GIRARD — The school district has received a donation to support one of its special programs, thanks to one of its past graduating classes.

The Girard Board of Education approved a $2,400 donation from the Class of 2023. The funds will be moved from the district’s bank account to the school’s SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) account — also called Teens for People — that distributes money to be used for programs such as the Zachary Davis Latell Gift of a Lifetime Program, for which the donation is intended

Board President Diane Alejars explained that John Latell — a special education teacher, 1995 graduate and school hall of famer — started the fund alongside his wife after losing their child, Zachary, as a baby years ago.

“Every year at Christmas, we ask all the staff in all the schools to give us names of families and children that would need some help and toys and stuff for Christmas,” Alejars said. “And a lot of staff adopt a child and people in the community all contribute at Christmas time.”

Confidentiality is observed through the guidance department and Ohio Teen Institute, which becomes involved with it, she added.

Treasurer Maureen Lloyd said the Class of 2023’s president requested the donation be made, which is why she wanted to push it along after Alejars asked if the funds could be taken out by the respective classes to be used for their benefit.

“Typically each year, you do something to remove it off into either unclaimed funds or donated elsewhere,” Lloyd said. “But since those weren’t done, they’re just sitting on our books for those (graduating) classes, I assume to be used; they raised the funds.”

Board member Sue Ellen Harris-Davis said past graduating classes have donated something to fulfill one of the school’s needs, which is how the other accounts would be cleared. But she didn’t know if the practice was dropped over time.

The board suggested they send a letter to the officers of past graduating classes to notify them of the money and encourage them to do something with it, so it isn’t sitting anymore.

In other action, the board:

•   Approved the following assistant coaches under one-year contracts: Madison Saffels, volunteer swim coach; Ron Navarre, volunteer dive coach; and Noah O’Hara, volunteer boys basketball coach.

•   Approved employing Erica Corson as a district bus driver for the 2024-25 school year effective Oct. 7 at a rate of $21.51 per hour.

•  Approved teacher Denise Kasula’s request for unpaid time off Nov. 20 and Nov. 21.