By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Pelham City Council recently donated more than $129,000 to the five schools in the city’s limits to help the schools handle state education budget cutbacks.

For the past several years, the city has budgeted donations to Pelham High School, Riverchase Middle School, Valley Intermediate School, Valley Elementary School and the Linda Nolen Learning Center.

The city donates money to each institution based on the school’s number of teacher units. This year, PHS received $43,138.95, VES received $29,255.15, VIS received $24,296.65, RMS received $23,304.95 and LNLC received $9,421.15.

“We ask that the schools spend all the money on academic items. Most of them will send us lists of what they spent it on at the end of the year,” said Pelham Mayor Don Murphy. “We always get letters from the principals, and even some teachers and students saying they don’t know how they could get by without the city’s support.”

School administrators said they plan to spend the money on classroom technology, instructional supplies, professional development and library needs.

“We are happy to help them,” Murphy said. “It’s really not our money, it’s the citizens’ money. We want them to be proud of where their money is going.”