Whitefish Christian Academy headmaster

Todd Kotila has a series of chants that he uses to teach his

students about faith and life.

He says “never” and students reply

“panic.” The simple prompt and response is meant to remind that

panic is a consuming self-focus that shows a lack of faith in God

and his providence.

But last spring Kotila was having

trouble following his own lesson. Even though he believed God would

provide, he was panicked over finding funding for a new roof for

his school and much-needed technology and classroom upgrades.

Then one donation after another began

to arrive at the school.

“It has been very humbling,” he said.

“I’m on the receiving end of this.”

While donations to the school are

generous — the school needs to raise roughly a quarter million

dollars every year to help cover its expenses — donations for

things like a roof are often not as easy to obtain.

Kotila likens it to a car. Everyone

likes to wash their car, but not perform the mechanic work.

“Donors want to pay for desks and

books,” he said. “The emotional connection is not there (with a

roof).”

He understands wanting to donate for

something tangible, but still the school had a need. The roof was

full of cracks and patch repairs were only doing so much.

So he prayed and others prayed.

Then he found a check for $35,000 on

his desk. The anonymous donor had left enough to fix the roof.

For Kotila he was a child again on

Christmas morning. He would have a new roof and one that would last

50 years.

“I laughed,” he said. “I don’t believe

it, but of course that’s the way God would do it.”

The money for a roof was just one of a

number of generous gifts the school has received recently.

A technology fundraiser brought $30,000

to the school for a network, computers and software improvements.

An anonymous donor pledged to match every $1 raised with $3 and

with that the school sent out letters seeking donations.

Parents made donations, some were

rather sizable, but it was a smaller check from a stranger that

caught Kotila off guard. He’s taking a guess, but invisions a widow

on a fixed income as the writer of the check.

“What touched my heart was the very

first check,” he said. “It was $10. I didn’t even know the person.

We received some fairly big donations, but that one killed me.”

The donations gave the school the money

to install a new network system that creates the infrastructure for

future growth. A computer lab was completely redone with 10

Macintosh and 10 Dell computers. In the middle school classrooms,

workstations with two computers were created.

The Macintosh computers were donated

saving the school about $15,000, according to Kotila.

Teachers will each have a new laptop

and the administrative staff has upgraded computers as well.

Previously computers often had different operating systems and

software that made compatibility almost impossible.

A $25,000 donation to the school has

allowed for a revamp of a few classrooms. A third grade classroom

is being redone first.

New floor tiles are replacing worn

carpet. New maple cabinets and blinds will be installed. Students

will get new desks and chairs, and a new teacher’s desk will

complete the room. The room has been coordinated with mellow colors

of yellow, blue and green in the floor and walls.

“In schools everything is usually white

because it’s easy to maintain, but that’s not very fun for kids,”

Kotila said of the new color choices.

A second classroom will be redone when

possible. The plan is to complete more rooms through the

school.

“We’re taking it one bite at a time,”

Kotila said.

A combination of the technology and

room renovation donations will provide two new SMART Boards for the

school. One will go in the new third grade room. SMART Boards are

interactive whiteboards that use touch detection.

The dollar amounts are incredible, but

parents and community members have also pitched in to help at the

school. They’ve painted walls, laid tile in the bathroom and built

cabinets.

“It blessed the whole school and future

generations,” he said of all the donations.