A New Year Brings Big Changes to
Madison High School Educational Foundation
K-12 Foundation in the Works
The Madison High School Educational Foundation (MHSEF) Board of Trustees has announced plans to expand its scope to include all schools in the Madison district. Since 2003, the foundation’s mission has been to raise funds to support teacher driven programs at the high school. And it has been successful. More than $300,000 in grant requests has been funded by the foundation. However, because the district’s strong momentum for achieving its educational mission will be increasingly constrained by a weak financial forecast, MHSEF has decided that the time is right to provide this same support to all five schools in the district.
Madison is not alone in facing school funding challenges and seeking more diverse sources than in the past. A weak economy and restrictive state laws will challenge school officials as they craft their annual budgets for the foreseeable future. The rising cost of today’s tech driven education will increase the burden. By expanding to a district-wide foundation, Madison will join other area school districts (such as Chatham, Millburn and Summit, to name just a few) and around the country that are turning to local education foundations as a way to help fund student enrichment.
MHSEF has had a broad reaching impact at the high school. In its largest grant to date, it recently funded 60 laptops and three mobile carts for use across the school. Other recent grants including funding a visiting poet in the English department, pilot instructional tools for the media center, and a large format color laser printer shared by Computer Aided Design, Architecture, Digital Advertising, and Yearbook classes. When the foundation expands its scope later this year, all teachers in the district will be invited to apply for the same types of grant opportunities presently offered to high school teachers.
“We are excited about the chance to have a positive impact on all Madison public schools. It’s been great to see how our grants have benefited students at the high school. We look forward to helping teachers in the elementary schools and the junior school bring similar benefits to their students,” said Anne Hargrave, MHSEF Board President. Superintendent of Schools Rich Noonan added: "The Foundation created avenues for us to achieve wider excellence at Madison High School. Given the commitment to quality education we see at every level in Madison, a district-wide foundation can achieve the same thing for all of our schools."
The MHSEF Board is currently exploring questions, challenges, and opportunities related to the upcoming transition. It is partnering with district and school staff, PTO leaders, key volunteers, and other stakeholders to craft a shared vision and to identify and address issues that emerge. Any resident is invited and encouraged to submit input or questions through a brief questionnaire.
January 4, 2010
