CHEROKEE – On the evening of September 8, 2022, USD 247 was the recipient of two Pritchett Trust grants. One will benefit the Southeast High School Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) Department and the other will benefit the district and the community.

“The Southeast FACS Department is so grateful to the Pitchett Trust. We are receiving $34,432.02 to upgrade our culinary facility to meet industry standards. The money will be put towards all new stainless steel commercial equipment, new sinks and faucets, butcher block countertops, and cabinet paint and hardware. Our culinary facility has not been upgraded in over 50 years! This is amazing for our school! My students are so excited to cook in the upgraded facility. Stay tuned about our Open House, upon completion of this major project! Great things are happening at SHS!” – Paris Vratil, FACS Teacher at SHS

In partnership with the Cherokee Ruritan Club, Dr. Brad Miner, USD 247 Superintendent of Schools, received a Pritchett Trust grant in the amount of $1,750 for school supplies, community events, and scholarships for Southeast seniors.

“We are very appreciative of the Pritchett Trust for the support they provide to our district. We are also very excited to work collaboratively with the Cherokee Ruritan Club to support our students and the greater Lancer community!” – Dr. Brad Miner, USD 247 Superintendent of Schools

The Pritchett Trust, managed through BMO Trust and Custody Services, was founded after the passing of longtime Pittsburg residents William B. and Athlyn C. Pritchett in 1994. Mr. Pritchett, a World War I veteran, married Athlyn in 1920, and soon after they opened the Pritchett Insurance Agency in Pittsburg, KS. They also invested in oil and gas leases throughout Kansas and Oklahoma in the 1930s and 1940s.