundation of Houston are awarding two of the largest private grants ever given to K-16 public schools in Houston for a total of $30 million to the Houston A+ Challenge, the non-profit announced today.

"These large grants are a testament to the work of the Houston A+ Challenge,” said Jonathan Day, chairman of the Board of Trustees. "Public schools often represent the best chance many disadvantaged children and children of color will ever receive in life. Houston A+-funded schools are closing the achievement gap between students of color and their non-minority counterparts."

The Annenberg Foundation will donate $20 million of the total, while the Brown Foundation will donate $10 million. Both grants are for five years.

The Houston A+ Challenge began after former US Ambassador Walter Annenberg went to the White House in 1993 to announce the largest private gift to public education in the nation's history. "Because we consider public schools essential to democracy, we give constantly to education and other civic programs," said Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg. "The record of The Houston A+ Challenge and the Houston community fulfills my husband’s long-term vision."

Ambassador Annenberg subsequently donated $20 million to the Houston community in 1997 with a requirement that Houston A+ raise $2 dollars for every $1 he donated. The Brown Foundation and Houston Endowment, Inc., each gave matching grants of $10 million; the remaining $20 million was raised through public and private funds.

The Houston A+ Challenge is only one of three of the original 18 Challenge sites that the Annenberg Foundation has chosen to refund.

Since the original Annenberg Foundation grant, Houston A+ has:

The new funding from the Brown Foundation and the Annenberg Foundation also will be used to create and develop a fine arts initiative for elementary schools.

"This funding announcement is exciting news not only for Houston A+, but more importantly for the children of Houston as well,” said Kaye Stripling, superintendent of schools for Houston Independent School District. ”This will only enhance HISD's high school reform efforts and the work that Houston A+ is doing with us. I thank Houston A+ for their continued commitment and dedication to HISD and its students."

Houston A+ also announced its new fundraising goal for the next five years of work. “The $30 million announced today is the first step in a new $60 million fundraising campaign we will begin immediately,” said Jenard Gross, chairman of the Development Committee of The Houston A+ Challenge. “Coupled with the $60 million we raised during our first five years, this will mean that the community, through Houston A+, will invest $120 million, the single largest investment of its kind by a non-profit, to support public education.”

Also speaking at the news conference were W.L. “Bill” McKinney, executive director of the Texas Education Agency Region IV Education Service Center; Joey Lozano, representing Texas Education Agency Commissioner Felipe Alanis and Samuel Sarabia, principal of Roberts Elementary in Houston ISD.

Houston A+ Challenge is an independent, public-private partnership that that develops and funds school programs, professional development and leadership institutes to promote higher academic achievement by all students.