The Knox School Board got an update Monday from the Lil’ Redskins Boosters.
President Charlene Libey said the group has done quite a bit for Knox Elementary School over the past year. “We’ve provided classroom supplies near around $2,800,” she said. “Last year, we started providing transportation notepads for every student in the building, so when they arrive at the beginning of the year, they get a pad that their parents can take home and fill out. We provide snacks for extended-day field trips. We paired with Student Council to do an ISTEP incentive store, to motivate our third, fourth, and fifth graders to do their best. We sponsored the fifth grade dance. And the list goes on of the different things that we’ve been able to do through our fund-raising efforts.”
She said the group has four big fundraisers during the school year. “We do the school spirit wear when students come back in the fall,” Libey said. “We have homecoming spirit items, we do trash bag sales and then the Basketball Bonanza, and we also collect box tops. So those are our main ways of getting money to be able to support our school.”
Transparency is a key priority for the Lil’ Redskins Boosters, after money raised for playground equipment by the former parent-teacher organization allegedly went missing. “We keep everything in black and white for our parents and our staff,” Libey said, “just so everybody knows what they money situation is because we know how the past has been.”
Libey said the group has about $6,000 in its operating fund, which is what it uses to make purchases. On top of that, the group is taking its leftover funds and saving up for a new playground on the west end of the school. So far, $10,000 has been set aside for that purpose. Libey said the Lil’ Redskins Boosters have also set up a new fund for playground repair. The organization is also pursuing various grant opportunities.
