The Pencil Box Gives $2.8 Million In Masks To Tulsa-Area Schools

The Pencil Box in Tulsa is making sure students have everything they need this year, whether they're learning in the classroom or at home. This year, teachers call and let The Pencil Box know what they need and staff packs it up.

"A teacher told us about a student of hers during remote learning who didn't have a piece of paper in the house and was using a McDonald's bag to do his work," said Nancy Bolzle.

Bolzle is the Executive Director of The Pencil Box and said the number of kids who need help, continues to grow. "We're seeing even a greater divide between those that have resources and those who do not. Even during the pandemic last year we distributed 665,000 dollars worth of school supplies to students across Tulsa county. So people wonder with remote learning do they need school supplies, yes they do," said Bolzle.

The Pencil Box is also donating millions of dollars worth of masks to Tulsa Public Schools, Union, and Sand Springs. "When you go to this optional route sometimes kids don't have them. So it just makes them available so that we can offer them without an extra expenditure," said Sherry Durkee.

64 schools in Tulsa County are eligible to receive supplies from The Pencil Box, which means more than 70% of the students at that school are living at or below the federal poverty level. Sherry Durkee is the Sand Springs Superintendent and said two schools in her district qualify. "They've really hooked into those school sites to make sure that those teachers are aware that's a resource that's available to them," said Durkee.