On Monday night, the Butler Area School District’s Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation received a $100,000 donation — the largest unrestricted donation in the foundation’s history.

Brian White, superintendent, said during the school board meeting via video conference that the donation came from the estate of Jack and Jane Arthurs, of Butler County.

“We are incredibly grateful that Jack and Jane Arthurs felt compelled to support our Butler Area School District students and schools,” he said earlier in a news release.

During the meeting, White added that the foundation now has $2.8 million in total assets to support the foundation’s efforts. The foundation provides Creative Teaching Grants to teachers, feeds almost 400 students weekly with the Kids’ Weekend Backpack Program, and funds scholarships for graduating students.

“It’s a tremendous gift for our foundation,” he told school board members.

Jack Arthurs, who died in December 2020, was the Democratic representative from the 11th District for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1971 until 1978. He also served on the Slippery Rock University’s board of trustees. His wife, Jane, died in 2015.

Audray Muscatello-Yost, a foundation board member and team leader for the Kids’ Weekend Backpack Program, said over a telephone call Monday night that the board members were excited about the donation.

“It’s amazing and unbelievable. It’s going to be put to good use, that’s for sure,” she said.

White gave an update on the shortage of bus drivers and how that affects student transportation. He said Seneca Valley School District is having similar problems staffing bus routes.

“It’s gotten worse,” he said. “Now we’ve got absenteeism that’s affecting us, too. People are getting sick and are out for the day.”

He added that some bus drivers are already doing double the amount of driving to make up for the shortage.

“I don’t know what the answer is,” he said. “There’s going to be a great reckoning with athletics. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to (transport athletes) the same way. I’m not looking forward to those moments.”

The next Butler Area School District board of directors meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10.