Perry Township Education Foundation & Perry Township Schools 2014-2016 Capital Campaign
Experience Learning
in the classroom on the stage on the field
PTEF Perry Township Schools 6548 Orinoco Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46227 www.perryschools.org
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We invite you P er ry Tow n s hip is at a t ippin g point of gre at opportunity. We n e e d yo u to in vest in t he future of our c hildre n. Perry Township has a need, and an immediate opportunity, to dramatically improve the quality of Perry Township schools, making it the desirable place for parents to send their children for all facets of their education. Our comprehensive initiative spans academics, arts and athletics to provide the best foundation for our students.
Experience Learning in the cl assroom, on the stage, on th e field
A message from Jo Ellen Buffie & Tom Sponsel, Capital Campaign Co-Chairs As parents and active volunteers in Perry Township over the past 40 years, we are community members who believe in, raised our children in, and continue to reside in Perry Township. Public education is the greatest gift our government can provide— educating ALL, regardless of circumstances. We know our children deserve the best opportunities for success in schools. We are passionate about sharing our stories, and we encourage you to tell yours.
We invite you to invest in the greatest asset of our community and Perry Township—our young people—by providing quality experiences that foster learning beyond the classroom.
Together, we can provide excellence in education for ALL Perry Township students, offering opportunities to thrive in the classroom and become leaders on the stage and field.
Jo Ellen Buffie
In education,
Tom Sponsel
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A message from Dr. Tom Little, Superintendent of Schools
Elevating our schools to enrich our community
This is an exciting time in Perry Township Schools.
• Our goal is to enrich and improve our community-supported school district to attract and retain families and students through our superior caliber of education, experiential learning opportunities and quality facilities.
Enrollment continues to grow, academic achievement levels continue to increase, graduation rates have improved, and we have expanded our pre-school offerings. Life is good in Perry Township, but the challenges of our competition mandate that we must achieve a higher level. We are dedicated to positioning the school district as the provider of choice for an excellent education. I invite you to be a part of Experience Learning—the campaign that will build the future of our township. Kicking off the campaign with a $2 million Major Gifts Initiative, we are dedicated to positioning this school district as the district of choice on the south side of Indianapolis. We are calling on our proud alumni, community patrons, and local businesses to step forward and support us in addressing critical needs in the classroom, on the stage, and on the field. Together we can raise the bar of excellence in Perry Township.
Tom Little, Superintendent of Schools
A message from Liberty Roberts, PTEF President Each year we receive many grant applications from teachers for worthy and creative programs that will enhance the educational experience of the students in Perry Township. Unfortunately, PTEF is unable to underwrite all of the worthy grants due to a lack of available funding. The Capital Campaign will not only afford us the capability to underwrite even more excellent initiatives in the classroom, but it will also create an opportunity to provide focus grants to teachers. Driven by students, staff and administration, schools often create an initiative within the school. With additional funding, PTEF will be able to reinstate school-wide focus grants of $5,000 to ignite those programs, sending them to new heights. We need your help to equip our teachers with the best resources to maximize learning initiatives in and beyond their classrooms.
Liberty Roberts, Board of Directors President Perry Township Education Foundation
• By enriching our township, we will make our community stronger and make Perry Township even more desirable for all residents. Parents now have a choice of which school to enroll their children. The reality is that parents shop for schools, and we want Perry Township to be the south side school district of choice! • If we do not make necessary improvements to our school system, facilities and diverse learning opportunities, we will continue to lose students, teachers, performers and athletes to private and/or charter schools or nearby public school districts. We must compete in all facets of education in order to attract new residents to our community.
Our vision for capital achievement • We realize the necessary improvements will take time, dedication and, of course, significant financial resources. We kicked off this capital campaign with a $900,000 corporate partnership with Ray Skillman, one of our community’s prominent philanthropists. Through the Major Gifts Initiative over the next 18 months, we invite you as individuals to join the Ray Skillman Challenge to collectively generate $2 million towards our overall goal. • Looking forward, we will be seeking an additional $8 million from the corporations that make Indianapolis great. We extend our invitation for partnerships beyond our immediate community by reaching out to alumni who were educated in our schools and have since moved outside of Indianapolis for successful careers and opportunities.
Our promise to our students • In the following case statement, we have provided an overview for the three divisions of Experience Learning that will span township-wide: Academics | Arts | Athletics • Together we must provide the highest caliber education through all aspects of experiential learning. The investment you are making today is not on a field or box office, a red velvet curtain or a digital white board; it is in the hearts, minds and futures of the students who enter our doors every day.
