Austin ISD will receive a $1.75 million grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to continue a program that builds communication between parents and teachers. AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz announced the grant at Wooldridge Elementary School in North Austin on May 27. He said the district plans to expand the program to more schools after seeing success in five schools in the Rundberg area: Lucy Read Pre-Kindergarten School and Hart, Jaime D. Padron, McBee and Wooldridge elementary schools. The program began last year when Kellogg awarded $330,000 awarded to AISD. Wooldridge Principal Sheri Mull said the program increased teacher communication with parents and helped the district identify areas of strength as well as those in need of improvement. “We reached over 800 parents and still counting,” she said. Michelle Wallis, AISD executive director of innovation and development, said the additional funding will provide training for school staff and parents and stipends for parents who take leadership roles in the program. Funding will also be used to address barriers the program has identified so far, such as providing health and wellness programs, creating family welcome centers, and providing college readiness programs starting in pre-Kindergarten. The grant will fund translation services, child care and other services that make it easier for families to participate, Wallis said. “This project is different,” she said. “It’s really given us a chance to step back and really focus on developing relationships with each other.” Wallis said better relationships between teachers and parents will ultimately make students more successful.