Gatesville ISD Among Districts Receiving ESC Region 12 Technology Grants

Gatesville ISD was among ten Central Texas school districts to receive technology grants from the ESC Region 12 Technology Foundation in March, with the Gatesville award notable for being entirely funded by ESC Region 12 staff donors rather than the Foundation's general pool.

The foundation surprised ten educators with $83,400 in grant funds during the weeks of March 17 and March 24, 2025, money the organization says will reach 5,582 students across ten school districts. Gatesville ISD was joined by Killeen ISD, Troy ISD, Academy ISD, Aquilla ISD, Meridian ISD, Wortham ISD, Belton ISD, China Spring ISD, and additional recipients in the round. Staff donors at ESC Region 12 fully funded the awards for four of those districts: Aquilla, Gatesville, Meridian, and Wortham.

Two of the named grants illustrate the range of technology projects the foundation is backing. Belton ISD received $14,052 to purchase DroneBlocks autonomous drone kits designed to teach elementary students coding, STEM, and digital literacy skills. China Spring ISD's elementary campus received $1,838.10 for a Glowforge Aura 3D Printer, a tool the foundation describes as allowing students to bring creative designs to life while building problem-solving skills.

Kenny Berry, Executive Director of ESC Region 12, framed the awards as part of a broader instructional mission. "These grants are more than just funding; they're investments in innovation, creativity, and hands-on learning for our students," Berry said. "By equipping classrooms with cutting-edge technology, we are empowering educators to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers and critical thinkers."

The March round extended a program with a substantial cumulative footprint. Including this year's awards, the ESC Region 12 Technology Foundation has distributed $778,205 to schools across the region and reached 38,285 students in Central Texas since the program's inception.

The specific award amount for Gatesville ISD, along with the project it will fund, had not been fully itemized in materials released by the foundation as of the announcement. ESC Region 12's materials referenced a photo gallery of all ten grant winners, which would confirm the complete recipient list and per-district figures.