T-L Photo/ ROBERT A. DEFRANK Nick Hunter, left of Fiber Capital Partners, and members of Give Belmont County made a donation of $50,000 last month to Union Local. From left arel Natalie Brown, Lova Ebbert and Union Local Treasurer Janet Hissrich. In back, from left, are Hunter, Neil Rubel, Larry Cain Union Local Superintendent Ben Porter and Gabe Hayes.

BELMONT — The Union Local School District accepted a donation of $50,000 Tuesday from Give Belmont County and a new business that plans to benefit the area by providing fiber internet service.

“Union Local School District is in need of updated ChromeBooks,” Natalie Brown, president of MPR Transloading and Energy Services and a member of Give Belmont County, said.

Larry Cain, member of Give Belmont County, thanked Nick Hunter, CEO of Fiber Capital Partners, for joining in making the donation.

Fiber Capital Partners is a fund management business that brings in private capital investment to build infrastructure in communities that lack it. Hunter and Tim Berelsman, CEO of Ohio GIG which provides the services, intend to begin laying fiber for internet access in July, beginning at Belmont College and going into Union Local School District.

“That’s our biggest grant to date. We’re very proud of it. We’re very proud of the impact it will have,” Cain said. “It sounds like exciting things are coming. We’re all aware high-speed, world-class top-of-the-shelf internet is one thing to have, but the service is just one thing. You need to have additional tools in place, technology in place to use that.”

The district has purchased 750 ChromeBooks for $250 each.

Superintendent Ben Porter thanked the organization for its support of the district and students.

“They were a big part of our first ChromeBook initiative, and now we have to replace several of those,” he said. “That donation goes a long way to support that technology initiative that we put in place several years ago.”

Porter said Union Local was hit hard by the pandemic, but the students were largely in a good position, with assistance provided to residents of more rural areas without internet access.

“We are very grateful and thankful,” he said.

Give Belmont County originated as a group of landowners who had signed a lease with Rice Energy and wished to give back to the community. It was initially the Smith Goshen Rice Enrichment Fund. The organization has donated about $500,000 to Belmont County non-profits and includes a Union Local School District Curriculum Fund to provide educational funding for Union Local Schools.

Donations can be made to any of Give Ohio’s funds at 304-242-3144.

In other matters, the board held special finance meetinJune 30 to close out Fiscal Year 2021 and make temporary appropriations for the next school year.

Treasurer Janet Hissrich said the most pressing issues are upgrades to the ventilation system and to offer extended learning opportunities following the learning loss during the pandemic.

Ben Porter said the district has offered summer school opportunities using CARES Act money.

“We had close to 150 kids sign up district-wide for summer extended opportunities,” Porter said, adding camp activities are also being held. The elementary and middle school students may attend two weeks in June, two weeks in July and two weeks in August. The high school is doing credit recovery during June, and 40 students are working on that.

“Elementary Principal Dana Kendziorski worked extremely hard to get that program in place,” Porter said. He added other teachers who identified the academic needs of student participants. “It was really individualized on the academic front.”

Hissrich said delivery of the ventilation system has been delayed but should be installed by summer or early fall.