McKinley talks about R-5 Foundation to Rotary
Other towns do not support their student's higher education goals financially like Nevada does, Kevin McKinley, Nevada R-5 Foundation director, told the Nevada Rotary Club during its Thursday meeting. Carthage school district, which is about twice the size of Nevada, gives out about $40,000 in local scholarships, he said. Nevada, gives around $200,000 in local scholarships.
More than 100 members of the 2016 graduating class had a GPA of 3.0 or better and ACT scores of 20, he said.
"That will get students accepted at most Missouri colleges," he said, adding that, McKinley told the club members, "The average household income in Nevada is $29,000. Any assistance they can get is very important," McKinley said.
McKinley said the only job of the R-5 Foundation is to support the R-5 District, and 95 percent of its effort currently goes to the annual scholarship program." The other 5 percent goes to capital improvement project," he said. The Foundation recently worked on a project to raise $20,000 to build a nice brick entrance to Testman Track. "All donations to the foundation are tax deductible," he said.
Historically, the R-5 Foundation was a part of the Nevada R-5 district and was supported by it. Last summer that changed, McKinley said.
The school district's auditors said the R-5 Foundation would have to become a separate entity that is self-supporting with its own paid director. It would no longer be possible to have teachers or other school district employees work for the foundation.
McKinley said that he plans to donate a large part of his $12,000 salary back to the foundation as a scholarship named for his parents, Diane and John McKinley. His mother was one of the first school nurses in the district and his father was a counselor and coach in the district.
McKinley said he has recently completed his third book: "Inspire: Tales and Tributes to Teachers, Students Family and Friends," which has 71 tales of tributes to teachers, students, family and friends of the Nevada R-5 School District and beyond. It covers stories and educators over the past 50 years.
"All profits from the book will go to the Nevada R-5 Foundation, with all the money going to the NHS Scholarship Fund for graduating seniors. I won't make a dime off it," McKinley said.