A donor planned to leave a seven-figure donation to the Upper Adams School District in their will, until the school board chose to partner with a controversial law firm.
At Tuesday’s board meeting, Superintendent Wesley Doll said the donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, recently contacted him after the board voted 6-3 to engage with the Independence Law Center, or ILC.
“The donor shared that the Independence Law Center’s approach and policies have raised concerns regarding their alignment with the values and educational goals the donor wanted to support,” Doll wrote in his report to the board. “The donor believed that the direction ILC advocates may not fully serve the best interests of the Upper Adams School District (UASD) students and the community. Specifically, their methods and priorities appear to diverge from the commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive educational environment that the donor holds dear and has seen at UASD over recent years.”
Several Pennsylvania school districts have worked with the Harrisburg-based law firm, which has faced public criticism for its policies related to book restrictions and transgender student bathroom use.
Over the past few months, parents, educators, students, alumni and former board members spoke against the ILC at Upper Adams school board meetings.
Despite public opposition, Marya Djalal, Loren Lustig, Tricia Plank, Gerald Walmer, Neil Weigle and Heather Young-Cover voted to approve a contract with the ILC in July. Susan Crouse, Kay Hollabaugh and Jim Lady voted against the contract.
Doll was “shocked” when the donor reached out. He did not know the donor, a long-time supporter of the district, had been planning to leave the district such a large donation. Doll said he is in communication with the donor and will try to work with them.
As a result of the ILC decision, the donor shared, “…my planned seven-figure endowment of financial support to the district under the current circumstances would be inconsistent with my values and the vision I have for our educational system. My decision to withhold my donation is not made lightly, but reflects my concern for the potential long-term impact of this partnership on the quality and equity of education provided to our students,” according to Doll’s report.
Doll said the donation would have likely gone to The Canner Funds, an organization that supports the district through teacher grants and student scholarships while operating independently from the school board.
Crouse, who served on The Canner Funds board for years, said she was “devastated” to hear about the loss of financial support.
“Endowments are the forever money that they talk about during the Giving Spree. It’s not seven figures handed to us, it’s invested, and we get the payouts over forever,” she said.
Crouse lamented the experiences students will miss out on as a result of the decision.
In the 2024-2025 school year, teachers will benefit from $18,000 in Canner Funds grants, according to Hollabaugh. These 23 grants will support experiences such as the fifth grade environmental camp, breadmaking for first grade, an eighth grade field trip to the Gettysburg battlefield, and more, Hollabaugh wrote in an email.
Hollabaugh said at the meeting that The Canner Funds provide opportunities some students would otherwise not get to experience. “The ‘pro bono’ law firm has already cost us seven figures,” she said.
The ILC offers their services pro bono, or free, to school boards.
Lady echoed the sentiments of Hollabaugh and Crouse, expressing hope that the donor might reconsider, and that their decision does not affect other potential donors.
Before moving on to the next meeting agenda item, Lady glanced up and down the table of elected officials. He asked if anyone else would like to speak.
Five of the board members who supported the ILC sat in silence. The sixth, Djalal, was absent. Lady said she was excused.
Parent Rachel Elliott told the board she was saddened by the loss.
“We will be losing a rather large endowment, over $1 million due to your ignoring the concerns about these matters raised by the community,” Elliott said during public comment. “Our district is not a wealthy one. … It truly has cost our students, and I’m afraid it’s only just the beginning.”
During an interview, parent Katie Schroeder and former district employee Danielle Cramer said they were not only upset about losing the financial support, but the direction of the school board, too.
Cramer, who worked in the technology department and coached girls soccer, said a donation of that size would make a great difference. She recalled instances when she bought cleats for students who needed them.
“It’s unfortunate because it’s affecting the kids directly,” Cramer said.
Schroeder hopes the board will see the “consequences” of their actions. “I feel like our district is hurting,” she said. “They’re not representing the public as they should.”
The curriculum and extra curricular committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 3, followed by the business and operations committee. The policy committee will meet at 9 a.m. Sept. 5. The next regular school board meeting is set for 7 p.m. Sept. 17.
Mary Grace Kauffman, freelance reporter, worked six years as a full-time reporter for newspapers in Pennsylvania and Maryland. She has covered topics including business, crime, education, government and features. Mary Grace has a bachelor's degree in communication/journalism from Shippensburg University. She resides in Adams County.
Yes, HACC, Adams County Community Foundation, Lenfest Foundation, or the public library would all work to keep that money in the community to benefit graduates.
I don’t “feel” our district is hurting, it IS hurting. Despite many months of an immense and wide range of public outcry and warning of potential costs in retaining the ILC, 6 board members voted to serve their own personal agendas. These board members ran on the notion of being fiscally responsible. As new board members they have already cost us an incredible and extraordinary generous donor with their unhealthy choice and they can still cost us much more. It is my hope they will thoughtfully reconsider the consequences of their vote to our beloved district and the children their vote will have… Read more »
Well… it’s a shame that politics has such a strong influence on school board member’s decision which could have resulted for the betterment of our students and their scholastic environment!
Will the money judiciously “spent” on the ILC contract result in a funding deficit that will require a school tax increase next year?? Resident tax payers deserve to know – school board members!!
Kudos to the donor for standing up for everyone. I’m sure it was a tough decision, but to stay silent would be worse. There are so many places in the US and worldwide to donate to truly help those with financial need due to no fault of their own. Switching a gift to a better fit works to help others who wouldn’t have received help without that donation. No one has to support something that doesn’t share their values. It’s only “wrong” when donation dollars are taken away and not given somewhere else. (Wrong is in quotes because, of course,… Read more »