Delores Barr Weaver and J. Wayne Weaver
North Florida School of Special Education’s Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the establishment of an endowment fund managed by The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, and a lead gift of $2 million by J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver. This is the largest gift in the history of the school. It will make an impact for generations.
“We are grateful to Delores and Wayne Weaver for their lead gift of $2M to our endowment fund. Their support of North Florida School of Special Education has always been about more than the dollars,” explains Head of School Sally Hazelip. “It is a cornerstone upon which this community of love, support, and innovation has grown. It is an endorsement to other donors. And for me, it is also a personal source of encouragement that this extraordinary couple has extended their legacy to ensure a bright future for young people with intellectual and developmental differences in Northeast Florida.”
North Florida School of Special Education completed a capital campaign in 2020, expanding its campus to include the Christie and Lee Smith Lower School Campus and Delores Barr Weaver Therapeutic Equestrian Center. “Wayne and I have admired the work of the North Florida School of Special Education for many years, and we’ve been so moved by how NFSSE has grown in its ability to serve its students, their families and the community at large,” says Delores Barr Weaver. “We feel strongly that what’s been created and what’s envisioned for its future should be supported in perpetuity, and we are proud to provide the lead gift for the North Florida School’s endowment at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.”
The school serves over 275 students and postgraduates from around Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia in its exceptional education and therapeutic programs as well as the many vocational training and employment opportunities it offers young adults with intellectual and developmental differences (IDD). After school, weekends, and summers, the school opens its campus to the community at large for horse therapy and summer camps when children with IDD and their neurotypical peers come together in shared experiences. Many of the school’s graduates work in the community and some return for the postgraduate programs.