SOUTH DEERFIELD — Frontier Regional School is the beneficiary of a generous sum of money, donated for upgrades to the school’s library and for scholarships.
Recently, Union 38 Superintendent Lynn Carey announced that Charles and Paula Mark, who live near the school on North Main Street, have donated $70,000 to the district.
“This contribution will meaningfully affect generations of students to come,” Carey wrote in a letter of thanks. “Your exceptional thoughtfulness will be used to positively impact the lives of many students in our community. Our community is fortunate to enjoy the support of local residents like yourselves.”
Carey said $40,000 of the gift will be used for foreign language scholarships, with the remaining $30,000 allotted to update the school’s library.
The letter noted that because of the donation, for the first time, the school “will have an annual scholarship that will directly recognize a student who wishes to pursue a future in language and cultural study. These annual scholarships will mean a great deal to our students and their families for years to come.”
Before using the money for library improvements — including upgrades such as new furniture and fresh paint — Carey said school officials must repair the North Main Street school’s roof, which currently leaks into the library.
“Before we spend the money, we would be remiss if we didn’t fix what’s going on,” Carey said, noting that she wants “to ensure (the money) is well spent” to make it “a lasting gift.”
To that end, school officials are looking to repair the roof. Preliminary estimates project costs between $31,000 and $182,000, based on figures discussed during this month’s School Committee meeting.