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Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith (left) presents a check for more than $20,000 to Karen Rogers (second from left) of Tulsa Public Schools. Joining Smith and Rogers were Buel Anglen (second from right) and Bill Johnson (right), Cherokee Nation Tribal Council members representing Tulsa and Washington counties.

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - The Cherokee Nation dispersed $1.8 million to area schools at an education summit held at the Cherokee Nation Complex in Tahlequah.

"It's wonderful for the school districts and the kids," said Ron Wyrick, superintendent of Sallisaw Public Schools. "We appreciate it very much."

The money is generated from the sale of Cherokee Nation car tags over the past year. Under Cherokee Nation law, the tribe gives schools within its jurisdictional area 38% of the revenue generated from the sale of Cherokee Nation car tags. The tag revenue only goes to schools whose district lines are within the Cherokee Nation's 14-county jurisdictional area because the Cherokee Nation only sells tags to Cherokee Nation citizens who live within its jurisdiction.

"The Cherokee Nation has committed to sharing our car tag revenues with the public schools that educate our children," said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. "We are proud to continue to fulfill our promise to help fund public school education in Oklahoma."

"This proves what Cherokee Nation is wanting to do in communities," said Buel Anglen, Cherokee Nation Tribal Council member representing Tulsa and Washington counties. "We are giving money to make things better in our public schools with no strings attached. I think a lot of people in our communities didn't know the Cherokee Nation could help this much."

"It's going to help relieve some of the budget cuts and buy supplies for the classrooms," said Valarie Brown, federal programs director for Ketchum Public Schools. "This is the only tribe that gives funding back to the schools. I'm glad to know where Cherokee Nation's priorities lie, and that its with our children."

"We're the only tribe that gives back part of our car tag revenues to public schools," said Phyllis Yargee, a public school teacher in Gore and Cherokee Nation Tribal Council member representing Sequoyah County. "I think that demonstrates we are still part of every community in the Cherokee Nation, and we want to work together with those communities to educate our children."

Education funding is distributed based on the number of Cherokee children in each school, with each school receiving $99.31 for each Cherokee student. The Cherokee Nation will disburse the $1.8 million to the following schools in the eligible counties:

Adair County	$197,825.52
Cherokee County	$280,045.44
Craig County	$84,016.26
Delaware County	$188,788.31
Mayes County	$174,586.88
Muskogee County	$176,970.42
Nowata County	$36,248.15
Osage County	$2,085.51
Ottawa County	$31,481.27
Rogers County	$201,599.30
Sequoyah County	$200,506.89
Tulsa County	$105,566.53
Wagoner County	$36,744.70
Washington County	$39,624.69

Related contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org