Alumnus-backed fund to give every Southwestern High teacher an annual classroom grant for 20 years, board hears

Assistant Principal Taylor Marth presented a new Southwestern High School Teacher Appreciation Fund to the board, saying alumnus Rex Van Gordon helped organize the effort and worked with Blue River to set up a 20-year plan to distribute funds to every high‑school classroom.

“The fund is going to exist for the next 20 years…t’s going to affect every kid that walks into the school,” Marth said, describing the plan to give each high‑school teacher a distribution at the beginning of the year for classroom use. He said the fund’s organizers suggested a starting gift of $200 — a “Spartan gift” — and emphasized alumni involvement rather than a single donor receiving credit.

Marth said the fund is being held at Blue River and donations are tax deductible. He described an April matching pledge from alumni Jerry and Fay Petro, who will match donations collected by April 30, and said organizers set an aspirational goal of $200,000 to seed the fund’s first distributions. “He deserves all the credit…deserves none,” Marth said of the alumnus who led the effort, portraying it as a community initiative.

Board members asked clarifying questions about whether elementary teachers were covered; Marth and others said the fund is focused on the high-school building while noting the elementary PTO continues separate teacher support. Marth said details and a donation link would be posted on the district’s and alumni Facebook pages and that contributions may be made online or by check to Blue River.

Next steps: administration will post fund details online and continue outreach to alumni and community donors. The board did not take a formal vote on the fund itself during the meeting.