In the spring of 2005, NEF assumed responsibility for the operations formerly run by Support Our Schools (SOS), with the goal of having a single comprehensive organization to support public education in Northampton. Under the merger, NEF has established the “SOS Book Fund,” which runs exactly as it did under SOS. The fund is designated for textbooks, library books, educational materials, and their electronic/technical equivalents. Since the founding of SOS in 1997, the fund has raised and distributed over $150,000 to Northampton Public Schools, and NEF is proud to continue this tradition of community support for our schools.

The principal sources of the fund are an annual appeal to Northampton residents, an annual Plant and Garden Market, held in May, and a long-distance telephone program through Positive Connections, a locally-run company. Funds are distributed annually on a per-capita basis per school, after each School Council has submitted spending plans and the NEF Board has approved them.

For more information about the SOS Book Fund, please contact Joe Bartolomeo of the NEF Board at (413) 586-8772 or bartolomeo@comcast.net.

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Last Updated: May 5, 2008