Education
BY CHLOE YOUNG
As many Central Texas school districts face financial hurdles amid stagnant state funding, local education foundations are stepping up to fill in the gaps. Education foundations in the Lake Travis and Westlake areas have raised hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in funding each school year to ensure their districts have the support they need, local education foundation directors said. Lake Travis, Eanes and Leander ISDs each have their own education foundation—a nonprofit established by community members that exists to aid the district through fundraising, hosting events and other initiatives. Some foundations award grants to teachers and fund student programs. “Every dollar above our expenses goes to the district,” LTEF President Kyle Morgan said. Foundations helping fill gaps
Diving in deeper
Foundation basics Funds within each education foundation support different initiatives throughout districts.
All foundations are operated by a volunteer-based board of directors who collaborate with district staff members to ensure the foundations meet their district’s needs, foundation directors said. The Eanes Education Foundation focuses on fund- ing staff positions that are not fully covered by the state of Texas, EEF Executive Director Dana DeLo- renzo said. Since 2020, LEEF has funded some LISD therapist positions as the district requested help in providing students with mental health services, LEEF Executive Director Coleen Brighton said. EISD and LTISD each fund a portion of the execu- tive director’s salary for their education foundations, while LISD funds an administrative assistant for LEEF. In EISD, the education foundation’s $2 million in fundraising for staff positions is earmarked in the district’s budget, DeLorenzo said. EEF and LTEF are working to build endowments for their districts. The Eanes Endowment, sitting at $1.75 million, could be used for teacher raises and special education support, DeLorenzo said.
Eanes Education Foundation
• Staff positions, including support staff • Year-end educator gifts • District endowment featuring a special education fund Lake Travis Education Foundation • Grants for staff members and scholarships for graduating seniors • Student, teacher and mental health programs • Equipment and uniforms for the Lake Travis Special Olympics Teams • Grants for teachers and professional development • Mental health therapist positions and career coaches • Summer reading books and books for the Parents as Teachers program • Student innovation programs and advanced course fees Leander Educational Excellence Foundation
SOURCES: EANES EDUCATION FOUNDATION, LAKE TRAVIS EDUCATION FOUNDATION, LEANDER EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
How it works
Funds raised for fiscal year 2023-24 include:
Eanes Education Foundation
$2.5M
EEF, LTEF and LEEF fundraise for their districts each year through donations from community members, district employees and staff members. In LISD, over 1,800 staff members contribute to LEEF through their monthly paychecks while the organization has nearly 180 monthly community member donors, Brighton said. The foundations also fundraise by holding several annual events, including galas and golf tournaments.
“Education foundations are essential to public school districts to fill those funding gaps. [The community’s] support and contributions are essential to the success of education foundations to continue to thrive.” COLEEN BRIGHTON, LEANDER EDUCATION EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Lake Travis Education
Foundation $925K+
Leander Educational Excellence Foundation
$784K
SOURCES: EANES EDUCATION FOUNDATION, LAKE TRAVIS EDUCATION FOUNDATION, LEANDER EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
Get involved
director of corporate relations and LTEF. “There’s nothing we can do about the recapture, but this is a way to … make sure that our teachers and classrooms have the support they need,” Kinnersley said. Community members in LTISD, EISD and LISD are welcome to donate to, volunteer with and attend events for their respective education foundations.
The role of education foundations has become increasingly important in Texas as school districts grapple with a lack of state funding and look to retain teachers, Brighton said. LTEF helps ensure LTISD has adequate funding as it expects to send nearly $50 million in local property taxes back to the state through a process known as recapture, said Claire Kinnersley, LTISD executive
More information on each education foundation and how to get involved is available at: • Eanes Education Foundation: www.eaneseducationfoundation.org • Lake Travis Education Foundation: www.lteducationfoundation.org • Leander Educational Excellence Foundation: www.leeftx.org
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LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION
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