Heights FFA seeks clarification on uses for Ingels donation

Two years ago, the estate of a Jackson County farming couple left the FFA chapter at Jackson Heights High School a donation of more than $330,000 to be used for purposes that benefit the chapter.

But as JHHS agricultural education teacher and FFA adviser Paul Lierz told the Jackson Heights USD 335 Board of Education at its regular meeting on Monday evening, the school’s FFA chapter hasn’t had access to those funds, and Lierz sought clarification from the board on how those funds could be accessed — and by whom.

Lierz and JHHS FFA Alumni president Hannah Self asked the board to consider forming an “oversight committee” that would determine how the JHHS FFA chapter would access and utilize the donation from the Marvin and Melvena Ingels estate, which made similar donations to Holton High School’s FFA chapter and the Heart of Jackson Humane Society.

“We’ve had it for two years, but we haven’t spent a dang dime yet,” said Lierz, who had originally proposed placing the Ingels donation into a certificate of deposit and using interest generated by the CD for such items as chapter projects, scholarships and trips to the national FFA convention.

During Monday’s meeting, Lierz and Self proposed an “oversight committee” to consist of the current FFA chapter adviser, the current JHHS FFA Alumni president, the current chapter president, three “at-large” FFA alumni members, two district representatives such as a board member and a principal or superintendent and Jim Schumann, administrator of the Ingels estate.

One chapter project that Lierz said could have benefited from the donation is a “putt-putt” golf course currently under construction near the high school gazebo. Lierz said he did not know how to access the funds but instead turned construction receipts over to the district office for reimbursement.

According to district records provided by board clerk Sheri Dibbern, the account with the Ingels funds has $342,746.90 in total at the present time.

A year ago, the account had $344,645.57, and in the past year the account had $8,887.54 in expenses, which Dibbern said were related to construction of the “putt-putt” course, and $6,988.87 in revenues, which was interest from the CD that was added back into it.

“I think it’s an excellent proposal,” USD 335 board president David Allen said of the “oversight committee” plan put forth by Lierz and Self but recommended that the proposal be discussed further at the board’s April 14 meeting, with possible action to be taken at that time.

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