Special education school receives $2 million gift for endowment
December 31, 2021
The North Florida School of Special Education in Jacksonville has announced a $2 million gift from J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver to establish an endowment fund at the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.
The school, which provides education and therapeutic programs as well as vocational training and employment opportunities to young adults with intellectual and developmental differences (IDD), serves more than 275 students and postgraduates from northern Florida and southeastern Georgia. In 2020, NFSSE completed a capital campaign to expand its campus to include the Christie and Lee Smith Lower School and the Delores Barr Weaver Therapeutic Equestrian Center. During weekends, summers, and after school, the school opens its campus to the community at large for horse therapy and summer camps, bringing children with IDD and their neurotypical peers together in shared experiences.
“We are grateful to Delores and Wayne Weaver for their lead gift of $2 [million] to our endowment fund. Their support of North Florida School of Special Education has always been about more than the dollars,” said NFSSE head of school Sally Hazelip. “It is a cornerstone upon which this community of love, support, and innovation has grown. It is an endorsement to other donors. And for me, it is also a personal source of encouragement that this extraordinary couple has extended their legacy to ensure a bright future for young people with intellectual and developmental differences in Northeast Florida.”
“Wayne and I have admired the work of the North Florida School of Special Education for many years, and we’ve been so moved by how NFSSE has grown in its ability to serve its students, their families, and the community at large,” said Delores Barr Weaver. “We feel strongly that what’s been created and what’s envisioned for its future should be supported in perpetuity, and we are proud to provide the lead gift for the North Florida School’s endowment at the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.”
(Photo credit: Gettyimages / fatcamera)
Source: PND
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