DATE: July 25, 2006

Tarmac Cements Future for Deserving Students
Construction Materials Company Contributes $1.5 Million to Scholarship Program

MIAMI, FL—Students, parents, and faculty at the New Jerusalem Christian Academy in Miami were on hand as Hardy Johnson, Florida President of Tarmac America – a leading building materials producer and brand of Titan America – presented a $1,500,000 check to Step Up For Students. The organization is an initiative of the Corporate Tax Credit scholarship program (CTC) and provides K-12 scholarships for low-income Florida students to attend the private or public schools, like New Jerusalem Christian Academy, that best meets their needs. 

“It is my privilege to announce that this contribution will enable an additional 400 disadvantaged children in South Florida to attend a school of their choice through the Step Up for Students program,” said Johnson. “We look forward to seeing all the good it will do to help more families who could not otherwise afford to find the educational opportunities that fit their unique needs.”
Last year, Tarmac contributed $700,000 corporate tax dollars to the program.

John Kirtley, President of the Florida School Choice Fund and chairman of Florida PRIDE, the organization behind Step up for Students, spoke about the benefits of the program and reiterated that 100 percent of the money the program receives goes directly to scholarships and not administrative costs. According to Kirtley, 3,000 students in Miami-Dade received Step up For Students scholarships during the 2005-2006 school year. 

Guests were inspired by a personal success story from Laura Jones, who was able to send three of her sons to private schools because of the Step up for Students program. Jones was joined by her mother, Annie Mae Carter, a former Miami-Dade County public school teacher who discussed the importance of choosing schools that meet the individualized needs for children.

“On behalf of all the low-income families that will benefit from this contribution, my sincerest appreciation goes to Tarmac for their continued generosity and outstanding support of the Step Up For Students program,” said Pauline Darling, Executive Administrator for New Jerusalem Christian Academy. “Tarmac helps meet the growing needs of our state and provides jobs within our communities, and with its partnership with Step Up for Students, they are enabling disadvantaged children to receive the best education possible.”

To conclude the morning, Johnson shared a story with the students entitled, “Hard Work Pays Off.” Written by former NBA star Karl Malone, the story conveyed an important message about role models and overcoming adversity to achieve lifelong goals.

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