PORTSMOUTH, Va. - A handful of teachers at Lakeview Elementary School received a nice surprise on the first day of school on Tuesday.
Portsmouth School Board Vice Chair Cardell Patillo attended Lakeview more than 30 years ago from kindergarten through third grade.
To give back, Patillo visited each of his former classrooms and gifted the current teachers $200 in gift cards and cash to spend on supplies.
"Knowing it's understood that they're underpaid and they don't even get the 'thank you's' they deserve so if I could just come out here to say thank you, it meant a lot to me," said Patillo.
He also stopped in the cafeteria to gift each cafeteria worker a $25 gift card.
Geramiah Gardner, a first-year music teacher at the school, says the surprise was a welcome one.
"I'm thrown off, wow. Overjoyed actually because I definitely need this. It's my first year teaching and I'm super, super excited to be here," he said.
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