In only three weeks, Street School saw more than $100,000 pour in after a fundraiser was started to help balance out the decrease in educational aid currently facing all Oklahoma public schools.
Street School, a nonprofit alternative high school located in South Tulsa, was facing a shortfall of nearly $107,000 before the fundraiser began and administrators created the Double Impact Challenge campaign to initiate assistance from local businesses and community leaders.
Street School Community Relations Director , Kelly McElroy, says though school officials raise money each year to help cover operational costs, state funding is included within the yearly budget.
“We're a $1.4 million agency and we have to raise a little over $600,000 on our own every year. We do a very good job at that, but then when you figure in the 15 percent we get from the government sources and that is cut, that's not something that we plan for,” McElroy said.
Administrators and volunteers managed to raise a large sum of money, however the matching donation of Canada Co. President Carol Robinson helped the fund-raising effort nearly reach it's goal.
Robinson pledged to match the total number of donations up to $50,000 and when campaign officials announced the total contributions after three weeks reached $52,911, Robinson presented the check to school administrators.
Robinson, who became the owner of Canada Co. nearly 17 yeas ago, says it is the responsibility of small businesses to support local institutions in need such as public schools.
“It's the small businesses that make up America, that make up Oklahoma, that make up Tulsa and I think it's the small businesses that need to step up,” Robinson said
Although, Street School will likely obtain enough money to fully reach their goal for the 2016 fiscal year, financial challenges remain imminent for the upcoming 2017 fiscal year.
“We still have 25 staff [workers] to pay. We still have things in this building that are associated to give these kids what they need. So we need this money in our general operating budget to pay the bills,” McElroy said.
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