Socorro Education Foundation set to support school programs

The Socorro School Board unanimously voted in favor of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Socorro Education Foundation, a new non-profit designed to serve as a partner that could raise private funds to complement district programs.

“The Socorro Schools Education Foundation will empower educational excellence by securing and distributing resources that inspire innovation and engaging instruction, fostering professional development and growth and supporting programs and initiatives dedicated to students' well-being and academic achievement across all K through 12 classrooms,” Socorro Superintendent Joyce Gormley said at the Dec.15 meeting when the non-profit was first presented to the board.

She told the board the non-profit would operate independently, with its own board, bylaws, and, eventually, an executive director.

The foundation will be eligible for special grants and tax-exempt donations that public schools can’t directly access, said Gormley. It allows the district to cover specific needs that public school funding cannot, such as providing support for targeted professional development or student/family needs, supporting arts/music programs, and funding field trips or outdoor learning, she said.

“I had a lot of positive interactions with the Public Schools Foundation that was established in the 1990s. I believe there's only a handful of districts, maybe two or three in the entire state that have an Education Foundation,” Gormley said.

At the Jan. 12 meeting, Gormley presented the MOU with updates that comply with anti-donation laws and the separation between the district and the foundation.

The following steps, since the approval of the MOU, include applying for the 501(c)(3), adopting bylaws and developing fundraising strategies.