Published: September 28, 2009 09:27 pm      

A boost for education

New foundation to provide extra opportunities for WO-C students

ORANGE — On Monday afternoon, the seed to provide additional educational opportunities for students of the West Orange-Cove school district was planted. Now a newly organized group hopes to make that seed grow.

The newly created West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District Education Foundation, Inc. met Monday afternoon to elect officers, nominate and accept board members, and receive its founding donation from two former students.

Dr. Lois Bready and her brother Doug came up with the idea of forming an organization which would help provide students of the West Orange-Cove school district with additional learning opportunities in the fields of science and mathematics following the death of their mother, Eva Bready, this past February.

Eva Bready was a teacher for many years in the school district, and especially loved science and math. Her husband, Gerald, worked as a chemical engineer for many years, so science was a way of life for the Bready family. That way of life and that passion is why Doug and Lois want to give back to the children of the school district today.

“Mom’s enthusiasm for science and math rubbed off on us at an early age,” said Doug Bready. “We hope it will now rub off on the students. We know money is tight everywhere, even for school districts, so this check is just a starting point.”

By presenting a checking for $75,000 to the foundation, the Breadys, along with their spouses Elaine Bready and Dr. Joe Holahan, have become founding donors.

According to Doug Bready, years ago students and teachers from school districts all across the region would travel to Orange to hear guest speakers and participate in a variety of programs based on science and mathematics.

“Twenty years ago, you would see 200 to 400 students travel here to see programs,” he added. “We want to make sure there is money available for the students here to do those type of things.”

His sister, Dr. Lois Bready, agreed.

“Clearly science and math need support in every school district,” she said during the meeting. “This donation is our way of helping our school district.”

The Breadys mother was known for love of science and inspiring more than one student, and that is what they hope will happen when these funds are put to use.

“Eva Bready was an educator for many years and known for her enthusiasm in teaching science and math,” said Dr. O. Taylor Collins, West Orange-Cove CISD superintendent. “And the creation of this foundation, in her memory, is a dream come true for the students of this school district.”

In addition to the $75,000 check presentation, an additional $4,060 in memorial funds raised in honor of Eva and Gerald Bready will be transferred to the foundation.

The foundation held an initial meeting this summer as planning continued for Monday’s meeting. During the course of Monday’s meeting, the approved corporate documents and numerous board policies.

The next step is for the education foundation to complete its filing for non-profit status (501c3) and begin the task of locating additional founding donors to help the program grow.

Pete Amy was elected president of the education foundation during Monday’s meeting. Joining him are newly elected officers Jane Stephenson, vice president, and Terese McKee, treasurer.

The Board of Directors is comprised of various members of the community, including Sam Kittrell, Carl Thibodeaux, Stephen Lee, Al Granger, Margaret Adams and founders, Doug and Lois Bready. Wayne Sparrow’s nomination to the Board of Directors was deferred for one year because Sparrow did not want to create a conflict of interest with his son being a senior at West Orange-Stark High School this year.

Dr. O. Taylor Collins, Andrew Hayes and Lorraine Shannon will serve in Ex Officio capacity.

The Board of Directors for the West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District Education Foundation, Inc. intends to meeting quarterly with meetings scheduled in December 2009 and March, June and September 2010.

A web site is also in the works.



Tommy Mann Jr. is a reporter for The Orange Leader. He can be reached at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com