Jefferson County Schools’ Transportation Department Works to Raise Money for Texas School District Ravaged by Hurricane Harvey

Charles Town, W.Va. – Members of the Jefferson County Schools Transportation Department have organized a community fundraiser to support a school district devastated by Hurricane Harvey with the hopes of raising $20,000.

Through business sponsorship support from 41 local businesses and the creation of T-shirts, the transportation department has currently raised $6,100. The lion’s share of fundraising efforts will take place on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 throughout Jefferson County. Members of the transportation department will be present at a total of 10 locations throughout the weekend. The transportation department will volunteer their time to park a bus at stores like Weis, Food Lion, Tractor Supply and more to solicit donations for the hurricane victims. A bake sale will be held at Long John Silver's to raise additional funds.

The funds will directly benefit Aransas County Independent School District in Rockport, Texas. The school district operates a total of five schools that were destroyed after Hurricane Harvey ripped through their community. A single elementary school will open in late October, but the secondary schools have been so badly damaged that the school district is currently operating out of 80 portables that have been placed on a soccer field to house the middle and high school students.

“We knew we wanted to help a smaller school district that wouldn’t get as many resources after such a widespread disaster,” said Karen Nelson, bus driver at Jefferson County Schools. After watching the news and seeing the devastation, I knew we had to do something.”

To learn more about Jefferson County Schools, visit boe.jeff.k12.wv.us.

Featured

  • Porter Family Center

    Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Designing the Bridge Between Inclusivity and Independence in K–12 Schools

    Fostering independence is fundamental to learning and development for K–12 students. It offers many proven benefits, such as enhanced confidence, problem-solving, decision-making, and social skills. However, this foundational objective loses its impact if it’s not accessible and adaptable to all students. Inclusivity plays a critical role in cultivating independence and healthy autonomy for students, fostering positive student learning outcomes by uniting pedagogy with the physical learning environment.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.