Farmington/Farmington Hills Education Foundation Seeks Charter Donors

Adequate and consistent funding is the greatest challenge impacting Farmington Public Schools’ ability to continue to support and enhance its outstanding educational programs. Receiving the best possible education is essential to preparing students to live in a fast-paced, rapidly changing world.

In June 2012, a group of community and business members came together to form the Farmington/Farmington Hills Education Foundation to help ensure that Farmington Public Schools will retain its excellent reputation and ranking despite operating with severely reduced funding. 

Educational foundations like this one have been developed in thousands of communities across the country, and they are playing an increasingly important role in shaping educational opportunities in dozens of communities in Michigan. The educational foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization, allows community members to make tax deductible donations to help supplement innovative programs and services that are facing reduction or elimination because of reduced state funding. 

The Foundation’s mission is “fostering investment in innovative educational opportunities to benefit the students of Farmington Public Schools.” Contributions made to the Education Foundation will make a direct and lasting impact on the lives of students. The Foundation’s focus on technology, scholastic achievement, the arts and extracurricular enrichment will expand students’ learning experiences and encourage participation from the Farmington/Farmington Hills community.

The Foundation is pleased to announce its officers and Board members: David Sampson, Chair; Dan Riehl, Vice Chair; Janet Holm, Treasurer; David Roggenkamp, Secretary; Susan Zurvalec, Exofficio Superintendent; Frank L. Reid, Exofficio Board of Education; Chris Greig, Executive Director, and trustees: Kurien Abraham, Jeff Cohen, Mill Coleman, Frankie Darcell, Jerry Ellis, Lou Ann Goldblatt, Michele Jakacki, Tina Jensen, Cory Joyrich, Asim Khan, Mike Layne, Deb Molloy, Jim Sturdy, Ara Topouzian, Tom Wilkinson, and David Workman. 

In addition to donating their time, these members have made original monetary contributions to establish the Foundation. To continue to reach their goal of raising $100,000 in 2012, the Foundation has officially launched their Charter Donor Campaign which will run through December 1, 2012. The minimum contribution to be considered a charter donor is $250. Charter donor contributions can be made online at the Education Foundation’s web site at www.ffhedfoundation.org. One hundred percent of the Charter Donor Campaign proceeds will support purchases, programs and initiatives in technology, scholastic achievement, the arts and extracurricular enrichment.

Charter Donors will receive special public acknowledgement and be recognized at a spring reception, in local publications and on the Foundation web site.

“We want to emphasize that the Education Foundation is an autonomous, non-profit corporation, separate and distinct from the Farmington Public Schools’ Board of Education. We are supplementing, not replacing, State aid or local tax funding, so monies collected will not become part of the District’s general budget,” stated Chris Greig, executive director.

To provide additional educational opportunities to students, the Foundation will establish a grant process to distribute funds. An Allocations Committee will review grant applications and determine grant recipients. The Education Foundation will also seek school administration and staff input to ensure that all grants will effectively support and enhance existing programs.

“In today’s world, it takes more than our tax dollars to provide a quality education for our students … it takes the involvement of community members who understand that our children are our future,” stated Greig. 

Questions regarding the Farmington/ Farmington Hills Education Foundation may be directed to Executive Director Chris Greig at director@ffhedfoundation.org or Diane Bauman, Director of School/Community Relations, Farmington Public Schools, at diane.bauman@farmington.k12.mi.us or by calling 248-489-3349. You can also follow what is happening with the Education Foundation on Facebook.

Source: Farmington/ Farmington Hills Education Foundation press release