RIDGWAY — Ridgway Area School District’s administration and school board has announced the pending formation of the Ridgway Elker Advancement Foundation.
The foundation will be a charitable non-profit with a mission of supporting the district and the communities that rely on it. The foundation will seek and gain acceptance as a 501© 3 tax-exempt entity with the Internal Revenue Service.
The entity will receive community support in the form of grants, contributions, and memorials and will use those funds to satisfy the objectives of the governing board of the foundation.
The foundation, which will be independent of the school board and the administration, is being formed to provide sustained focus and ensure that continuous efforts are being sought after to improve the conditions for all stakeholders within the Ridgway Area School District and its communities by addressing the area’s current and future unmet educational needs.
The foundation is being launched after receiving a recommendation from a special advisory council, which was formed to determine if such a foundation could be effective.
The council also prepared the structure of the foundation and is assisting with its launch. The council, too, will continue to provide transition assistance to the new board of directors including communicating with donors and recruiting directors.
Aimee Keemick, president of the Ridgway school board, said, ”As an advocate of public education, I fully support the formation of this foundation and am excited about the opportunities for community engagement to strengthen the tradition of academic excellence.”
Heather McMahon Vargas, superintendent of Ridgway schools, said, “Being a graduate of the Ridgway School District (‘91) and now serving as the superintendent, I have had both the personal and professional opportunity to experience the long history of academic excellence that the district embodies. I am looking forward to continuing the tradition of excellence and the future of innovation of our children’s opportunities in the community.”
The special advisory council suggested preliminary goals of providing opportunities to the district’s educators and students that may not be available through normal funding practices, providing scholarships to graduates, assisting with fundraising for capital expenditures related to safety, energy or other designated purposes.
Padraic McGrath, a school board member who serves on the council, said, “Preliminary conversations have indicated that strong support exists with current community members and past proud alumni. I am not a Ridgway graduate but I am proud to serve. I have always been impressed with the legacy that exists in Ridgway and the pride that exists in being an Elker. I am confident that we will be able to gather contributions to help start the organization.”
