With the Newton County School System in such dire financial straights, any little bit of monetary help has been very much appreciated, and since January 2008, they have managed to apply for and receive more then $5 million in grant money to help fund different projects.

All schools benefited with grants from NEH Picturing America ($4,000 for American history resources), Snapping Shoals EMC Bright Ideas Innovations ($17,495 and $17,609) and NEH "A More Perfect Union" ($12,000) for books and films on U.S. history/culture.

The NCSS received a total of $345,000 in HP technology for science grants for Newton High School, Ficquett Elementary School and Veteran’s Memorial Middle School. Georgia Department of Education AP teacher training grants went to all three high schools for the 2008 AP summer institutes ($4,050), Newton High School for 2009 summer institutes ($1,500), and to all three high schools for summer 2010 institutes ($4,200).

Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grants were awarded to West Newton and Middle Ridge Elementary schools for outdoor learning/fitness centers ($9,977); Newton High School received a $3 million grant from the Georgia Career Academy Project for the new career academy; Sharp Learning Center was awarded $283,447 for positive behavior/counseling from the Governor’s System of Caring; and Middle Ridge and Porterdale Elementary schools and Challenge Charter Academy and Liberty Middle School received a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant in the amount of $1,020,545 for after-school programs ($350,000 a year); and middle and high schools in the county received a math/science partnership for math and science teacher training in the amount of $371,644.

General Mills Foundation has awarded grants to Eastiside High School, Fairview Elementary School, Middle Ridge Elementary School and Ficquett Elementary School for fitness and nutrition programs in the amount of $31,423 and to all elementary schools a $5,000 grant to fund Kidsville News.