Geneva D-304 accepts gifts for its schools

GENEVA – The Geneva District 304 school board voted to accept donations of $10,263.71 from the PTO of Western Avenue Elementary School, $3,100 from Fabyan Elementary School to their respective schools, and an anonymous donation of $500 to Heartland Elementary School for the purchase of new titles for the library.

The board accepted the gifts at the Oct. 13 meeting. The donations required board action as because the gifts were $500 or above, as per the district’s policy.

Most of the Western Avenue donation, $7,300, will be used for teacher supply budgets, according to the donation letter.

Of the rest, $2,260 will go to classroom subscriptions, $368.73 for art sketchbooks, $203 for fifth grade assignment books and $131.98 for harmonicas, the letter stated.

The Fabyan PTO donation allocated $1,000 to the library to expand its collection and for other supplies; $1,000 will be allocated to principal Lauri Haugen to assist with supplies; equipment or other instructional materials; $600 is earmarked for field trips or educational activities; and $500 is for purchasing birthday books for students.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the possibility of field trips is still unknown, according to a letter from PTO Treasurer Lindsay Hallman.

The board also accepted a donation of $1,372 from AbbVie to be used for field trips or other classroom related projects in the 2020-21 school year. AbbVie is a pharmaceutical company.