Jones School District gets $10K
from Kickapoos

By Jesse Olivarez
Oklahoman

JONES, Okla. — The Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma has donated $10,000 to the Jones School District.

Jones alumni Everett Suke, a tribal council member, and James Wahpepah, vice-chairman of the tribe's business committee, presented Superintendent Mike Steele with two $5,000 checks on Friday.

The checks, which are from the tribe and the tribe's casino, will go toward helping Jones High School prepare for the 2008-09 school year, Steele said.

A portion of the funds will go toward furnishing a new building that will house a temporary cafeteria, Steele said.

School officials broke ground on a 6,000-square-foot building about two weeks ago after securing funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The building will house the high school's cafeteria while the new high school gets built.

A December fire destroyed the high school, including the school's cafeteria. Since then, students have eaten their lunch at the Jones First Baptist Church, which is across the street from the high school.