McKinley Elementary School teachers recently received $100 gift cards to buy classroom supplies through Walmart’s Teacher Rewards program.
Teachers annually spend $500 out of their pockets for school supplies and an additional $300 for food for their classroom, according to the National School Supply and Equipment Association. The Walmart Teacher Rewards program helps teachers supplement their classroom budgets, said Jeff Livingston, Iola Walmart manager.
The names of McKinley teachers were put in a Walmart bucket and the students were given the opportunity to draw the winners. Receiving 10 Teacher Reward Cards or a gift bag from Walmart were Chris Rausch, Briana Curry, Amy Welch, Amber Cripps, Loretta Ellis, Terri Carlin, Cindy Clark, Larry Regehr, Karen Jesseph, Kristin Michael, Jackie Mclntyre, Barb Sherrill and Deb Greenwall.
Through its Teacher Rewards program, Walmart and Sam’s Club locations nationwide are investing $4.5 million in America’s teachers, providing 45,000 educators gift cards to help teachers offset the cost of classroom expenses.
“Walmart appreciates the impact teachers continue to make in our community,” Livingston said. “We know our educators contribute not only their time, but also their money to ensure our students have a successful school year. The Teacher Rewards program is our way of saying thank you.”
School districts have trimmed their budgets considerably during the past few years. USD 257 district classroom budgets were cut by 25 percent for this school year. The $100 will help to supplement the funding that was lost to purchase educational games, books and teaching resources, said Lori Maxwell, McKinley principal.
“We feel fortunate to be selected as the recipients of this year’s Walmart Teacher Rewards program. We appreciate Walmart’s generosity towards education,” Maxwell said.
In its third year, the Teacher Rewards program is an extension of Walmart’s ongoing support of education and local community involvement.
Walmart gives Iola teachers $1K
