The defeat of the Brookings School District’s opt out last April was a sure sign that the majority of local taxpayers aren’t willing to invest a lot more in education. But there are still people who would be willing to donate generously to the school district.
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The defeat of the Brookings School District’s opt out last April was a sure sign that the majority of local taxpayers aren’t willing to invest a lot more in education. But there are still people who would be willing to donate generously to the school district.
That’s why it’s a smart move for the school district to create its own foundation.
While taxpayers may be wary of protecting their own bottom line, there’s something to be said for appealing to the emotional tug many of us feel for our alma maters.
Whether it’s our high school or college, it’s a little easier to dig deeper when your old school comes calling for a donation.
Once it’s up and running, donations to the foundation won’t be used for the everyday expenses of running a school district. As it’s envisioned now, the foundation would support scholarships for Brookings High School graduates and grants for teachers who want to innovate in the classroom.
It’s smart to create a venue for donations rather than relying on the generosity of taxpayers. A foundation will appeal to the good will of everyone who has happy memories about the experience their child or grandchild had in the Brookings school system.
It will be an outlet for alumni who look back fondly on their Brookings school years.
It will be a way for former and current faculty to help ease the financial burden that often comes with being innovative in the classroom.
School district foundations aren’t anything new. They have been proven to be a tremendous outlet for the good feelings that alumni and faculty have for their school.
The organizers of the foundation for the Brookings School District are lucky in that they have some first-rate role models available locally.
The South Dakota State University Foundation and the Brookings Health System Foundation are both examples of how best to tap into the generosity of those who have had a good experience with an institution.
It won’t be fair to compare the foundation of the Brookings School District with the SDSU Foundation. It won’t have the years of experience, the staff or the alumni donor base.
What it will have in common with the SDSU Foundation is the pride alumni feel in their school and the willingness they have to support the place that helped make them what they are today.
Billy McMacken is the publisher of The Brookings Register. Contact him at bmcmacken@brookingsregister.com.
