By José Boix
Guest Columnist
In 2021, Larry Taylor, the former member of the Texas Senate representing District 11, had the foresight to draft a Resolution celebrating and recognizing the vital role of education foundations in supporting school districts across our Lone Star State.
His Resolution was initially introduced to the over 40 Texas Education Foundations attending the January 2022 meeting of the Greater Houston Association of Education Foundations (GHAAEF). Then, with Senator Taylor present, his Resolution was presented to the over 400 Texas Education Foundations attending the Texas Education Foundation Network (TFN), 2022 Annual Conference in San Marcos, Texas.
As we conclude the 2022-2023 academic year, it is rewarding to continue witnessing the key role of our seven Galveston County Independent School district education foundations. In their established order, these are: Clear Creek Independent School District (1992), Friendswood (1999), Texas City (1999), Galveston (2002), Dickinson (2007), Santa Fé (2010) and Hitchcock (2019).
The accomplishments of these foundations are exemplified by their various amazingly successful events. Not only do these events serve to raise the much-needed funds, but more importantly, serve to show an impressive cooperation of community, businesses, industry, government entities and others alike.
While we navigate through our current times, plagued with turmoil and divisiveness, it is refreshing to have such education foundations continue to thrive, prosper and succeed by working in unity. A key reason is that the education foundation model is simple and effective. The model developed by Dr. Pete Karabatsos, now retired, is the one followed by most of our local education foundations as well as many others nationally.
The success of the education foundation model is that it is thoughtfully structured. Just consider these three organizational elements:
- Structured as tax- exempt nonprofit organizations,
- Managed by a board of directors composed of volunteer members of the community, industry, businesses, and civic organizations; and,
- They share common Mission, Vision, and Values (MVVs).
Such structure has proven to provide trust, transparency and confidence as an organization. In addition, education foundations do not compete against each other but work in unison sharing and assisting each other.
So please let us continue to recognize, celebrate, and support the key role of the Texas education foundations. Along those lines, I am challenging our own local Senator, the Honorable Mayes Middleton who is a current member of the Senate Committee on Education to consider elevating the awareness of the Texas education foundations by working to name a “Texas Education Foundations’ Day.”
Education foundations serve to develop tomorrow…today!
José Boix is a board member of the Texas City Independent School District’s (TCISD) Foundation for the Future.
