Matthys Elementary School was awarded a $89,118 Community Development Block Grant from Harris County that will go toward the building of a new SPARK Park on the campus.

The announcement was made at the March regular meeting of the Pasadena Independent School District Board of Trustees.

In 1983, former Houston City Council member Eleanor Tinsley spearheaded the SPARK Park program in an effort to transform public school grounds into neighborhood parks. Other contributions to the project include a $7,500 donation from HEB, an $8,000 donation from the Matthys Booster Club and $5,000 donations from the Pasadena Education Foundation, Lowe’s and Harris County Precinct 2.

A timetable has not been set for construction to begin on the project, but once the park is built, it will be one of 194 in the Houston area and the second in Pasadena ISD. A SPARK Park on the Parks Elementary campus opened in May 2007.

In other grant news, board members announced that Gardens Elementary and Southmore Intermediate are the recipients of a $9,780 Cooperative After School Enrichment (CASE) program grant from the Harris County Department of Education.

The grant will help provide a media production class to Southmore students during its spring enrichment program, while Gardens will use the funding for a summer arts-based project.