Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Valero awards $135,000 to fund STEAM Wheel program for two years
Summary
Valero Benicia refinery announced a $135,000 grant to subsidize two years of the district's STEAM Wheel extracurricular program; refinery and district representatives described a long-standing partnership during the Sept. 4 meeting.
Valero Benicia refinery presented the Benicia Unified School District with a $135,000 charitable grant Sept. 4 to subsidize two years of the district's STEAM Wheel extracurricular program for grades 3'05. The gift was announced at the board meeting by Paul Ladler, director of community relations and government affairs for the refinery.
"This grant will assist in helping subsidize 2 years of expenses that are needed for the school district's very important Steam Wheel extracurricular program," Paul Ladler said during the presentation. Ladler said the grant comes from the Valero Benefit for Children fundraiser affiliated with the Valero Texas Open and noted the refinery's 56-year history of partnership with the school district.
The gift will fund STEAM Wheel classes that focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and math for third- through fifth-graders. District trustees and staff thanked Valero for the donation and noted long-term employee engagement through tutoring, coaching and program support.
Ladler described the grant as continuing a decades-long relationship between refinery employees and Benicia schools, and he specifically thanked district staff and leaders for their collaboration. Interim Superintendent Janice Adams and board members acknowledged the donation on the record and invited the public to join in thanking Valero.
The district indicated the funds may be administered through the Benicia Education Foundation or the district, depending on fiscal arrangements. No specific budget line-item breakdown for the $135,000 was presented during the meeting.
The board did not take a formal vote to accept the gift during the public comment; the donation was acknowledged and publicly thanked by district leaders.
