DANVILLE — A major federal grant administrated through the state, that provided the largest share of funding to a Vermillion County non-profit, has been terminated.
Project Success of Vermilion County announced on Wednesday that it will be losing a large state grant. This loss will specifically impact some of their education programs, but not all of them.
Kimberly David, CEO of Project Success, said the non-profit is working with The Georgetown-Ridge Farm School district as the cuts impact them the most. The loss will impact programs at the Mary Miller Junior High School in Georgetown, as well as Pine Crest Elementary School.
“Through our partnership we will be able to continue to provide an after-school program for 45 Pine Crest students and for 15 Mary Miller Jr. High students,” said David, adding the Pine Crest situation is only lasting until March 12.
“Between both schools we are currently serving 175 students, so that is 107 at Pine Crest, and 68 at Mary Miller,” David said cuts will be “based on need.” And those who can provide transport will be offered spots first.
However, programs in other school districts are safe from the cuts, as well as their violence prevention programming.
“While the scope of this reduction is limited, the impact is significant,” the non-profit notes on its Facebook page. “This funding loss directly affects staff members and the students and families we serve in the Georgetown-Ridge Farm area. Project Success is currently reviewing the full implications of this change and exploring all possible options to support affected families.”
Starting on Jan. 5, 2026, there will no longer be bus transportation home for Georgetown-Ridge Farm students. And, the after-school programs at Pine Crest Elementary and Mary Miller Junior High School will have “limited” spots.
“This grant program provided a lot more than after-school programs, with programming, community support, family-hardship assistance, bussing for our after-school kids, family events, so many things,” David said, calling the cuts a “very big surprise,” considering the grant was a 5-year-grant.
“A third of our students are officially enrolled in our Project Success grant before and after school,” said Josh Cavanaugh, the principal of Mary Miller. “So much of the program affects all of our students, so it is not a finite number.”
“So many kids get impacted, our whole student body is impacted by the Project Success grant.”
And with the program impacting the before and after-school programs, it is impacting working families.
“The after-school program is a safe place where kids go after school,” Cavanaugh said. “Our kids in athletic activities or on scholastic team, they will go to those and project success got them a safe ride home in the dark.”
“It is not just the academic part, we have counselors who are provided through the grant and school social providers,” he said the program also funds education on stopping vaping, providing funds for guest speakers to come in.
“Most people don’t know the reach of project,” Covenaugh said, “It is permeated throughout the entire fabric of our school.”
The non-profit noted that they are actively pursuing other grants and exploring ways to engage the community to sustain Project Success.
Project Success has created a link on their Facebook page to a petition to United States legislators to keep the full-service community schools grant program from elimination. Thirty-two schools across the state are being impacted, cutting programs for around 19,000 students, according to the petition.