Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
In lieu of the $300,000 Jumbotron that NextEra had earlier offered to help Somerset purchase, the energy company has since decided to shift its contribution to a local nonprofit educational foundation.
Planning Official Shannon Metty recently informed the Jefferson County Commission of NextEra’s decision. Metty said the $100,000 that NextEra had intended for the purchase of Jumbotron would now go to the Jefferson County Educational Foundation Inc. (JCEF).
1. Somerset had wanted the Jumbotron, a huge video display screen typically used in sport stadiums and music concerts, for installation on the old football field on Water Street. Despite a fundraising effort and the $100,000 that NextEra pledged, however, the fundraiser reportedly wasn’t able to reach its $300,000 goal.
The JCEF is a member of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, which allows it to access up to $10,000 annually in grants to help it sponsor programs in public schools, provided that the organization can come up with an equal amount in private money to match the contribution.
NextEra’s $100,000 contribution, Metty said, would provide the JCEF with the necessary $10,000 matching donation for the next 10 years. For the last two years at least, the JCEF had matched the consortium’s $10,000 contribution by qualifying for a grant of an equal amount from the Duke Energy Foundation.
Established in 2002 with the mission of contributing to the betterment of the educational experience of school children in Jefferson County, the JCEF initially received its funding from the proceeds of individual purchases of license tags bearing the slogan, “Support Education.” Since, however, the organization has partnered with other groups to increase both its funding and outreach.
JCEF Vice President Franklin Brooks not long ago made a presentation before the Jefferson County School Board, noting some of the group’s accomplishments. He noted that at that point, the JCEF had raised more than $50,000, which money he said had gone to enhance the educational experience of local students and help them achieve a higher level of excellence in academics.
Brooks said that JCEF programs were focused on the environment, engineering and energy, and were intended to increase engagement in reading, science and math.
He cited among the benefits of the group’s contributions: allowing for a classroom mentor to offer sixth grade science students one-on-one support to improve their reading, math and behavioral performances; providing fifth and sixth grade students with science experiment kits that allowed them to stay in touch online with their teachers during the summer and continue their learning experience; providing support for teachers who were required to take virtual training during the summer to meet state-mandated ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) and reading endorsements; and assisting with the purchase of Reading Mastery in classroom and online curriculum for Pre-K to fifth grade students to help them acquire a reading foundation and improve their reading proficiency.
NextEra’s $100,000 contribution stems from the $3.3 million that the company pledged to the community in 2020 as part of an agreement in which the county rescinded an ordinance that sought to regulate high power transmission lines.