Parents, donors urge Boone County to return Pybotics FRC funds held by district

Several parents, students and donors asked the Boone County Board of Education to clarify why school-held funds and awards earmarked for Pybotics FRC 3814 remain in a district account after the team left district sponsorship.

Chloe Wilson read a statement on behalf of a parent saying the 2025 Pybotics FRC team raised funds to attend the world championship and that "all of their funds, especially the $500 that the 2025 team members personally worked for, should be returned to the team." She asked the board for a response and provided an estimated account balance of $15,000–$20,000.

Stephanie Wilson, reading a letter from Susan Kinzer, told trustees the team and community raised funds and that "the school is unjustly holding on to their money" after the team left. Donor Vanessa Hagedorn said Pybotics has transitioned to a community-based organization and the district no longer sponsors an FRC robotics program; she repeated the request that the funds be returned to the team for its original purpose supporting student competition and program costs.

Seth Thompson, a parent and Ignite student affiliated with the team, described the program's broader value beyond building robots, including marketing, outreach and career preparation, and said funds raised by students should follow the students who earned them.

Board administration asked public speakers to leave contact information so the district can respond. The record contains no decision or vote on the matter at this meeting; trustees did not announce any binding action to release the funds during the session.

What happens next: the board requested contact information for an official reply and did not make a public determination at the meeting; donors and parents requested a formal response from administration.