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Twenty teachers at Caneyville Elementary School recently received funds from a local retailer to help buy classroom supplies.

The teachers each received $50 rewards cards from Walmart during a reception Wednesday afternoon at the school. They can use the money to buy items for their classrooms, such as paper, pens, pencils and crayons.

The funding comes from the Teacher Rewards Program that Walmart and Sam’s Club locations nationwide sponsor. This year, the program will distribute $4.5 million to 90,000 teachers in kindergarten through eighth grade schools.

The funds come at a critical time, the company said, since the majority of U.S. teachers going back to school will spend their own money to help make sure students have the supplies they need.

“We are proud to honor our community’s teachers, who give time and often their own money to ensure our students have everything they need to be successful throughout the school year,” said Patsy Lindsey, who along with Tammy Rix coordinates the local program for Walmart. “At Walmart, we are dedicated to supporting our nation’s teachers by providing them with the support and resources needed to continue educating the future leaders of our country.”

The program is in its fourth year, and the store selects a different school each year to help, the women said. Last year, the company donated the same amount overall — $1,000 — but gave 10 teachers $100 cards each.

American teachers spent more than $1.3 billion collectively out of pocket for classroom supplies, snacks and instructional materials during the 2009-10 school year, according to the National School Supply and Equipment Association, a trade association for educational product companies.

Lindsey and Rix treated the teachers to cake and punch Wednesday afternoon before principal Ronnie Sarver drew the names of the rewards card winners from a box.

The rewards card winners were: Sandy Wilson, Brenda Royalty, Christina Decker, Kristi Pence, Cathy Anderson, Kathy Dennison, Nicole Peters, Lori Powell, Tina Higdon, Dale Robins, Keycia Hodges, Annette Cannon, Donna Goff, Rhonda Collard, Patti Embry, Billie Jennings, Marsha Bivens, Kristin Pierce, Misty Roof and Laura Grant.

The ceremony, in the school library, followed a staff planning meeting.