Join us... to make Perry Township THE community in which to live, work, raise a family, & retire.
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Experience Learning i n t he cl as s room
ACADEMICS
o n t he stage
ARTS
on the f ie ld
ATHLETICS
Learning takes place in many forms far beyond the traditional four walls of the classroom.
Learning the “language” of music and artistic expression is paramount to creativity in the workplace.
Athletics is an integral part of the educational experience and a source of community pride.
• In the 2013-14 school year, PTEF awarded over $60,000 in grants across the township. Our teachers need more.
• Funding cutbacks find the arts on the chopping block first—when our students need them the most.
• Teachers give so much of themselves and their own resources to provide stimulating educational lessons that bring students to “think outside the box.”
• Through artistic expression—vocal and instrumental music, theater and dance— students learn to create and develop a voice while establishing new ideas, alternative ways of thinking, and problem solving techniques.
• Time management, teamwork, reliability, sportsmanship, responsibility, confidence, leadership—these are the characteristics we want all of our children to achieve.
• From kindergarten to high school, academic grants afford teachers the opportunity to bring fresh ideas and creative learning techniques into the classroom, energizing students to learning beyond the state standards.
• Musical instruments and uniforms, choir and sound technology, and visual arts resources and equipment are all in great need of updating and replacing.
• We can provide the opportunities for our students to achieve these essential life skills through athletics, but it is vital to student success that we have the facilities and equipment to do so. • Athletic facilities township-wide need renovation and new construction to bring Perry Schools Athletics to a competitive standard.
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Major Gifts Initiative
Breakdown
In the classroom
Investment
• Academic enhancement teacher grants (5% of all campaign contributions) On the stage Phase 2 • Instruments
$100,000 Investment $900,000
• Equipment & Uniforms On the field
Investment
• Facilities Improvements
$1,000,000
• New Construction • Equipment/Uniforms
Major Gifts Initiative Investment Total
$2 million
* Index of full breakdown and giving opportunities available upon request.
“We should not let a lack of funding stop our children from experiencing the highest quality and most well-rounded education.”
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Mission: To not always be teaching to the test…to ISTEP. Instead, cultivating learning beyond the classroom with sustainable projects that engage the entire community, not just schools.
The sustainable Hope Garden grant of 2007 continues to this day!
JANE Fle tc he r homec rof t e le me ntary ( 26 ye ars) NEXT UP: Launchpads to Success Jane has a desire to connect her students to the world that surrounds them by integrating technology with the use of iPad minis within the classroom, allowing students to access creative and unique experiences which will enhance and enrich all academic levels. Students will use apps such as Splash Math, where they can access explicit skill practice on identified target areas at their specific performance levels. Students will use apps such as Reading Comprehension to practice reading leveled passages, and will answer comprehension questions according to their levels. These apps also keep track of the progress through e-mails that can be directed to teachers and/or parents, as well as through the app itself.
PTEF grants positively impact students, support innovative and creative teaching strategies, and contribute directly to improved student achievement. Jane Fletcher (SHS ‘81) has been an inspiring example of how academic grants enrich the classroom.
ACADEMICS
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What is the impact of new uniforms, new instruments? The marching band desperately needs new uniforms, as the present uniforms are literally falling apart. Simply donning a clean, crisp, new marching band uniform creates an initial burst of enthusiasm, wherein musicians can take pride in their accomplishments. The Indianapolis area is a competitive market for marching band—before the first note is played, there is an edge to their presentation, a sense of pride in wearing the uniform that represents their school. No matter how good the effort given by the student, the music is only as good as the instrument. A new marimba for winter drumline can be in the range of $4,500 to as much as $10,000+! A new tuba can cost $5,000 to $6,000 per instrument. Our aging musical and mechanical equipment is becoming a hindrance to our growing program. We need to make a lasting investment in good quality instruments that can be used for multiple years to come.
What happens when the PMHS football field is muddy? It’s not just the football team that is affected. During band camp this summer, the PMHS marching band will have to transport every piece of equipment to Perry Stadium to practice to be competition ready for the fall. This is inconvenient, at best, but also creates logistical and transportation issues for many. The marching band performs almost exclusively on synthetic turf fields during the fall competition season. A new quality facility at PMHS would greatly enhance the marching band experience. Having the field on the PMHS campus would eliminate a host of issues, giving the PMHS students the opportunities they deserve. This is the future—the big picture—of the entire capital campaign.
