Two local banks are supporting the State College Area School District and public education by donating $15,000 to the SCASD Education Foundation.

First National Bank and Fulton Bank gave $10,000 and $5,000, respectively, to the foundation through the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program. Run by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the EITC program allows businesses to receive tax credits for donating to scholarship or educational improvement organizations.

“First National Bank is very pleased to be able do this, and it’s all because the school district applied for funding through the EITC program,” Vice President and Market Manager Nick Lingenfelter said. “That’s how we’re able to go and see if we have anybody in our community (eligible for EITC funds), and of course, the SCASD Education Foundation was a great match for us. … It’s very important because we want to support the schools and the businesses in the communities we live and work in.”

Under the EITC program, donations must be applied to specific approved educational programs. SCASD has designated its EITC funds for adding the Oracle Academy, a globally focused computer science education curriculum, and the International Baccalaureate Programme, which offers challenging multi-year curriculums for primary and secondary schools worldwide. The district is exploring both possibilities.

First National Bank Vice President Treasury Management Mike Shuey said few educational foundations apply to EITC program. When the SCASD Education Foundation did, the bank decided a donation was a natural choice in light of its previous ties to the district.

“We have a really great relationship with the school district,” Shuey said. “The school district has been a really good partner with us for a long time.”

Started in 2015, the SCASD Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to secure tax-deductible donations for supporting innovative learning opportunities. A board of directors, consisting of community volunteers and a SCASD school board director, and an executive director paid by the district oversee the foundation’s development efforts.

By Chris Rosenblum
jcr19@scasd.org

Photo by Nabil K. Mark
nkm13@scasd.org