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 and an annual Plant and Garden Market, held in May. 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. During the 2009-2010 school year the SOS Book Fund provided the following resources to Northampton's schools:

• Northampton High School - $5,284.50 for textbooks, library books,and "Webassign" for AP Physics.
• Leeds School - $2,054 for classroom libraries for grades 3-5 and books for the Reading teacher.
• Bridge Street School - $1,638 for books for the math curriculum, "mentor texts" for the writing program, and updated literature for classroom libraries.
• Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School - $800 for library materials and references for career/technical libraries.
• R.K. Finn Ryan Road School - $1,579.50 for the general school library to replace leveled books in the Literacy Closet.
• J.F.K. Middle School - $3,815 for library books.
• Jackson Street School - $1,833 for library books and reading books for classroom instruction.

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: September 19, 2011