Lee County Education Foundation announces $150,000 COVID relief grant to Lee County principals
November, 2020
SANFORD — The coronavirus pandemic shuttered North Carolina schools last spring and has left students and teachers scrambling to catch up this fall.
After another victim of COVID-19 — the Lee County Education Foundation’s annual “Head of Class” award — was canceled, the organization decided to pivot, and with a generous gift from another local foundation, create a way to help each of Lee County’s public schools during an unprecedented time of need.
The result: the Education Foundation has increased its annual $50,000 Head of Class gift to $75,000, and with a $75,000 match from the Worthy Lands Trust — the foundation created by the late Ernest and Ruby McSwain of Sanford — is giving the principals of each of Lee County’s 17 schools funds to use specifically in response to the pandemic.
Each school will receive a cash donation from the foundations’ joint effort in amounts ranging from $2,000 to $11,800.
“This $150,000 grant obviously wouldn’t have been possible without the Trustees of the Worthy Lands Trust recognizing the urgencies the pandemic have created for our teachers and educators,” said LCEF Chairman Bill Horner III. “This valuable partnership will help directly provide funds for the principals at each public school. More than ever, they need our support to help their instructional teams maximize student performance and provide assistance to them in their work in new and creative ways.”
Horner said the Education Foundation has suggested uses like acquisition of technology to help teachers, as well as additional classroom materials, tutoring, and mental health support. The group is asking principals and their teaching staff to collaborate on creative uses for the funds to have the most positive impact on student performance.
Foundation director Kel Normann, a past chairman of the LCEF, said the circumstances this year demanded something different.
“I am glad that our Lee County Education Foundation was able to alter our traditional support of the Head of the Class Project in the elementary schools this year and include all Lee County schools in this COVID relief fund,” he said. “With the partnership of the McSwain Worthy Lands Foundation, we are now able to provide support to every student in the county. This pandemic has affected so many lives in various ways and I am so thankful for the Worthy Lands Foundation and their mission to provide a positive impact to the people of this county.”
Amy Lundy, the principal of Deep River Elementary School — the 2019 and 2017 Head of Class winner — said the donation to her school would be put to good use “to assist our teachers in providing the instruction needed for all of our students.”
“This is such a generous gesture and we are so blessed in Lee County to have supportive community stakeholders who encourage our students, teachers and schools,” she said. “There are so many ways the money can be used and I can’t wait to start brainstorming ideas with our staff. Thank you so much for thinking of us during these uncertain times. Like they say, it takes a village to raise children!”
Andrea Sloan at Tramway Elementary School, Lee County’s 2018 Head of Class winner, said schools are “in such a different place” today in terms of needs during the pandemic.
“And the funding that we will receive will help to support the diverse learning needs of both our face-to-face and virtual students as we look for ways to integrate technology like never before,” she said. “Anything that touches a child or student grows our community and supports our families. And the LCEF has taken this concept to propel Lee County forward through our public schools.
“The Education Foundation has always been supportive of our schools and this year is no exception.”
Dennis Wicker, whose original vision for the Education Foundation led to its creation in 2003, said he was grateful for the generous gift provided by the legacy of the McSwains.
“No doubt this gift will be an additional boost to enhancing the classroom performance of students this year,” he said. “It is just a great day for public schools in Lee County.”
For the last decade, the Head of Class Project has provided one elementary school in Lee County with a $50,000 gift as recognition both for having exceeded expectations when it comes to student performance and risen above the other Lee County schools in that particular year.
With the $150,000 COVID relief grant, each elementary and middle school will be receiving $11,800, Lee County High School and Southern Lee High School will receive $5,000 each, with the remaining schools receiving amounts between $2,000 and $2,850, based upon their significantly lower enrollment numbers.
“The need is great, but LCEF and LCS know that teachers and administrators at each school are best qualified to decide what could make the biggest overall impact for their student population as our community navigates these unchartered waters,” said Susan Keller, a member of the Education Foundation’s board.
Dr. Carol Chappell, Lee County Schools’ executive director of instruction for performance, said the grants will go a long way toward easing some of the stress on educators caused by the pandemic.
“Because this funding does not come with the restrictions that accompany many other types of funding, the schools can truly use it to meet student needs,” she said. “Just as important as the funding itself is the community support of educators and students demonstrated by this gift. All of our educators are most grateful to the Lee County Education Foundation and the Trustees of the Worth Lands Trust.”
For more information about the Lee County Education Foundation and its Head of Class project, go to leecef.com.
