Jackson EMC donated $25,000 to the Special Needs School of Gwinnett, a nonprofit, private school serving special needs children, for its new building.

“This donation helps us build a modern building where we can all be together,” said Bev Bailey, the school’s founder. “Currently, we’re holding classes in trailers and in ranch houses.”

The Special Needs School provides educational, multi-therapeutic and early intervention services to more than 50 students ranging from pre-school age to young adults. The school expects the building to be completed and ready for students in early spring 2020.

The Jackson EMC donation was made possible using margin refunds that have been unclaimed by the electric cooperative’s members for five years. Legislation passed in 2005 permits Georgia electric cooperatives to make charitable, education and economic development contributions of unclaimed margin refunds.

Jackson Electric Membership Corporation, the largest electric cooperative in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation, is headquartered 50 miles northeast of Atlanta in Jefferson, Ga. The cooperative serves more than 234,000 meters on 14,000 miles of energized wire. For more information, visit jacksonemc.com.