OEF Mail-a-Thon begins

The Oneida Education Foundation’s annual fund-raising Mail-a-thon provides a simple way to support the students and teachers at all four brick-and-mortar schools in Oneida County with tax deductible donations. Watch for your form in the mail this week.

History of the OEF Mail-a-thon

The Mail-a-thon is in its fourth year although its predecessor, the OEF Telethon, began over 20 years ago.  With most people changing to cell phones, it became harder and harder to find phone numbers to call during the Telethon.  Hence, the OEF Mail-a-thon was born and is the primary fund raiser for the OEF.

The OEF is a nonprofit organization and so provides tax benefits for donors. Those benefits include the special Idaho education tax deduction. To qualify for this deduction, taxpayers must donate through an established education foundation; the OEF is such an organization.

The Oneida Education Foundation (OEF) was established in 1988 to raise funds for Oneida County schools, teachers, and students. “The purpose of the Oneida Education Foundation is to encourage business and community involvement in the schools in Oneida School District and to actively seek supplemental resources to assure SUCCESS FOR EVERY STUDENT enrolled in and physically attending the schools full time in Oneida School District.”  (OEF By-Laws) The family of William H. and Cecelia D. Rutter donated $20,000 to begin the OEF’s efforts to award grants to teachers and scholarships to graduates of Malad High School.

The OEF Board is comprised of 15 volunteer members, the majority of whom are community representatives. Every school has a representative to the Board, and the two high school student representatives provide insight to the needs of students.  The OEF functions independently of the Oneida School Board and District while cooperating with school officials to provide grants to teachers and scholarships to graduating seniors.

OEF Achievements

Last year the OEF awarded grants to teachers at all four Oneida County schools; the total grant amount was nearly $12,000. Grants were awarded to Stone School for STEM and writing software, to Malad Elementary School for books, art supplies, and the Veterans’ Program, to Malad Middle School for science, health, history, and math supplies, and to Malad High School for art and music supplies. 

In addition, the OEF awarded 81 scholarships to 42 graduates of Malad High School; the total value of the scholarships was $38,600. The minimum amount of each student’s scholarship was $800. The OEF also cooperates with local businesses and organizations to sponsor annual scholarships. Students have three years in which to use their scholarships. Students must provide proof of registration at accredited post-secondary colleges before receiving their scholarship checks, which are made out to both the student and
the college.

All moneys donated to the OEF go where the donor designates, whether to curriculum/classroom grants, specific endowed scholarships, or general scholarships. The OEF currently has 51 endowment funds, most of which were established in memory of family members and friends.

New Endowments

Recently, two new endowments were established.  The Lucile Harrison Memorial Elementary School Curricula Endowment is to provide funding for teacher grants to benefit students in 4th and 5th grades of Malad Elementary School.  The family of Mary E. (Mae) and John M. Williams established a new scholarship to go to students who were involved in music while in school. A generation of students at Malad Elementary School will remember both Miss Harrison, who taught 5th grade, and Mrs. Williams, who was the music specialist at Malad Elementary School.

For a complete list of OEF endowed funds and its recent Annual Reports, see www.oneidaeducationfoundation.org. Watch for your Mail-a-thon form and return it with your donation today or use the QR Code enclosed with the form.  If you do not receive a form, just drop off your donation at the OEF mailbox at Malad Elementary School or use the QR Code on the website to make an online donation.

If you have questions about the Oneida Education Foundation and its service to the schools, students, and teachers of Oneida School District, please contact any of the Board members.  The OEF Chair is Jean Thomas ([email protected]).