Students Read to Raise $217,000 for Belmont School District

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Students in the have raised $217,000 for School Force, the district's fundraising organization, through the Reading Power pledge drive that rewarded students for time spent reading.

The pledge drive spanned two weeks, from Jan. 14 through the Jan. 28, during which time students from the district's six elementary schools racked up more than 1.5 million minutes of reading combined, said Tracie Pon, who coordinates the Reading Power program.

The money generated this year is $12,000 more than last year, Pon said.

"This turned out to be a tremendous fundraiser, and it was super empowering for the kids," said Ardythe Andrews, School Force president.

To raise the money, students collect pledges from friends, family members, neighbors, local residents and others to pay for minutes spent reading by the students. Donors have the option to pay by the minute, or contribute a flat pledge of $100 for the entire read-a-thon, Andrews said.

Pon said she didn't know how many donors contributed to the drive, but said School Force accepted checks from donors as far aways as England and Germany, not to mention all across the U.S.

Andrews said the drive is important not only because it raises money for local schools, but also because "it fosters the love of reading" for the students.

The money will be donated to the district's general fund, said Andrews.

She said in the past the money has been used to reduce class sizes, as well as pay for education specialists and the Dean of Students at .

Andrews said ideally the money raised by School Force would not backfill gaps in the district's budget, and rather the money would go to fund enrichment programs beyond what is included in the state's core programs.

But she said until the district finds a dedicated funding source, such as a parcel tax, the School Force money will go toward paying what the district deems to be most necessary.

Pon praised the students for all their hard work reading and collecting pledges, but also gave thanks to the teachers and principals who dedicated their time to ensuring the drive was such a resounding success.

"The school district desperately needs the funds," said Pon.