Schools providing free supplies to students this year
By Larry Stanford
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BUTTS COUNTY, Georgia (Jackson Progress-Argus) — The annual Back to School Bash, sponsored by the Butts County Life Enrichment Team (LET), will be extra special this year as Butts County Schools will provide every student in the system with school supplies, thanks to CARES funding.
LET Coordinator Ann-Marie Pope said in an email to LET’s partners that they can take a break this year.
“Normally, our back to school bash serves 600 Butts County kiddos,” Pope said. “Thanks to CARES money and our amazing school system, this year we will be reaching every single student (approximately 3,500) within the school system with book bags filled to the brim with school supplies for the year.
“With that being said, we won’t need any school supplies donated this year,” she added. “I know how hard this year has been financially for everyone and you guys have been so incredibly generous all year long with everything we have worked on. Now is an excellent opportunity to take a breather!”
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, provides states and local school districts emergency education funding to support school districts through the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. School systems have specific ways they are allowed to spend the funds and providing school supplies to students is among them.
Butts County School Superintendent Dr. Todd Simpson said said it was a “no-brainer” for the school system to be able to use some of its CARES funding for student school supplies.
“We are delighted to be in a position to collaborate with Ann-Marie and all those community partners that are so instrumental in raising the money and generating the support each year to facilitate that event,” Simpson said.
“That event is very important to our community and our families and our students as they prepare to go back to school every year. We just felt like it was a very easy decision to allocate some of these funds to that effort, because it has been so difficult for non-profits and community organizations to raise money in this climate.”
The Back to School Bash will coincide with open house at the schools, all happening on July 30.
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