Foundation Honors Top Donors, Celebrates Surpassing $1 Million
in 2006-07 Fundraising

June 13, 2007

The board of directors of the Plano ISD Education Foundation validated on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, the nonprofit organization’s importance to the Plano Independent School District, as Foundation Board President Mary Jo Dean proudly announced the group had surpassed its 2007 fundraising goal, raising more than $1 million in the 2006-2007 school year.

• Donations to Benefit Students and Programs
• 2006-07 Major Donors Recognized
• Plano ISD Employees Make Largest Contribution
• Foundation Funds Several Programs in '06-07
• Special Thanks and Board Recognitions
• About the Foundation

Donations to Benefit Students and Programs

All dollars raised by the Plano ISD Education Foundation stay in Plano ISD and benefit important programs and services identified by the school district for which tax dollars are not available.

Mrs. Dean said, “Plano has been recognized as one of the best places to live in the United States. Plano public schools are the cornerstone to the quality of life in our community. It is important that Plano ISD continues to be one of the best public school districts in the nation. Raising more than $1 million in critical private support for our schools and teachers is important to our region."

Approximately one hundred and fifty attendees celebrated the one million dollar milestone with a buffet reception, balloons and noisemakers at a donor recognition event held at Gleneagles Country Club, sponsored by Foundation Director Jenny Birgé and the Plano ISD Education Foundation board of directors.

2006-07 Major Donors Recognized

Major donors of $5,000 or more were recognized, and Foundation donations were made to Plano ISD libraries in honor of the donors.

Valedictorian - $20,000 - $100,000
AEGON Direct Marketing Services, Inc.; Capital One; City of Plano; Employees of Plano ISD; Gay, McCall, Isaacks, Gordon, May & Roberts, P.C.; Medical Center of Plano; Texas Instruments, Texas Instruments Foundation and the M.B. and Edna Zale Foundation.

Salutatorian - $10,000 - $20,000
AXA Advisors; Baylor Regional Medical Center of Plano; the Franklin I. Brinegar Foundation; Countrywide Financial Corporation; Dallas Women’s Foundation; Ebby Halliday Realtors; THE HEART HOSPITAL–Baylor Plano; Nortel; Park Place Lexus; Plano Arts and Cultural Endowment; Verizon; and Washington Mutual.

Distinguished Achievement - $5,000 - $10,000
ARAMARK; Jenny Birgé; Bank of America; Bowne & Co.; EDS Credit Union; Grant Halliburton Foundation; Hexter-Fair Title Company; Home Team Mortgage; Plano ISD Council of PTAs; and SHW Group, LLP.

Some 2,900 additional donors gave from $5 to $5,000.

Plano ISD Employees Make Largest Contribution

The year’s most significant donation noted was the collective contribution of $98,000 made to the Plano ISD Education Foundation in 2007 by 2,800 Plano ISD employees as a result of an employee campaign chaired by retiring Plano ISD Deputy Superintendent Danny Modisette. Employee’s individual gifts ranged from $5 to $1,000.

Mrs. Dean said, “Support from Plano ISD employees is very meaningful to those of us on the Foundation board, as we reach out to ask others to become involved. Our educators have clearly stated they support what we’re doing and are demonstrating it by giving in any way they can. It’s our honor to help Plano ISD educators, and we promise to work even harder to help our schools next year.”

Plano ISD Deputy Superintendent Danny Modisette acknowledged the importance of the school district foundation to Plano schools.
He said; “Plano schools have experienced many challenges over the last five years, with both reductions in funding and growth in special programs to address increasing numbers of economically disadvantaged students.

"Our educators are keeping the bar very high for our graduates, while closing achievement gaps for those students from less advantaged backgrounds or experiences. The Plano ISD Education Foundation has been a major partner with our district in helping us address these challenges through the support of our academic programs.”

Foundation Funds Several Programs in '06-07

In the 2006-2007 school year, the Foundation funded:

$275,000 in grants for schools and classroom teachers across the district to enhance student learning through instructional projects and professional training. The Foundation’s signature program of Grants to Educators has grown with every year – in 2006 funding $68,000 to 45 teams of educators. The grants seeded exemplary instructional projects in schools across the district including: expansion of ELMS Clubs addressing ESL students and families, parent centers in schools with large economically disadvantaged populations, field trips and artist residencies to broaden experiences of students and support instruction, and many other best practices for teachers requiring materials, supplies and equipment not available through school budgets.

In addition, in 2006-2007 the Foundation funded more than $200,000 in special needs of schools and departments, including: $40,000 for expanded TAKS tutorials, $20,000 for printers distributed through the Plano ISD Computers@Home project for computer access to educationally disadvantaged families, $20,000 for interactive writing curriculum, $5,000 for expanded counselor participation at a state-wide training and conference, and more.

