Raising money for the classroom is more important with the decrease in funding to schools.
Last month, we showed you how Mark Twain Elementary was doing just that through a Mindcore Marathon, which challenged the students' minds while raising money through pledges. Now, the final tally is in and the fundraiser was more successful than you might expect.
Sitting toe to toe with volunteers, Mark Twain students put their knowledge to the test.
"You get one hundred questions about things we learn in school," fourth-grade student Morgan McDonnell said.
It's called the Mindcore Marathon. Students had five weeks to study and gather pledges. Then community members, like Stampede players, put them to the test. Every correct answer was worth money. It turns out their smarts really added up, bringing in more than $20,000.
"Not even in my dreams did I think we would raise that much money," Mindcore organizer Missy Raak said.
Since students raised the money, Raak says the kids also decided how to spend it.
The $20,000 will buy Apple TVs and about four to five iPads for each classroom. Raak says it wouldn't have been possible without the help from the community.
"It is a lot of money; we are very fortunate that our families and friends felt like this was a worthy cause," Raak said.
Raak says the tablet computers are a good choice and great learning tool.
"Anytime a student can do their work in front of the class and we can all see their thought process right up there on the screen as they work through it, we all learn from that," Raak said.
With tight budgets, it wouldn't have been possible without the fundraiser.
"I don't know that it's the answer, but it's something small that we can do and kids can take ownership in that they can understand," Raak said.
And in return, the students will get an extra tool to help them learn even more.
"I'm excited because we only have computers; it will be fun," McDonnell said.
The school will also be getting iPads from the district. All of the new technology should be up and running by the beginning of the next school year.
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