Four DPS schools receive $20,000 in grants

Friday, January 13, 2006

Four DPS schools have each been awarded gifts of $5,000 by the proprietor of a Detroit-based insurance company.

W. Lawrence Long, CEO of Long Insurance Services, which is located in the New Center One building, presented checks to representatives of Golightly Educational Center, Post Middle School, Barbour Middle School and his alma mater, Mumford High School, at a Friday afternoon press conference.

The money will be used for a variety of purposes. At Barbour and Post, it will be used to help strengthen the students’ reading and writing skills.  At Golightly, it will go toward improving the school’s library.  And at Mumford, where Mr. Long, an avid golfer, picked up the game as a student many years ago, the money will be used to develop an in-school golf program for students.

He chose Golightly as one of his beneficiaries because his grandchildren attend the school and because his daughter-in-law teaches there. He selected Mumford because it is his alma mater. The two middle schools were chosen based on the recommendations of District officials who were looking to steer more money toward schools striving to improve their academic performance.

“Mr. Long is a committed and involved donor,” said William F. Coleman III, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools. “He took the time to research each of these four schools and to visit them and chat with faculty, administrators and staff. He is an individual who cares deeply about our schools. We are deeply appreciative of his generosity. We invite other DPS alumni to follow his example.”

About the Detroit Public Schools
The Detroit Public Schools, founded in 1842, is one of the nation’s largest public school systems. Detroit Public Schools is a school district of choice and is open to children who live outside the city. The District offers a variety of highly competitive academic and career and technical programs.
About Long Insurance Services, LLC
Long Insurance Services, located in the New Center One building in Detroit, is a full-service insurance agency that offers a variety of products, including auto, homeowners, commercial, life, health, group insurance and retirement plans. The agency has been in existence for more than 10 years and has nine employees.