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Bezos’ Ex-Wife Gifts $16M to Grand Prairie ISD

$16 million to Grand Prairie ISD
Philanthropist Mackenzie Scott | Image by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Last week, philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, gifted $16 million to Grand Prairie Independent School District.

“I believe the work we’re doing in Grand Prairie ISD is aligned with Ms. Scott’s philosophy of giving,” Superintendent Linda Ellis said on Thursday. “While this isn’t something we’ve applied for, or sought out, we are truly grateful and humbled on behalf of our students and staff.”

Ellis continued, “Our thanks also goes to our Board of Trustees. They continue to give our teachers the resources to be innovative to serve the unique needs of our students in a variety of ways. This donation will help us work toward our goal of growing quality teachers and providing the best education for all students in GPISD.”

“I’ve never dreamed a public school could get this kind of gift,” she expressed, “It’s too good to be true. But it’s true, and it’s gonna be great for years to come for our children and community.”

After Scott’s 2019 divorce from Jeff Bezos, who had an estimated net worth of $131 billion, she received a $38 billion settlement, making her the richest woman in the world. She subsequently pledged to give away at least half of her wealth over the course of her lifetime.

Since then, Scott has donated about $12 billion to more than 1,200 organizations — including multiple universities and nonprofits in Texas. While she has donated to many school districts across the nation, Grand Prairie ISD is the first district in Texas to receive a gift from the philanthropist.

Ellis said Scott made no “specific demands for the use” of her donation, and the district told The Dallas Express that no decisions have been made regarding how the funds will be allocated.

“No decisions have been made at this time,” explained Sam Buchmeyer, public information officer for Grand Prairie ISD. “Our Superintendent Linda Ellis has indicated that we will carefully consider how these funds will be used. She wants to involve school leaders, community members, and students in the decision-making process.”

“At this time, there is no timeline for that process. That will be a discussion she has with our Board of Trustees,” Buchmeyer noted.

Grand Prairie ISD is currently operating with a total budget of $340.6 million for the 2022-23 school year.

Of that, $161.7 million is allocated to “Instruction,” which includes teacher salaries and curriculum development. An additional $50 million is budgeted for “Instructional Support,” which includes school leadership, counseling, and extracurricular activities.

Furthermore, Grand Prairie ISD has earmarked $73.6 million for overall district operations.

The district currently has an accountability rating of 82 (B) and a student achievement rating of 76 (C), with only 41% of students meeting grade level — the same percentage as Dallas ISD.

The Dallas Express will continue to report on the spending of local government entities, including school districts.

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