Agenda Item
ii. Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation Award Valued at $40,338)
Summary: Presented by: Dr. Cherisse Campbell, Chief of Community Engagement and Innovative Partnerships, Division of Community Engagement & Innovative Partnerships
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education accept the receipt of the instrument award funded by Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.
Why: Board approval is requested because this award expands equitable access to music education by providing instruments some families could not otherwise afford, reduces student sharing, and strengthens Freedom Middle School’s band program with accountable, school-based resources.
Details: Freedom Middle School will receive a Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation award of band instruments and accessories, including trumpets, clarinets, flutes, saxophones, snare drums, stands, and reeds, to support student participation in music education.
Financial impact: There is no cost to the District or Freedom Middle School to accept the instrument award from the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. The total donation is valued at $40,338.
Contact: Dr. Cherisse M. Campbell, Chief of Community Engagement & Innovative Partnerships, Division of Community Engagement and Innovative Partnerships, 678-676-0409, cherisse_m_campbell@dekalbschoolsga.org
Dr. Bridgette, L. Allen, Area Superintendent of Middle Schools, Division of Schools & Leadership, 404-915-7104, bridgette_allen@dekalbschoolsga.org
Effective: Upon Board Approval.
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs.
5/18/26, 9:45 AM Mail - Donald Porter (Dept. Of Grants & Partnerships) - Outlook
Outlook
Re: [EXTERNAL]Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation - Freedom Middle School Grant and Instrument Logistics
From Sabrina McCombs (Freedom Middle School) <Sabrina_McCombs@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Date Fri 5/15/2026 2:16 PM
To Donald Porter (Dept. Of Grants & Partnerships) <Donald_Porter@dekalbschoolsga.org>; Bridgette Allen (Area - Middle Schools) <Bridgette_Allen@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Todd
Shipley<todd@mhopus.org
>
Forrest Watkins (Freedom Middle School); Sabrina McCombs (Freedom Middle School)
Norman Sauce (Superintendent's Office); Monica Fogg (Teaching & Learning); Jonathan Goldman (Department Of Communication); Tricia Williams <tricia@mhopus.org>;
+5 others
You don't often get email from todd@mhopus.org. Learn why this is important
ALERT/ATTENTION: This email originated from outside the DeKalb County School District. Do not click links, open
attachments or reply unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Please use the Junk/Phishing reporting
feature in your Outlook Email to report any suspicious emails so that an investigation can be started if needed.
Dear Principal McCombs and Dr. Watkins,
Congratulations! I am delighted to share that as a result of Freedom Middle School’s participation in Mr. Holland’s Opus
Foundation’s Adopt A School campaign, the school will receive a donation of the following:
6 Trumpets
6 Clarinets
5 Flutes
4 Alto Saxophones
3 Steel Snare Drums
3 Snare Drum Stands
1 Tenor Saxophone
3 Boxes of Bb Clarinet Reeds (Box of 10 - Strength 2.5)
3 Boxes of Alto Saxophone Reeds (Box of 10 - Strength 2.5)
2 Boxes of Tenor Saxophone Reeds (Box of 10 - Strength 2.5)
The total retail value of this donation is $40,338 and is made possible through generous funding from the Van Halen Family and
other generous donors who supported the campaign.
Dr. Watkins, you will soon receive a follow-up email regarding grant agreement instructions and instrument delivery logistics from
Cecilia Garcia, Program Associate (cecilia@mhopus.org). In the meantime, when you announce the exciting news to your
students, colleagues, or school community, we would love for you to capture that moment!
We would be delighted to receive a quick iPhone video, candid photos, handwritten student notes, or quotes in an email message—
anything that documents the excitement of:
Your class hearing the news that new instruments are on the way!
A student or ensemble sharing what they are looking forward to most about their new instrument!
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5/18/26, 9:45 AM Mail - Donald Porter (Dept. Of Grants & Partnerships) - Outlook
A principal or administrator sharing what new instruments mean to the entire school.
Anything you can conveniently provide will help us show our donors the real impact of their generosity and inspire others to give.
You can reply to this email or upload video clips, photos, scans, or notes to our Jotform, linked below.
Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation Jotform Upload
Thank you for the incredible work you do for your students!
Warmly,
Todd Shipley
Program Director
Todd Shipley, Program Director
615-962-5272 | mhopus.org
Enjoy our newsletter Opus Notes
From: Donald Porter (Dept. Of Grants & Partnerships) <Donald_Porter@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2026 11:58 AM
To: Bridgette Allen (Area - Middle Schools) <Bridgette_Allen@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Cc: Sabrina McCombs (Freedom Middle School) <Sabrina_McCombs@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL]Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation - Freedom Middle School Grant and Instrument Logistics
Good morning!
Thank you for these. I'll prepare and submit for legal sufficiency today.
The only thing I still need: What is the estimated total dollar value of this award?
Donnie
Donald B. Porter, Ed.D., Lead Grant Strategist
Department of Grants and Partnerships - DeKalb County School District
1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard - Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083
678-481-4110
Donald_Porter@dekalbschoolsga.org
From: Bridgette Allen (Area - Middle Schools) <Bridgette_Allen@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2026 7:23 PM
To: Donald Porter (Dept. Of Grants & Partnerships) <Donald_Porter@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Cc: Sabrina McCombs (Freedom Middle School) <Sabrina_McCombs@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Subject: Fw: [EXTERNAL]Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation - Freedom Middle School Grant and Instrument Logistics
Greetings,
See attached.
