Mt. Olive Academic Foundation Has Raised More Than $1 Million Over The Last 28 Years

By Roger L. Kratochvil

Back in 1995, I had just retired from Mt. Olive school district after 34 years and I wanted to do something for the students after I left. School Board President Mike Favre, Superintendent Art McCormich and I got together to see if it was feasible to form an educational foundation. I agreed to organize it, but I had two conditions that had to be agreed upon: 1.) Was to not give any scholarships because those funds would only help a few people at a time; and 2.) Second was that I did not want any fundraisers. The board members would likely have had kids and sold everything that their kids would bring home. I thought that our board members would stay longer that way. I felt that our alumni would come through as we all loved being Wildcats.

We spent our money only on grants to the kids and the teachers. This way the money helps all of the kids as they pass through the school system. I think our alumni love that too as they support the foundation very well. They donate to memorials, support of specific fields of studies, and just everyday educational needs. It works as our students excel in their education and when they graduate, they enter a level field of opportunities. Our students are all over the world doing important work and we are proud of all of them.

So, we trudged forward with the help of Scharf Law Firm who kept me on the straight and narrow. You see, the integrity of the organization was the most important thing when we started, and it still is. No one is paid and all funds are invested in our youth.

In 1996 we had gotten all the completed work together, and our first Academic Foundation Board was formed. I was selected as President and still hold that position; Vice President was retired high school Business Teacher Vernon Knop; Treasurer was Raymond Viehweg; and Secretary was Mary Kratochvil who continues to help lead by being the Treasurer.

Apparently, the leaders have a lifetime appointment even though they are re-elected every year in Jan. The rest of the board consisted of Sharon Hagerman; Shelly Becker; Marilyn Brunnworth; Alan Zippay; Dave Weidler; Dave Kernich; Linda Hasquin; and Vernon Droste.

Our board now consists of Treasurer, Mary; Vice-President Jodene Scheller; and Secretary, Jane Becker. The rest of the Board: Fay Powell; Tony Kaganich; Eric Pastrovich; Kim Carlile; Jean Marie Jubelt; Kevin Mihelcic; Natalie Bryant; Dave Kernich; and Betsey Hildenbrand.

Every year we award the Tim Kratochvil mini-grant to the High School History Department; Judge William Johnson mini-grant; Dr. Dennis and the Late Rose Mary Billiter grants (2); Pete Brown Art mini-grants; and Pearl J. Becker Randall major-grants. They range from thousands of dollars down to $500. We also offer a yearly Science Fair grant, Star lab grant, Clay for the Art Department grant, and Fantasy Garden grant for the Second grade to learn about growing beautiful flowers in the front of the Junior High School, and about $12,000 annually to the teachers in mini-grants not to exceed $650 to each teacher applying. Recently, we added a mini-grant to pay the yearly subscription for the Weekly Reader, Scholastic Science and Math magazines. We also support the National Honor Society, Post Prom, and have supported the music department with thousands of dollars in equipment purchases.

We also award Educational Event Grants to the two principals in the yearly amount of $5000 to pay for motivational speakers, educational assemblies, etc. We meet quarterly to conduct the business of supporting the education of our students.

So now for a town of 2,300, we are honored to announce that our most important alumni, businesses, and friends of the foundation have presented enough money to fund $1,088,428 in accumulated grants presented since 1996. The mini-grants are presented each year in Sept. to the teachers and students in their classrooms with the principals in attendance, and the Foundation board members doing the presentation.

We are proud to do this and have been doing this for 28 years. Our first-year seniors would now be 46 years old, and many have families of their own with their children receiving these grants too. Every dollar is invested in educational needs, and we are proud to be involved in helping our students academically.

The great milestone from the Mt. Olive Schools Academic Foundation was announced at the Wednesday, July 9 Foundation meeting attended by the school administrators.

To sum up how the teachers feel about this very important support, the following letter was recently received by Roger from long time teacher Julie Wargo, where she states:

"Dear Mr. Roger Kratochvil: Thank you for the amazing support that you and the caring committee has given the Mt. Olive School District. Thirty years ago, in 1993, when I was hired, I started out with a half-dozen of left handed scissors, orange and yellow construction paper, a globe, and a faded solar system bulletin board set. My purchases for my classroom were mainly from yard sales which is where I bought my small classroom of library books. I drew my own U.S. poster on 10 pieces of taped poster board to cover one of my walls. Teachers were able to spend $50 on supplies each year when I started teaching.

When I completed my Masters’ Degree, my thesis was about the importance of centers with manipulatives to help students learn by being engaged. Many supplies were purchased by out-of-pocket expenses by teachers. Thinking back to how 'It was' really makes me appreciate everything that I have been granted for my wishes for several years. I have received manipulatives, loads of books, reading incentives, computers, software, Hovercams, field-trip funding, Promethean Boards, updated technology throughout the years, other wishes granted for the school such as our library update, computer labs in the past as well as software, assemblies, ect., ect., ect. The list goes on! And recently, a $400 check had been given as a generous gift of appreciation from Dr. D. Ross Billiter. I am very blessed, grateful, thankful, and proud to have been employed at Mt. Olive for 30 years! The Academic Foundation has made the education environment beneficial and rewarding to the masses. I am very fortunate and cannot imagine working anywhere else. Thank you so much for all of your time and effort, and thank you to the committee members for all of their time and effort as well. Again, I am very blessed to be an employee at the Mt. Olive School District. I love what I do and love my little third graders that I spend time with at a place I enjoy! I will always be grateful for the support that I have been given and will always be a proud Bomber/Wildcat!"