The Spring ISD Education Foundation gathered at the Northgate Country Club on Thursday morning to celebrate both 25 years of service to the district and to show their appreciation to local business owners, community leaders and district representatives.
“This year marks a memorial occasion for us,” said Ken Grays, president of the Spring ISD Education Foundation. “For 25 years, we have been hard at work trying to make things better here at Spring ISD and we would like to honor our founders and directors with this breakfast.”
Established in 1992, the Education Foundation supports students and teachers throughout the district through grants, scholarships and sponsorship of district events. Donna Lewis, one of the foundation directors and the namesake of Lewis Elementary, gave a history lesson of the organization before presenting 17 district partners with checks.
“We had a clear plan and goals for what we wanted to accomplish,” said Lewis. “It was our responsibility to raise and distribute funds which would be used to enhance and support programs for our school district.”
Over the last 25 years, the Education Foundation has donated more than $1 million to fund teacher grant requests. With the mission statement, “Every child deserves a strong foundation,” the organization hosts fundraising events throughout the year to raise money for grants and scholarships, including the annual Tee Up for Education charity golf tournament.
“When you are thinking about the help you’re going to give to the district, it’s not to the Foundation or the district, but it’s to the students and making sure they have a strong foundation,” Grays told guests at the event. “It’s to the principals that are leading each and every one of their schools, and making sure they have a place to learn.”
Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Rodney E. Watson credited the Spring ISD Education Foundation for its constant support to the district, including the $330 million bond program and Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
“We are a strong district, we have strong leaders in our schools, and we have a strong board and foundation supporting us,” Watson said. “We are excited about the road ahead. Spring ISD is only as strong as our community, and our community is only as strong as Spring ISD. Together, we win as a team.”
A total of $34,535 in 2017-18 came directly from district staff members committed to support teacher grants and scholarships through Spring Way. Half of the amount was given back to individual campuses based on employee giving at each campus. Other partners that were recognized for their support included the law firm of Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott for its $25,000 donation.
Additional community partners recognized during the breakfast included:
- Bentley, Bratcher & Associates
- PBK Architects
- David S. Crawford
- Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates
- InvesTex Credit Union
- First Financial Group of America
- Satterfield & Pontikes Construction
- Wells Fargo
- Stantec Architecture
- IDG Architects
- Dally & Associates
- Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley & Co.
- Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
- Salas O’Brien
- GPD Group
For more information about the Spring ISD Education Foundation, visit www.springisdfoundation.org.