“Good quality instruments produce good quality sounds. It’s as simple as that—you get what you pay for. There is a life span to instruments—and ours has been met.”
ARTS
KEN BELT
Mus ic De part me nt Chair, PMHS
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“My junior year we played 80 % of our games on the road because Holder Field wouldn’t dry. As a player who works so hard, it’s disappointing to rarely get to play in front of my home crowd. Co l l in Tim mo n s, 4 - ye ar bas e ball playe r, PMhs
son of Anne Timmons (SHS grad) & Matt Timmons (PMHS grad)
FROM Collin Timmons (PMHS) Taylor DeHart (SHS)
Playing baseball at Perry and Southport is extremely difficult because you know every time it rains you are not going to be able to play at Holder field. This year it rained two days before the PMHS season opener at Holder and we were still unable to play. In an effort to get the game in we drove to Whiteland and played there, nine miles down the road, on a field that was in perfect shape. One of the best parts of playing baseball is having your friends and loved ones in the stands cheering you on. We don’t get to do that. It is hard on our fans, family and college coaches who plan to watch us play. Games are constantly canceled or moved. I have spent my entire career wishing someone would help us improve the baseball field. I know that it will not happen for me, but I hope that future players will get to see an improvement some day! We would like to see the legacy of athletics in Perry Township continue with an improved baseball facility.
Home ga me s shou l d b e playe d at home , n ot away. Put this te a m bac k on the ir home f ie ld.
ATHLETICS
“Paying umpires, supplying balls and providing transportation while receiving no gate money is a problem. But seniors losing the opportunity to play home games due to the poor conditions at Holder Field is the biggest tragedy.”
MARTY JOHNSON
PMHS Athletic Director
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Making an Impact The Perry Township Education Foundation commissioned a feasibility study to identify the potential philanthropic support available for making significant investment in athletics and fine arts within Perry Township Schools. In October 2012, it was determined: Our community of individuals has the potential to support a $2,000,000 campaign — the Major Gifts Initiative.
Southport and Perry Meridian alumni and community supporters have already demonstrated their commitment to this campaign. We invite you to join the Campaign Cabinet in supporting Perry Township schools.
BILL KIESEL, SHS ‘56
CLAIRE BUFFIE, PMHS ‘04
CHUCK STUMPF, SHS ‘63
ELIZABETH FOX-MURPHY, SHS ‘73
“Moving into Perry Township my junior year of high school gave me the opportunity to build a foundation for life that I had not previously experienced. I will be forever grateful for my Perry Township education.”
“My leadership skills were cultivated through Perry Township, sending me to Ball State University on full scholarship and on to Georgetown University for my Masters. From the PMHS stage to the business side of Broadway, the arts have been an integral part of my life.”
“I grew up here, received a great education at SHS, met my wife and raised a family here, and chose to stay. Why? Because I feel a community spirit in Perry Township that cares about neighbors, welcomes diversity, and strongly supports quality education for all students.”
“Perry Township is where I grew up and chose to raise my two sons. After attending Ball State University, I have been honored to be an educator in Perry Township Schools. Children are my passion and I feel there is no better investment into the future of Perry Township and our world than our students!”
Bill is deeply rooted in the Indianapolis philanthropic community, with a passion for raising significant funds that impact education to help our community thrive.
Claire served as a strategist on the capital campaign, donating in-kind services in addition to organizing a Class of 2004 donation as senior class president from PMHS.
A long time resident of Perry Township, Chuck has been a prominent leader in education on the school board and as a 15 year member of the Perry Township Education Foundation.
Liz has come full circle in Perry Township schools by completing her own education, a 27-year teaching career and now retirement in our community— THE community of choice.
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RAY SKILLMAN
$ 2 M i l l io n
“The Ray Skillman Auto Group is looking forward to a long term partnership with Perry Township and we are excited about the opportunity to serve the students and families of Perry Township. Athletics and extra-curricular activities are an important part of a well-rounded education. Through our partnership with Perry Township Schools, we are ensuring that the district has a safe athletic facility.”
A $900,000 corporate partnership with Ray Skillman has provided drainage, field preparation and laying of synthetic turf for Perry Stadium. With this investment, we kicked off the Ray Skillman Challenge—a challenge for our Perry Township community to match and exceed Ray’s generous gift by supporting the Major Gifts Initiative with a $2,000,000 goal from individuals, families and small businesses.
