The Mount Vernon City School Board and Superintendent used part of Tuesday’s meeting to pay tribute to longtime donor Karen Wright, who recently died.

The superintendent recounted Wright’s multi-year financial support for student programs and facilities, saying she paid for half of fifth-grade outdoor education trips, covered busing and admission costs for eighth-grade Washington, D.C., trips and helped found the Yellow Jacket Club Grant program that supported underfunded student clubs.

Why it matters: board members said Wright’s gifts reduced reliance on taxpayer dollars for some projects and seeded a community foundation fund that officials say will pay to replace athletic turf without using local tax revenue.

Board members and staff described Wright’s contributions in detail. The superintendent said Wright had donated toward sidewalks in the city, the stadium and track renovations 14 years ago, the Energy Field House facility and reading and literacy programs such as the Fast Forward program that expanded from one school to all six elementary schools. The superintendent said a Facebook post honoring Wright received “47,000 views” and “383 comments,” underscoring her community reach.

“May her legacy live on for a long, long time,” the superintendent said.

Several board members offered condolences and recalled Wright’s local philanthropy. Board member Jeff (first name given in comments) and others praised Wright’s role in planting trees across town, supporting athletics and arts programming and lowering costs for student enrichment. Dr. Bennett called Wright “humble” and said her support had a “wonderful” impact on the community.

The board noted Wright’s establishment of a community fund intended to pay for future turf replacement at the stadium without tapping taxpayer dollars. Officials also described the Yellow Jacket Club Grant, which awarded money to clubs without booster organizations on the condition that grant recipients carry out community-service projects.

Board members said a commemorative ceremony for Wright will be held Saturday at the chapel; the superintendent said the ceremony time is expected to be 10 a.m.

The board closed the tribute and moved on to routine business.

Ending: Members encouraged the community to remember Wright’s focus on students and community service and said the district will continue programs and facility projects she supported.