Best Regards,
Dr. Bridgette L. Allen, SHRM-CP
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Area Superintendent - Middle Schools
DeKalb County School District
1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd. │ Stone Mountain, GA 30083
bridgette_allen@dekalbschoolsga.org
"Learning, Growing, and Winning Together"
The MS Way: Meet the needs of all scholars, Support each other and all stakeholders, Work with intentionality for impact, Analyze data to drive continuous improvement, Yearn to grow others
GALLUP CliftonStrengths®: STRATEGIC | ACHIEVER | MAXIMIZER | RELATOR | LEARNER
From: Cecilia Garcia <cecilia@mhopus.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2026 1:50 PM
To: Bridgette Allen (Area - Middle Schools) <Bridgette_Allen@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Cc: Norman Sauce (Superintendent's Office) <Norman_C_Sauce@dekalbschoolsga.org>; Sabrina McCombs (Freedom Middle School)
<Sabrina_McCombs@dekalbschoolsga.org>; Forrest Watkins (Freedom Middle School) <Forrest_Watkins@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL]Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation - Freedom Middle School Grant and Instrument Logistics
You don't often get email from cecilia@mhopus.org. Learn why this is important
Hello,
Attached are the application and agreement as requested. Please let me know if you need anything else.
Cecilia Garcia, Program Associate
818-762-4328 | mhopus.org
Enjoy our newsletter Opus Notes
On Thu, May 14, 2026 at 10:30 AM Cecilia Garcia <cecilia@mhopus.org> wrote:
Thank you for letting me know! Could you please provide when the board meeting will occur? I will then add a note to our records to follow up after. If they
are in need of a pdf of the agreement or any other information, please also let me know.
Kind regards,
Cecilia Garcia, Program Associate
818-762-4328 | mhopus.org
Enjoy our newsletter Opus Notes
On Wed, May 13, 2026 at 4:57 PM Bridgette Allen (Area - Middle Schools) <Bridgette_Allen@dekalbschoolsga.org> wrote:
Greetings,
Thank you for the opportunity to partner with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to support our scholars through this instrument donation. Due to the
donation amount, we are required to obtain Board approval prior to moving forward with the execution of the grant agreement. Once we have
received board approval, we will proceed accordingly.
We appreciate your partnership throughout this process and will keep you informed as updates become available. Thank you again for your support of
our school community.
Best Regards,
Dr. Bridgette L. Allen, SHRM-CP
Area Superintendent - Middle Schools
DeKalb County School District
1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd. │ Stone Mountain, GA 30083
bridgette_allen@dekalbschoolsga.org
"Learning, Growing, and Winning Together"
The MS Way: Meet the needs of all scholars, Support each other and all stakeholders, Work with intentionality for impact, Analyze data to drive continuous improvement, Yearn to grow others
GALLUP CliftonStrengths®: STRATEGIC | ACHIEVER | MAXIMIZER | RELATOR | LEARNER
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5/18/26, 9:45 AM Mail - Donald Porter (Dept. Of Grants & Partnerships) - Outlook
From: Cecilia Garcia <cecilia@mhopus.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 2:47 PM
To: Norman Sauce (Superintendent's Office) <Norman_C_Sauce@dekalbschoolsga.org>; Sabrina McCombs (Freedom Middle School)
<Sabrina_McCombs@dekalbschoolsga.org>; Forrest Watkins (Freedom Middle School) <Forrest_Watkins@dekalbschoolsga.org>
Subject: [EXTERNAL]Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation - Freedom Middle School Grant and Instrument Logistics
You don't often get email from cecilia@mhopus.org. Learn why this is important
ALERT/ATTENTION: This email originated from outside the DeKalb County School District. Do not click links, open attachments or reply
unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Please use the Junk/Phishing reporting feature in your Outlook Email to
report any suspicious emails so that an investigation can be started if needed.
Dear Dr. Sauce, Principal McCombs, and Dr. Watkins,
We at Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation are excited to share the next steps of the instrument donation process with you.
You will all soon receive an email from Adobe Sign with a link to access and e-sign the instrument grant agreement. We ask that teachers and principals
ensure they follow their school district’s internal procedures for receiving grants and signing grant agreements. If there are any additional steps we need
to be aware of, please let us know.
Upon execution of the grant agreement, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation will order the instruments to be delivered to the school.
Dr. Watkins, in order to ensure that instruments are delivered to the correct address and to prevent delivery attempts during school closures, please reply
with responses to the following:
1. Delivery Address:
2. Is there a loading dock? YES or NO
If yes, please provide location specifics in relation to the building and loading dock hours.
3. Delivery contact person - name and phone number:
4. Please list any upcoming school closure dates over the next 6 months (i.e., holidays or breaks) when there will not be someone at
the school site to accept deliveries.
Please note that the Foundation is not able to provide advanced notice of delivery:
5. Can the school accept deliveries during summer break? YES or NO
If yes, please provide when the break begins/ends and the days/hours when the school can accept deliveries. Please include any special
instructions.
Please note that the instruments may arrive in multiple deliveries. Upon receipt, please carefully inspect each instrument. If anything arrives damaged or
defective, please save the packing materials for the instrument(s) and notify me immediately. Please be sure to add the instruments to your master
inventory list for accountability/tracking purposes.
Thank you all, and please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Kind regards,
Cecilia Garcia, Program Associate
818-762-4328 | mhopus.org
Enjoy our newsletter Opus Notes
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