Beth Mechum
More than 400 teachers in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system who teach grades 6-12 got a little extra cash in helping them prepare their classrooms this year.
The teachers received $75 vouchers to shop at a three-day teacher supply store set up at the American Legion Hut in Chapel Hill with school supplies from Staples. “
This is unexpectedly cool,†Ormand Moore said. “We’ve been conditioned to expect lean times, and there is a pretty big bounty here.â€
Moore seemed especially excited about the high-tech gadgets on sale as he held a prized jump drive in his hand. He spoke of how the teachers must keep up with the new types of media, and how expensive that can be.
There also was a big display of hand sanitizer, which is expected to be more readily available in classrooms due to H1N1 virus scares in the county.
Don Reinfurt of the East Chapel Hill Rotary Club said teachers showed up even before the 2 p.m. start time, clamoring for the school supplies.
“You could just see the smiles on the teachers’ faces,†Reinfurt said. “They came up and told me thank you, but it’s small compared to what they do.â€