$100,000 for the reinstatement of a middle school math specialist position and rewriting of pre-algebra and Algebra curriculum to support the dramatic improvement of all Plano students’ performance in middle school and high school mathematics. Success in middle school and high school mathematics is critical to Plano ISD graduates being college-ready and for broader opportunities in the workplace. Algebra 1 is the gateway course to student success in advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematics course work. This position will focus on middle school students’ success in pre-algebra and Algebra 1 courses.

$140,000 for district initiatives that recruit, retain and recognize the very best teachers. Each year the Plano ISD Education Foundation sponsors the district’s 1,200-person job fair; augments travel funds for district recruitment of tough-to-fill positions; offers moving loans to new teachers relocating to Plano; sponsors the district’s new teacher orientation, all-employee Convocation, Teacher of the Year and Outstanding STEM Teaching Awards; as well as funding an all-employee Crisis Fund that provides grants to employees with short term emergencies. This fund and other Foundation efforts were noted in Plano ISD employee surveys as one of the reasons Plano ISD was named by the Dallas Business Journal in 2006 as one of the best places to work in D-FW.

$50,000 for student scholarships so that all Plano ISD fifth grade students can attend the fee-based Collin County Adventure Camp, a three-day instructional program for all fifth grade students. Currently more than twenty percent of Plano ISD students are economically disadvantaged. The fifth grade environmental overnight camp experience is a long-standing Plano ISD tradition. Over the last five years, Plano ISD has experienced rapid increases in economically disadvantaged families. The district is able to continue this fee-based, Plano ISD instructional activity with significant scholarship support from the Plano ISD Education Foundation and local PTAs.

$230,000 for initiatives that engage community and connect parents and families with schools. Supporting initiatives that engage all PISD parents in their children’s learning, the Plano ISD Education Foundation facilitated private support of family services currently offered through the Plano ISD Even Start and Practical Parent Education programs. In addition, the Foundation annually supports the Communications Department’s distribution of PISD student academic calendar magnets to all Plano ISD families and employees, as an effort to reinforce key instructional dates for students. The Foundation also supported needs at May 2007 PISD graduation commencements and all-district recognition events conducted throughout the year.

Special Thanks and Board Recognitions

Mrs. Dean praised Plano ISD Education Foundation past-president Keith Braley for his outstanding leadership and the entire board of directors for their active role in the Foundation’s success.

Funds were raised during the year through major gifts and sponsorships of corporations and foundations for key programs; the Ski Plano casual winter fundraiser chaired in 2006 by Judy Drotman and Beth Webb; a leadership drive of Foundation directors, former directors and school board members; and an annual fund drive for parents and community members.

Mr. Braley announced the next parent and community campaign will kick off in August 2007, chaired by board director Kyle Walters and encouraged everyone’s participation, and looked to a great future with Ralph Stow as 2007-2008 President-Elect and Development Committee Chair.

The 2006-2007 Plano ISD Education Foundation board of directors responsible for moving the organization past the one million dollar annual fundraising goal are:

2006-07 Officers

Keith Braley, President
Mary Jo Dean, President-Elect
Mitch Bramlett, Treasurer
Beth Webb, Secretary
Judy Drotman, Past-President

Directors Mark Ball, Jenny Birgé, Liz Bonet, Jordan Case, Tom Clerkin, André Davidson, Pandra Dickson, Lisa Brady Gill, Sharon Goldblatt, Lori Heil, Marshall Johnson, Sue Kay, Cathy Larson, Kelly Palmer, Linda Paulk, Bart Ridley, Bob Robertson, Wendell Sherrell, Matthew Skoglund, Keith Sockwell, Ralph Stow, Sam Stricklin, Mark Thornton, Kyle Walters, Robin Joseph-Williams and Betty Wright.

Plano ISD Superintendent Dr. Douglas Otto, School Board Trustee Lloyd “Skip” Jenkins, Deputy Superintendent Danny Modisette and Executive Director for Government and Community Relations Karla Oliver serve as advisors to the board of directors. Carol Brinegar Hoey serves as executive director.

New directors joining the board in 2007 include Sue Alberti, Rick Dunham, Debra Glassburn, Sharon McCall, Octavio Ortiz, Lisa Raskin, Mike Urtso and incoming Deputy Superintendent Jeff Bailey as district advisor.

2007-08 Officers

Mary Jo Dean, President
Ralph Stow, President-Elect
Mitch Bramlett, Treasurer
Beth Webb, Secretary
Keith Braley, Past-President

Former directors who were instrumental in the formation of the Plano ISD Education Foundation in 1993 and installed on the Plano ISD Education Foundation Board of Honor in 2006 are Jim Boswell, Rutledge Haggard, Rebecca Morris, Joan Slater and John Wroten.

About the Foundation

The Plano Independent School District continues to work closely with the Plano ISD Education Foundation to ensure academic success of all Plano ISD students. For further information or to make a donation, visit the Plano ISD Education Foundation Website or contact Plano ISD Education Foundation at (469) 752-8272.