How will the Foundation prevent governmental entities from using foundation funds to cover under-funded county educational obligations?
From its inception, the RCPSF has clearly stated the type of projects it will fund. Only requests meeting those guidelines will receive support and must be for activities and projects not included in the operating budget. The county school superintendent and the school board understand the mission of the Foundation and have made certain the purposes and uses of Foundation monies is clear to the County Administrator and the Director of Fiscal Services, so there will be no question of redirecting grant money. Members of our community are invited to become a part of the Foundation’s audit process, ensuring the RCPSF charter limits on funding are consistently honored.
Are the City of Lexington schools included in the RCPSF’s activities?
Lexington City students will benefit directly from RCPSF grants made to support programs and activities at the high school. In addition, programs developed through grants awarded to county schools in partnership with organizations outside the school system may also be used to benefit students in Lexington City schools.
Why doesn’t the RCPSF fund scholarships?
First and foremost, the purpose of the Foundation is to enhance programs, projects, and experiences for students while they are in the Rockbridge County Public School System. The Foundation was created to expand the pre-K-12 learning process and programs so that students, when they graduate, will be better prepared for whatever future they choose. Scholarship programs are valuable programs; however, scholarships support individual students in post-high school programs. The Foundation’s philosophy is to provide funds to support as many pre-K through 12th grade students as possible.
What are examples of projects that have been funded by the RCPSF?
See a list of all grants given.
Feedback received by the Board indicates the grants have more than added new dimensions to education in Rockbridge. The grants have opened whole new worlds…
“Thank you for your substantial support of our grant proposals during this school year. I appreciate your dedication to our school, students, and teachers. The opportunities that you provided are changing the lives and instruction of our students. I enjoy seeing our 5th grade science class conducting experiments about the ocean and animals. The excitement in our students’ eyes is amazing as they watch a tadpole change slowly but surely each day. And probably the most important gift of all, we are breaking down barriers for struggling readers because of the dynamic materials that you provided. With heartfelt gratitude I value your role in our school and the unselfish dedication to making them better places for our students and teachers to learn. I will continue to encourage the teachers at Central to think creatively and to apply for the awesome opportunities that the Foundation provides.” – Ryan Barber – March 24, 2006
“Our digital presenter is used almost every day in our instruction at Rockbridge Middle School. In geography, it enhances showing locations on maps; in language arts it is used to show literary quotes or student work for comments; in science we demonstrate lab procedures. I use it in math to show how to measure a line or an angle, label a graph, draw three-dimensional shapes, and to show how different students have found different solutions to the same problem. The students really enjoy ‘showing off’ their work.” – Patsy Dickerson – March 29, 2006
“…I worked with a homebound student in the four core sixth grade subjects. He had difficulty physically writing, but needed the practice of putting his thoughts down on paper. Providing him with the Palm Pilot allowed him to keep a journal in spite of his difficulties in handwriting. I was then able to email the information he had written directly to his assigned English teacher exactly as he had written it.” – Amanda Dideum – May 29, 2009
Has the Foundation considered any type of formula to ensure grants are available, perhaps on some kind of statistical or per capita basis, to all middle and elementary schools?
The key underlying philosophy of the RCPSF is that every child in the school system deserves the best education possible. Equity in awarding grants is the cornerstone of the process. The main goal of the allocations committee is to “represent the needs of students in all of the RCPS.” In the grant application itself, listed under “Criteria for Grant Selection”, one of the four criteria for grant award selection is “Representation of a diversity of students in Rockbridge County through geography/schools and program emphasis (academic, vocational, extracurricular, service).”
Has the RCPSF discussed its mission with PTA representatives in schools?
RCPSF representatives have met with PTA members from all schools, explaining the goals and purpose of the Foundation. The Foundation is not intended to replace the valuable support role played by parent groups. Mutual interests and projects will be explored further.
Can individuals or organizations contribute to the Foundation for specific projects or on some kind of a matching funds basis?
The RCPSF can accommodate donor restrictions and qualifiers as long as these are consistent with the RCPSF mission. However, unrestricted contributions are encouraged. The Foundation has a thorough and rigorous application and allocation process that encourages creative projects across the K-12 curriculum and at the same time promotes wise use of funds and avoids supplanting public funds. Half of Virginia’s school divisions currently have local education foundations. According to the latest research (2004) the majority of these are in rural divisions, and half of them are also in school divisions of fewer than 5,000 students—similar to Rockbridge. Ninety percent (90%) of Virginia’s public school foundations receive cash or other assets from private donations without conditions.