By AMY JONES / Associate Editor

COLUMBIANA — When Cornerstone Christian School Dean Jay Adams got to work on Sept. 27, he knew it would be a happy day for his teachers.

Because of an Arizona-based private donor, Adams was able to give his educators some big bonus checks — something they hadn’t been able to do in a long time.

The donor gave Cornerstone a check for $21,000, $10,000 of which the donor earmarked for teacher bonuses.

“The last bonus checks at CCS were Christmas bonuses in 2002 or 2003. I don’t remember,” Adams said. “They weren’t close to the amount of this donation.”

All Cornerstone’s full-time teachers received equivalent bonuses, while part-time teachers got bonuses based on the number of classes they teach. The school has 11 teachers and three administrators who also teach, as well as a lunch lady, a nursery worker, a full-time administrative assistant and a part-time finance officer.

“We’re a marvel of efficiency,” Adams said. “Every single person on this campus is contributing as much as they possibly can, with very little downtime. To our faculty, Tuesday served as a reminder that someone out there notices how hard they work and how much they care.”

First-grade teacher Sandy Farbe said getting the bonus made her feel “valued and appreciated.”

“I immediately thanked God for the anonymous donor. I wondered who she was and how she heard about a small school in Alabama educating children in a Christian environment,” Farbe said. “It brought tears to my eyes, joy to my heart and the emotions of feeling blessed, appreciated and validated.”

Adams said giving the bonuses out was something he’ll remember for a long time.

“We’ve had a lot of memorable days at our school. Some were good, some were bad,” he said. “Getting to be a part of Tuesday afternoon was about as much fun as I’ve had in my decade at Cornerstone.”