ORLANDO, Fla. – For teachers, buying classroom supplies with their own money can be a financial strain. One business surprised teachers at Tangelo Park Elementary with a big donation to help ease some of that stress.
Burlington Stores officials told News 6 they always donate to a local school when they open a new store.
According to James Johnson, from Burlington Stores, the company partners with adoptaclassroom.org to determine which school would benefit the most financially from such a donation. That's how Tangelo Park Elementary was selected.
"I knew about it since June and was informed we would not have our big reveal until September, so I began to tell my admin team slowly but surely and let everyone know we had to keep it a secret," Principal Lakeitha Black said.
A $10,000 corporate gift was presented during a surprise assembly.
"'$10,000. Oh my God.' That was my original thought," teacher Malomo Jackson said.
The money will be split evenly among teachers to use however they wish.
"Students are wanting to sit preferential seating, so maybe we could get some beanbags around, make the classroom a lot more comfortable for students. Build up my classroom library, add a lot of books for our second-grade students. That would help out a lot," teacher Lashawnda Jackson said.