The Columbia Public Schools Foundation (CPSF) donated $14,000 to support the purchase of child-sized disposable masks for students at Columbia Public Schools (CPS).

The donation allows the district to purchase 100,000 child-size masks for students. The masks will be distributed to CPS buildings by the district.

“The Foundation is proud to be able to provide disposable masks to CPS students, particularly as they return to in-person learning five days a week in April,” said Cindy Mustard, president of the CPSF board of directors.

In addition to the masks donation, the Foundation previously donated more than $134,000 in funds to assist the district during the pandemic, including:

• High School Online Courses, $25,000: The donation funded up to 325 high school students to enroll in online classes during the month of May. This allowed the district to offer the online courses while the school year was still considered in session by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• Summer Meal Program, $25,000: The Foundation supported the district’s efforts to continue to provide meals to students throughout the summer.
• Flu Shot Vaccines, $14,250: The grant provided free flu shot vaccines to CPS students. During October, flu vaccines were available free of charge to all students in grades pre-k through 12.
• Kits for Kids, $70,000: As part of its campaign to provide school supply kits to elementary school students, the Foundation and its donors raised $70,000.

The Columbia Public Schools Foundation is a private foundation established by community volunteers dedicated to the enrichment of public education through community giving. The Foundation has funded projects in every school, allocating more than $1.2 million to enhance education in the Columbia Public Schools. CPSF was founded in 1996 and has supported teachers and students for 25 years.