May 13, 2026
Funding goes to projects that amplify local voices and strengthen community connections
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks, in partnership with the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation and Commerce Trust, granted a total of $98,000 to 24 rural school districts and school foundations. The Coover/RSP Celebrate Rural Grants fund projects that amplify local voices, showcase student success and strengthen community connections.
The recipients are:
- Aurora R-VIII School District: $5,000 for the design and creation of a mural paying tribute to growing up in rural America.
- Cabool R-IV School District: $5,000 to fund the expansion of “The Bark” and the school’s student publications course; and to purchase equipment, training material and displays for the student-led “Pup Cup” drink station.
- Cassville R-IV School District: $5,000 to purchase podcasting equipment and a smartphone for the communications department; and to fund incentive store supplies and attendance prizes for at-risk students.
- Chadwick R-1 School District: $1,459 for materials, awards and events recognizing students who demonstrate positive character traits.
- Clearwater R-1 School Foundation: $5,000 to support a film and discussion series helping families manage screen time and online safety.
- Fairview R-XI School District: $5,000 to expand the school news program by upgrading digital media and broadcasting equipment.
- Golden City R-III School District: $5,000 to produce a promotional video highlighting the school and community to attract families and educators.
- Hollister R-V School District: $4,999 to upgrade audio/video technology that improves student-led coverage of district athletics, fine arts and community news.
- Houston R-1 School District: $4,988 for equipment for a student-produced photography and video project documenting student achievements and daily life in the district.
- Howell Valley R-1 School District: $4,798 to fund educator training focused on executive functioning strategies, including organization and emotional regulation.
- Humansville R-IV School District: $554 to purchase equipment for the Humansville Police Department, providing students hands-on experience in improving local technology infrastructure.
- Joplin School District: $5,000 for books and supplies for a literacy program that engages students, families and staff, culminating in a family literacy event.
- Mansfield R-IV School District: $5,000 to purchase supplies for the Math in the Kitchen class and a veterans’ luncheon; to renovate an outdated counseling office into a student-centered mental health space; and to purchase equipment and laptops for a student-led journalism club.
- Marshfield R-1 School District: $1,500 for supplies and stipends for a livestream collaboration between the district and the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
- Neosho School District: $4,663 to equip high school students with professional broadcasting tools to launch a weekly news program.
- Nixa R-II School District: $1,950 to fund a a career exploration program with networking and mentorship opportunities for students interested in education.
- Ozark R-VI School District: $2,500 to purchase shoes for students as part of the Back to School Bash.
- Poplar Bluff School District: $992 to create a drink stand that fosters collaboration between general education and intensive-needs classrooms.
- Reeds Spring School District and Table Rock Career Center: $5,000 to create a student-run coffee shop operated by special education and business students; and to support “Kids Feeding Kids,” a student-led initiative preparing and distributing two large-scale community meals that address food insecurity.
- Richards R-V School District: $5,000 to create a student resource center providing counseling space, clothing, hygiene supplies and laundry access.
- Salem R-80 School District: $5,000 to purchase supplies, safety equipment and leadership training for a high school community service day.
- Sarcoxie R-II School District: $4,699 to purchase a professional camera and lens for broadcasting student and community events.
- Summersville R-II School District: $5,000 to install a mascot-themed window wrap and upgrade landscaping at the school’s front entrance.
- Van Buren R-1 School District: $4,898 to purchase cameras, microphones, editing software and publishing platforms for a student-led newspaper and YouTube channel.
“We know schools are the heart of many rural communities, and these grants deepen those connections,” said Jill Reynolds, senior vice president at Commerce Trust and chair of the Coover Foundation grant selection committee. “We’re grateful to support these rural school districts, their students and communities.”
The Coover/RSP Celebrate Rural Grants are the latest in the Coover Charitable Foundation’s long-standing support of the CFO’s Rural Schools Partnership and its commitment to grantmaking that advances rural communities. The CFO recently partnered with Coover Foundation, Commerce Trust and The HWS Charitable Foundation Inc. to present $500,000 to 23 nonprofits and school districts through the Coover Regional Resiliency Grant Program. Learn more at cfozarks.org/coover26.
Julia Dorothy Coover, a 30-year Commerce employee, founded the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation in 1992 to honor her husband’s memory. The private foundation, managed by Commerce Trust, has funded more than $9.2 million in grants to benefit rural communities and school districts across the CFO’s service area since the partnership began in 2001.
The CFO founded the Rural Schools Partnership in 2009 as part of its regional commitment because schools are anchors for rural communities. Through the partnership, the CFO manages funds for rural school districts and school foundations. In addition to the collaboration with the Coover Charitable Foundation, key programs include the Ozarks Teacher Corps and the Youth Empowerment Project.
