Student relief fund makes big push
As of May 4th, the North Wasco County School District Foundation has raised $9,625 dollars, or 48% of their goal to raise $20,000 by May 15 to support distance learning and basic needs for local students.
For the next two weeks, the Foundation has pledged $5,000 of their own reserves to match dollar for dollar any donations coming in up to $5K. Please consider donating to this worthy cause by visiting www.northwascoed.org. All donations are tax deductible.
The fundraiser was launched on April 15th to help support the school district in alleviating some of the critical needs brought about by the statewide school closures. Called the COVID Response Special Fund.
The Foundation will be providing half of these funds towards key technology needs, including more Chromebooks, chargers, and webcams for teachers who don’t have them. They will also be covering the costs for a limited number of families to pay for internet access so their children can access distance learning opportunities. There is a significant shortage of Chromebooks at the elementary level in the district, as the teachers pivot to using more online learning for grade levels that previously did not use Chromebooks for their learning. The cost estimate for 150 additional Chromebooks, chargers, and some laptops and webcams for teachers who don’t have them at home is around $50,000. The Foundation hopes to cover $10,000 of this and the Google Foundation has just pledged an emergency grant of $40,000 to cover the remainder of the technology purchase.
The other $10,000 that the Foundation hopes to raise will be used to purchase grocery and gas gift cards for families with the greatest needs. The District will distribute those through the weekend backpack program collaboration. Because they will be gift cards to local businesses, those dollars will recirculate within the local economy, providing a win-win when we need it most.
Contributed by Foundation and D21 School Board member Rebecca Thistlethwaite.
