School calendar begins with donated supplies for students
Robbinsville – Thanks to a collaboration between Smoky Mountain Smiles and Graham County Schools, students district-wide started the 2024-25 year Monday without having to pay for supplies.
Former superintendent Angie Knight spoke with The Graham Star on Tuesday afternoon about spearheading the project, which resulted in businesses, churches, individuals and organizations all contributing roughly $36,000 in essentials like paper, pencils, Kleenex and hand sanitizer.
Assistance toward the cause also came from ESSER (Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief) funds, which was obtained from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction during the pandemic. Knight said the funds were earmarked for purchasing supplies and were due to expire soon.
“It’s so hard financially on families,” Knight explained. “Imagine if you’re having to buy (supplies) for a family of four today. We hope this helps parents be able to purchase other things, like clothing and food for their children.”
Lists were collected from across the school system and shared with those interested in helping. Contributions were also accepted through the Graham County Schools website.
The first portion of supplies were given out at Aug. 3’s Back to School Bash, while others collected their donations when returning for the year Monday.
The district’s enrollment for 2024-25 is 1,104, meaning that each student received around $32.61 in supplies.
“It’s enough to get them on their way,” Knight added.