We as k t hat yo u jo in u s in inve sting in the c hildre n b e i n g e d u cated in o u r P erry Township Sc hools.
The time is now to provide the resources that result in experiential learning in the classroom, on the stage, and on the field to help create the QUALITY leaders our students will become.
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Looking Forward
In additon to the $2,000,000 Major Gifts Initiative supported by our community of individuals and small businesses, we have a vision for more. We believe that working together, our community and alumni can achieve our goal of raising $8,000,000 through our Corporate Partner Initiative.
Combining these two major parts of our campaign, we are determined to raise the entire $10,000,000 needed to provide students the opportunities they deserve. We are believing in YOU to invest in this campaign to make Perry Township great.
FULL CAM PAIGN B REAKDOWN (i n c l udes Major Gifts Initative) In the classroom • Academic enhancement teacher grants (5% of all campaign contributions) On the stage Phase 2 • Instruments
Investment $.5 million Investment $1.5 million
• Equipment & Uniforms On the field • Facilities Improvements
Investment $8 million
• New Construction • Equipment/Uniforms
Capital Campaign Investment Total * Index of full breakdown and giving opportunities available upon request.
$10 million
Experience Learning
What is the fundraising goal of the Major Gifts Initiative? The leadership of the Perry Township Education Foundation and the Major Gift Initiative Committee are working diligently to secure $2,000,000 from individuals and small businesses in the Perry Township community. How was the goal determined? An independent consultant conducted a feasibility study with members of the community, asking about the possibility of developing a program to raise funds for our township. The community interviews delivered the results: Our community is ready and able to invest $2,000,000 in our youth’s educational experience. What will the funds be used for? The school administration and teachers developed a prioritized list of needs within the district. Initially, $100,000 will go towards academic grants across the township; $900,000+ will go to high school fine arts including music and visual arts; and with the remainder in athletics, Holder Field (baseball and softball for both PMHS and SHS) will be the first priority, followed by a new SHS indoor track and PMMS softball facility improvements. May I designate where/how my gift will be spent? Yes. We have a comprehensive list of needs and a breakdown of expenditures to underwrite each of them upon request. How did the Ray Skillman Challenge originate? Through an effort by Dr. Tom Little, Superintendent of Schools, and Robert Bohannon, Assistant Superintendent for Career Preparation, a $900,000 gift was secured from Ray Skillman Auto Group to underwrite the cost of the installation of a synthetic turf field. Perry Stadium construction was completed in time for the 2013 season opener. Because of Ray Skillman’s commitment to Perry Township, he challenged the Perry Township community to follow suit and join him by matching and surpassing his contribution, raising $2,000,000 in private donations to benefit the students in the district.
FAQ yo ur qu est io n s an swe re d
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What is the size and scope of our Perry Township Schools? Perry Township currently educates 14,800+ students speaking 47 languages in 18 buildings, including two high schools and 28 portable classrooms. We are a vibrant, growing, diverse school corporation committed to attracting and retaining the best and the brightest faculty, students, and families. Didn’t the last voter referendum raise funds for such educational facility needs? The needs of the district extend beyond the funds approved through the referendum, and therefore PTEF is seeking philanthropic gifts. In 2011, Perry Township passed a tax referendum for the specific purposes of replacing 50-year-old HVAC systems, replacing leaking roofs, upgrading science labs, repairing swimming pools, and installing secure vestibules in the majority of our buildings. Simultaneously, the district faced state funding reductions of $3.9 million and the continued phase out of desegregation resulting in a loss of $6.7 million. An additional $10 million needed to be cut to balance the budget over the next six years. What’s the difference between the tax referendum and this capital campaign? The tax referendum dollars were used for new boilers and roofs in addition to making our schools safe and secure. This capital campaign is designed to make the necessary improvements to help position Perry Township Schools to compete with other educational providers. The tax referendum protected us from the past; you have the opportunity to prepare us for the future. Are there any tax dollars going to be used for these funded projects? No, these are private dollars given by individual donors and local business partners. What is the timeline to raise this money? Our goal is to raise $2,000,000 from individuals and small businesses by December 2015. Additionally, we have a vision after the Major Gifts Initiative is complete through our larger capital campaign that will extend beyond 2015. Do I give my gift all at once? No. You may pledge an amount over up to five years. What is the next step after the Major Gifts Initiative? Looking forward, we will enter phase two of the capital campaign with the Corporate Partner Initiative, through which we have an additional goal of $8,000,000 from corporate partners. This brings the grand total of the entire capital campaign to $10,000,000.