Villagers contributed more than $7,500 in school supplies and monetary donations during the inaugural Sumter County Public Schools Supply Drive.
That’s according to Sally Moss, vice chairman of the Sumter County School Board. She shared the information about the $5,000 in supplies and $2,543 in cash donations during the school board’s meeting on Tuesday night.
The supply drive was held Aug. 12-14 at three regional recreation centers in The Villages. School board members, District staff and others at the meeting were overwhelmed with the generosity of Villages residents.
The School District’s Transportation Department delivered the supplies to Student Services Director Eileen Goodson at the School District Office in Bushnell. She and her staff organized the supplies so school principals could select the items needed for their students.
The supplies are being distributed to students who can’t afford to purchase the necessary items for their personal use in the classroom. The monetary donations will be divided between eight public schools based on the number of students enrolled. Those schools will then use the funds to purchase supplies according to their individual needs.