A former Columbus City School District board member is launching a new foundation aimed at benefitting the district through philanthropic work and connecting donors to help bridge funding gaps.
Former CCS board president Christina Vera announced the launch of the Columbus City Education Foundation at a Feb. 4 event held at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch, Downtown. Vera said the new foundation is “designed to expand opportunity” for students in the district.
“We know the hard truth – public funding alone cannot meet every opportunity our students deserve,” said Vera, who added that she is volunteering as the foundation’s unpaid executive adviser. “The foundation exists to do just that: mobilize community, corporate, alumni and philanthropic investment. That opportunity is not limited to a ZIP Code, a budget line or a moment in time.”
The Columbus City Education Foundation will have four goals, Vera said. Those are to close opportunity gaps for students, support classroom innovation, connect students to career and industry opportunities and build alumni legacy.
Vera, alongside other community members, have been working for eight years to make the foundation a reality for Columbus City Schools students.
“Today signifies community, and it signifies an opportunity to come together as one community to not only advocate for what our community needs but to collectively bring our resources together to ensure they have what they need,” Vera said.
CCS Superintendent Angela Chapman said the CCEF is not about “replacing public funding, but about adding to the great programming we already provide and strengthening our civic bonds with our neighborhood schools.”
“This is one more way that we can all say that we are putting our students first,” Chapman said.
The launch of the foundation comes amid significant financial turmoil for the district. On Feb. 3, the CCS board voted to approve dozens of administrative cuts as it works to finalize over $50 million in cuts in the district amid a financial deficit. On Feb. 3, the district treasurer also warned that the financial situation of the district was still worsening despite cuts.
Vera said the ongoing financial hardships of the district make the foundation’s work all the more important.
“As we continue to see the hard decisions the board of education and the superintendent have to make, it’s with the understanding that we still need those programs and services, we still need the personnel,” Vera said. “So we’re having to think more creatively about how we go out into the community and sustain those opportunities.”
The CCEF is opening applications for a community-led volunteer board of trustees on Feb. 4 and is also working to fundraise for operational costs before it can launch in earnest.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Columbus school board member announces foundation to aid district
Reporting by Cole Behrens, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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