Bessemer Schools to form foundation

By CHARITY SMITH

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Bessemer — The Bessemer Area School District is in the beginning stages of re-forming a friends and alumni foundation. Superintendent Dan Niemi updated the board of education on the progress at its meeting Monday.

“It’s a 501(c)(3) where people can make contributions or donations to the school,” said Niemi. According to Niemi the foundation will be similar to the one in place at Ironwood Area Schools.

The district previously had a foundation, but for some reason it lapsed, Niemi said.

Tracy Rowe, who teaches German and mathematics at the high school, is working on getting the foundation re-instituted, he said.

Niemi said once the foundation is secured as a non-profit, organizers will start a scholarship program for the students. The foundation will also provide funding for the friends and alumni to assist with building projects.

According to Niemi, the issue of the absence of the foundation came up five or six years ago when someone inquired about giving to the foundation, but was told the district no longer had one, so the money was never received.

“So I did some digging. … It would be worth our while to get it back so that we can receive funds that are either left to us through wills and or donations,” Niemi said. “A lot times you get people back that attended the school ... and they want to will some funds to you, but the family or whoever wants to have that 501(c)(3) on file. So that’s what we decided to do.”

Niemi said that having a foundation will help the students, the district, and anybody who is donating to the school. He noted, using the Ironwood model, the foundation could give scholarships using the interest on the money given to the foundation.

Niemi said a foundation board will be formed including members of the district board, administration and staff, as well as a couple teachers who recently retired. He said they hope to have the foundation established within the next four months, so that next year’s graduates will be able to obtain scholarships through it.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done with it,” Niemi said.