OXFORD – The Texas couple who sent SAD 17 a $100 check after seeing their budget crisis story on a national news broadcast say they were moved by the plight of the district.

Faced with a midyear reduction of about $500,000 in state aid, the Oxford Hills School District administrators trimmed $400,000 and were looking to lay off seven employees to trim another $70,000. Employees stepped in and the majority of them voluntarily gave up a day’s pay to save the jobs. That reached “ABC World News with Charles Gibson” in New York and earned the district workers the distinction of “Person of the Week” on the Feb. 13 broadcast.

“Our school district is fighting the same thing,” said Jack Eastman of Kingwood, Texas, in a telephone interview. Eastman, who worked for 30 years as a special education teacher, and his wife, Karen, said people in their community raised more than half a million dollars just last month for their school to offset budget problems.

The Humble Independent School District was the 19th fastest growing school district in Texas last year. Located in the Houston metropolitan area, it encompasses 33 school buildings and 33,000 students and 2,300 teachers.

“They can’t meet their needs, and more and more people are moving in,” said Eastman of the district.

Eastman, who is no relation to SAD 17 Superintendent Mark Eastman, said the community allowed small advertisements on school buses and quickly raised $250,000. That coupled with a barbecue and rodeo that raised $350,000 gave the district a sudden $600,000 shot in the arm.

The rodeo, with 4-H club members, and barbecue brought in 6,000 to 8,000 people.

Eastman said the community started a foundation about 10 years ago to help raise funds for the school through events such as the rodeo.

The Eastmans said the state has not been financially helpful. A bill is before the Texas Legislature to replace the school finance system with a formula that takes into account student attendance and will give more money for students in special programs, according to news reports.

The district has also formed a committee of community volunteers to spearhead efforts to communicate with legislators in Austin, according to the school district’s Web page.

“The state’s just not doing anything to help,” Karen Eastman said.