Donating to Education

Published 8:02 am Sunday, December 7, 2008

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Ironton City Schools are getting new gymnasium scoreboards, thanks to the Tri-State Building and Construction Trades Council and Coca Cola Bottling Co.

The trades council Friday handed school officials a donation of $37,000; Coca Cola donated $10,000.

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The checks were passed just before school officials took union and soft drink company representatives on a tour of the soon-to-be-completed middle and elementary schools.

For both entities, the donations are another aspect of relationships with the district, one long-standing and one recent.

Steve Burton, of the trades council, told Ironton School Superintendent Dean Nance he was glad to have partnered with the district in building the new schools. He pointed out that the levy to pay for those schools had failed twice before the trades council publicly supported the plan and pushed to get the funding approved by voters.

Nance also pointed out that while Ironton and the trades council inked the first school construction Project Labor Agreement in the state, two other local districts, South Point and Portsmouth West, have followed suit.

“We at the building and trades council like to work with people who work with us,” Burton said. “We are part of this community.”

Board member Tim Johnson indicated the feeling was mutual.

“We’re overjoyed with how the buildings look, and the timetables for them,” school board member Tim Johnson said. “And we’re more than grateful for the donations.”

Joe Trauth, district manager for Coca Cola, said Coca Cola has donated to the school district in the past and is glad to do so again.

“This is a natural fit for Coca Cola, to support youth and education,” Trauth said.

The elementary and middle school should be completed by spring and ready for use by the start of the next school year. Construction also continues on the new high school.