RESEVRE — Public support is needed rather quickly as the St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District eyes a multi-million dollar grant with the help of a national teaching partner, Superintendent Kevin George said.

According to George, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching contacted him this week seeking to partner with the School District in pushing for a federal grant from the Teacher Incentive Fund.

“I’m very excited about the process because their success rate in doing this is very high,” George said. “Basically, every time they write a grant, they get it. They are writing the grant to the Teacher Incentive Fund, which is normally called TIF. It’s a federal grant. It’s five years for multi-millions of dollars. It pays for just so much.”

The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching website states an effective teacher is the most important school-based factor impacting student achievement, which drives the Institute’s commitment “to ensuring a highly skilled, strongly motivated and competitively compensated teacher” is in every classroom in America.

George said St. John Public Schools would need letters of support from local elected officials, School Board members, community members and those in the business world to demonstrate the commitment the Institute is seeking.

“They want to be sure they are going into a place that wants us here and needs us here,” George said. “We have to have this meeting to garner public support, because they don’t want to support a system that the entire community doesn’t buy into.”

A National Institute for Excellence in Teaching representative will host a town hall meeting at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Godchaux Grammar Cafeteria in Reserve, where the public is invited to attend, learn more about the project and ask questions.

George said a strong turnout is vital to St. John’s grant participation.