LPOSD, WBCSD receive STCU grant awards

Twenty-two teachers in the region were among those receiving $250 classroom grants as part of STCU’s efforts to welcome educators back to school.

The not-for-profit credit union, which was founded by teachers, is honoring its roots by awarding the grants to 82 educators from throughout the region – a total of $20,500 to winners selected at random. The winners can spend their $250 grant on anything they believe will enhance students’ classroom experience, whether a basic need or something special.

The winners in Bonner County schools are:

- West Bonner School District — Denise Jeffers, Priest River Junior High School; and Karen Lynne Duran, Priest River Lamanna High School.

- Lake Pend Oreille School District — Nancy Williams, Kootenai Elementary School; and Janet Edwards, Sandpoint Middle School.

STCU notified 70 of the winners on Thursday, which was World Teachers’ Day, as well as National Do Something Nice Day. Continuing a long tradition, STCU provided meals, refreshments and door prizes at back-to-school events for more than 6,500 educators and other staff in 21 public school districts in Eastern Washington and North Idaho this year.

Classroom staff who attended those events entered our drawings for classroom grants. It is the seventh year that STCU has offered the grant drawings, which have been greatly expanded in recent years to include more recipients.

Founded by educators in 1934, STCU is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative with 171,000 members, more than $2.6 billion in total assets and 21 branch locations, including five in Kootenai and Bonner counties.