Wellington, OH— Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative (LMRE), in partnership with CoBank, a national cooperative bank, is proud to announce a $5,400 grant to the Black River School District.

As the school district began making necessary adjustments due to COVID-19, some buildings were forced to reduce class sizes in order to reach smaller student to teacher ratios, and also create new space for these classes. The funds from the LMRE and CoBank grant will help the district furnish the expanded spaces with tables, chairs, and learning tools.  

This marks the second time LMRE has partnered with CoBank to assist Black River Schools with funding during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the district was awarded $10,000 to assist teachers in the purchasing of supplies for their virtual classrooms and personal protective equipment to hold in-person classes.

“Concern for the community is one of our guiding principles, and the schools directly influence the community through the interactions with the students and their families on a daily basis,” says LMRE Director of Communications Justis Clifford, “Therefore, on behalf of the entire co-op, we are happy to be able to support our local schools with these funds that are necessary to enhance, protect, and improve our kids’ education and learning environments.”

The CoBank’s Sharing Success matching grant program allows LMRE to demonstrate “Concern for Community,” one of its seven cooperative principles. Through the program and this grant, LMRE can support those in need and help foster the growth of a happy, healthy, and prosperous community education program.

For more information about LMRE, CoBank, or the Sharing Success program, please visit www.lmre.org.