EAST PALESTINE SCHOOLS Officials await approval for education foundation

All donations to the school district will be funneled through the foundation.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
EAST PALESTINE -- Future benefactors of East Palestine schools will benefit the district even more as school officials establish a foundation, schools Superintendent Jeff Richardson said.
Once the East Palestine City School District Education Foundation Inc. is established, all donations to the school district from individuals, civic groups, alumni and others will be funneled through the foundation, Richardson said.
Donations through the foundation will have more impact than individual donations do now, because the foundation will generate interest, he said.
"If people want to donate in memory of someone, contribute to, say, the science department, the band or athletics, or establish a scholarship fund, all that would go through the foundation," Richardson said.
A committee has been working for about a year on forming the foundation and has drafted a constitution.
Board members: The foundation board includes Richardson, school district Treasurer Rick Ellis; Joann Knight, director of curriculum; board of education members Kim Maxwell and John Hersh; and Jane Zellem, Richardson's secretary. The others are Mary Beth Strohecker, a 2001 graduate of East Palestine High School; and city residents James Hartford, James Cohen, Ellen Rettig, Kersey McCloskey, and Cindy Figley.
Ellis said the foundation bylaws, based on those of other school district foundations, state the current superintendent and treasurer of the district will be members of the board, and others are to be city residents or East Palestine High School alumni.
He said Richardson sought nominations from school personnel about who should be on the board, then asked those nominated if they would be willing to serve.
IRS review: Before school officials can accept donations on behalf of the foundation, the Internal Revenue Service must approve the foundation as a nonprofit corporation, Richardson said.
The nonprofit status will enable benefactors to deduct their contributions on their federal tax forms, Richardson said. The IRS is reviewing the foundation's constitution to determine the foundation's nonprofit status, he said.