McCook Community Foundation Fund Name is part of a nearly $1.2 million statewide effort to bridge the learning gap in the face of Covid-19.
Using funds from MCFF’s Covid-19 Response Account along with matching grants from the Nebraska Community Foundation, McCook Public Schools and St. Patrick Elementary School will receive more than $40,000 in funds.
McCook Public Schools has received a $34,000 grant to hire staff to assist students who are at a greater disadvantage because of the pandemic. St. Pat’s received $7,170 to purchase additional technology for the elementary school.
With these additional funds, MPS will add at least one staff member to help those students who have previously struggled in school and are at the biggest disadvantage when things change.
Grant funds will be used to hire staff who would be responsible for reaching out to those students who have been identified as being at a higher risk of falling further behind academically, according to McCook High School principal Jeff Gross.
“The staff would be responsible for ensuring that these students have everything they need to be successful, from coordinating additional educational assistance to simply checking in with the student,” Gross said. “Specifically, this position would work closely with the parents of the affect students, either in person or via Zoom technology.“
This staff would also work closely with the teachers of the at-risk students to determine how to best help the affected students. If staff time and finances allow, the staff would also address mental health issues as part of the education plan.
At St. Pat’s, grant funds will be used to purchase additional iPads, supplementing the current supply so that students in grades 5-8 have greater access.
St. Patrick Principal Becky Redl said that providing more iPads will allow students and teachers to work on learning the skills necessary to become successful in the virtual education world.
Funding for the Bridging the Learning Gap program was available exclusively to affiliated funds of Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) including MCFF, which provided the 1:1 local match.
McCook’s matching funds came from MCFF’s COVID 19 Response Account as well as a $10,000 anonymous donation toward the account.
NCF’s Bridging the Learning Gap initiative was capitalized by an anonymous donor and the Alice DeVoe Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of NCF.
Grants were approved and allocated by a committee of six volunteer NCF affiliated fund leaders who have educational expertise, including teachers, administrators and school board members. All applications received funding. Importantly, learning gap needs were identified locally by school leadership, as were proposed solutions.
“We are deeply proud of the way the NCF network of affiliated funds came together to meet this need,” said Jeff Yost, president and CEO of Nebraska Community Foundation. “We are so grateful to the visionary donors who are supporting this important work and to the local leaders and educators who are rolling up their sleeves to ensure our kids receive the educational experiences they deserve, even in the midst of a global crisis.”
These grants are the second round of funds to address issues related to education during the pandemic.
In May, McCook Public Schools received $40,000 as part of NCF’s Bridging the Homework Gap with $20,000 from MCFF’s COVID account. The grant was used to purchase additional Chromebooks in the McCook Junior High and Central Elementary with the goal of reaching 1-to-1 technology to students. Funds were also available to purchase internet “hotspots,” for those students who don’t have reliable internet service at home.
St. Patrick’s also received $4,000 in May to expand the amount of technology available at the elementary school.
Since the creation of MCFF’s COVID-19 account in March, more than $120,000 in grants have been distributed into the community. When combined with the $37,600 from the NCF matching grants, nearly $160,000 has been provided in the community to help students, address housing issues and provide economic development.
A complete list of grants from MCFF’s COVID account is available online at mccookfoundation.org.
McCook's last hometown bakery closed this past week, leaving a void not just for donuts but for connections.
Many organizations and businesses in McCook offer the opportunity to recycle, reuse and repair items that may just end up in the trash.
Organizer for Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival and former librarian named Oct 2025 volunteer of the month.
McCook's Third Thursdays were created to get businesses and organizations involved and designed to create life-long memories for the community.
Long-time community advocate Barb Ostrum received the Sept 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month award.
We need to celebrate our young people while they are here and encourage them to return.
While some like myself appreciate a rainy day, others dread them for a variety of reasons. We need to be empathetic as interact with others.
MCFF Fall Grant Deadline is Oct. 1. Complete list of former recipients on MCFF website
With so much going, it is time for a “This, That and the Other Thing” column, where we will cover several topics, not very deeply but hopefully with a sense of humor as we clean up and prepare for a busy week in McCook. *** McCook again made state and national news this week for ice. This time, it was in the form of hail that pounded the community for hours upon hours. Conversations this week begin with “where were you….?” or “how many windows did you lose?” And while they may be legitimate and are offering their services, it is like vultures with all the roofing repair and dent removal businesses which have descended upon McCook following the storm. As city officials noted, do your due diligence with any company doing repairs for you and follow the old adage, which is old and still around because it’s true: If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. And one last note on the storm, we need to be careful what we ask for. As storm after storm approaches McCook and then splits in two to go around the town, we finally got one to roll right over us. The storm liked McCook so much it slowed down and just there. I was in Lincoln during the storm and trying to determine when I would drive home. I thought the weather app had frozen or the radar was broken because every time I looked, the storm was still sitting over McCook, doing its damage. I guess we can be thankful the next time a storm seemingly just goes around us. *** We are in the thick of McCook’s Heritage Days celebration. Congratulations to all the Heritage Days Royalty, which was announced at the MNB Bank Mixer this week. A special shout-out to Bill Donze, better known as Mr. Bill and his wife, Kathy, who were honored as royalty for their impact in McCook. As many know, Mr. Bill is fighting cancer and the prognosis isn’t good. The chances of him selling snow-cones and candy out of his van next summer near the McCook Aquatic Center are not good. One judge of his impact was the response to my column about Mr. Bill a few months ago. The post was shared thousands of times, viewed nearly 70,000 times with just as many comments by people sharing their fond memories of Mr. Bill. So when you see Mr. Bill riding down Norris in the convertible this weekend in the Heritage Days parade, send extra prayers and well-wishes to the man who has brought so much joy to so many kids - and adults too - over the years. *** Continuing on the Heritage Days theme, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the McCook Rotary Club is tossing all egos and formality out the window this weekend. As the president of the McCook Rotary Club, I invite everyone to at least watch, if not participate, in the Rotary’s first inflatable costume relay race on Saturday as part of the festivities in Norris Park. These are those giant, blow-up costumes you usually see around Halloween. The first costumes were usually T-Rexes but now there is everything imaginable available as a design. With the idea for the race originally conceived by Melanie Goodenberger, she has purchased everything from corn on the cob to a cowboy riding a chicken. This is a fund-raiser for the Rotary Club with a cost of just $20 for a team of four to participate in the relay race. But it is also a chance to giggle, perhaps make a fool of yourself and just have fun. Come to the park Saturday afternoon for the Wiener Dog races and stay for the Rotary Relay races. While the dogs will already be close to the ground, the relay race participants will likely just end up on the ground. *** With so much going on in McCook this week, I debated whether there should be another activity the next week but the response has already been great for the Lied’s Arts Across Nebraska’s next production in McCook. Hosted by the McCook Creative District, the Omaha Street Percussion ensemble will perform at the Fox Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 24. There is a matinee showing at 10:30 a.m. but I will be up-front…we are testing the capacity of the Fox with every seat already claimed with students. If that is the only show you can make, please come and we’ll find you a seat but it may be those up in the rafters. Otherwise, please plan to attend the 7 p.m. show on Sept. 24. And even better, there is no cost thanks to the Kimmel Foundation and the Friends of the Lied. This is a busy week and a busy weekend but this is a great opportunity to sit back and enjoy a fun, entertaining evening of live music.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
