$34K In Grants Awarded To Morris School District Programs

MORRISTOWN, NJ — From robotics kits and chemistry lab equipment to tutoring and a bilingual preschool book club, nearly $34,000 in new grants will support programs across the Morris School District this school year.

The Morris Educational Foundation announced this week that it awarded $33,895 in grants and program support during September, the first month of the 2026-27 school year.

Nine grants were awarded at the Morris School District Board of Education's Monday meeting, spanning academics, STEM, literacy, performing arts and student wellness.

The foundation said the grants pay for programs, resources, and experiences requested by district staff that aren't covered by the school budget or local tax dollars.

“Every grant the MEF awards represents an opportunity to bring a great idea to life for Morris School District students,” said Ann Rhines, the foundation's grants chair and a former district teacher and Board of Education member.

Here are the nine programs receiving support:

• ChompSaw Cardboard Cutters for Sussex: Child-safe cardboard cutters will allow Sussex students to build prototypes and other projects while developing fine motor, problem-solving, and creative-thinking skills.
• Morristown High School Chemistry Lab Equipment: AP Chemistry students will get a high-precision analytical scale and professional-grade lab notebooks designed to provide experience with equipment and practices they could encounter in college science courses.
• Footprints Mentorship: The program connects Frelinghuysen Middle School students with kindergarten students at Hillcrest Elementary School for mentorship and academic skill-building.
• Morristown High School Winter Guard Floor: Funding will purchase a new 50-by-70-foot performance floor for the school's Indoor Winter Guard. The floor is incorporated into performances while also providing a safety surface during rehearsals and competitions.
• One Good Scene: A professional scriptwriter and actors will work with advanced Creative Writing students at Morristown High School as they write and perform original short dialogue scenes.
• Ozobot Evo Computer Science and Robotics Kits: Students in grades 3 through 5 will use classroom robotics kits to explore coding, engineering, computer science and problem-solving.
• Reading Readiness: A monthly bilingual book club will bring preschool students and their parents together at Lafayette Learning Center from October through May. The program is designed for Spanish- and English-speaking families and will focus on skills including letter recognition, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, numeracy and rhyming.
• Speak Sobriety: Stephen Hill will speak with Morristown High School students about his journey to sobriety. The program is being presented with the Morris Township/Morristown Joint Municipal Alliance.
• Frelinghuysen Middle School Tutoring: The grant supports after-school math and language arts tutoring, including the program coordinator's stipend, supplies and snacks, student attendance awards, and an end-of-year breakfast with students and volunteer tutors.

MEF awards grants five times during the school year, in September, November, January, March, and May.

The foundation, established in 1992, says it has invested $7.3 million in Morris School District academics, arts, athletics and other programs over the past 34 years.

The Morris School District serves about 5,700 students with approximately 1,000 educators, according to the foundation.