MEEKER I The purpose for the Meeker Education Foundation can be found on the foundation’s website.
It is as follows: “The Meeker Education Foundation’s sole purpose is to support and enhance educational opportunities for the Meeker School District’s students and staff with independent resources. School finance in Colorado is very inadequate and the impact on the District has been and continues to be significant. The Foundation’s goal is to provide as much relief as possible for this situation.”
To that end, the Meeker Education Foundation has been instrumental in providing thousands of dollars in funding to help meet teacher and classroom needs. Additionally, the MEF has been instrumental in securing hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide much-needed upgrades to our track and football field facilities.
Furthermore, by working closely with the school administration, the foundation will embark on additional, significant fundraising efforts that will provide much-needed academic supports for the school district and will result in higher levels of student learning.
Recently, the Meeker Education Foundation awarded grants in excess of $34,000 to teachers and classrooms in need of materials and supplies. The total number of grant requests submitted by teachers exceeded $72,000.
It is clear that need exists beyond the financial capabilities of the school district.
It is no secret that funding for K-12 education in Colorado is significantly below national averages and that the effects of the Great Recession have continued to place a financial burden on schools in Colorado.
Without the support of the Meeker Education Foundation, the needs for which teachers submitted grants would continue to be unmet.
The school district is deeply grateful for the funding provided by the foundation that will be utilized for items ranging from basic classroom supplies to innovative integration of technology into classroom routines to financial assistance for teacher’s professional development.
Rural public schools have felt financial strain in greater degree than our urban counterparts in Colorado.
This is a result of the interplay between the school finance formula and how the state of Colorado has cut education funding. Nevertheless, the strength of our rural communities is manifested in organizations such as the Meeker Education Foundation.
The generosity of those who have given to the Meeker Education Foundation and the generosity of the time given by those who are stewards over the foundation has resulted in opportunities for students that would not otherwise be available.
There are many in our community who willingly give of their own time and finances to support the education of the children in the Meeker School District.
This generous community support gives me one more reason to continue proudly proclaiming I am a Meeker Cowboy!
By Chris Selle
Superintendent, Meeker School District
