PAFE Annual Report 2016

ANNUAL REPORT 2016

A Letter from the President My deep gratitude for the powerful impact your donations have in our Lake Pend Oreille schools this year! Continued results from Instructional Coaches, new implementation of Step Up to Writing, and the continued impact of our classroom grants to name just a few.

The first year of the Step Up to Writing program is completed and we have seen districtwide improvement in writing skills, K-12!

For the 2016-17 school year, you helped fund over $107,000 in 46 classroom grants, allowing teachers to be innovative and forward-thinking!

Some of my favorite grants include a CSI crime lab at Sandpoint Middle School, a Cyber Patriot program at Sandpoint High School, and puppy reading partners for all first graders. I encourage you to reach out to us and visit some of our classroom grants in action.

I continue to be humbled by your generosity and the power our combined contributions have in this district. Together, we can achieve amazing things!

Geraldine Lewis, Panhandle Alliance President

Geraldine Lewis

2016 Board of Directors Panhandle Alliance for Education Board of Directors and staff for 2016 includes educators, business leaders, parents, and thoughtful citizens.

Front row from left: Kathleen Mulroy, Marcia Wilson, Megan Johnson, Allison Gilmore Second row: Lisa Blaese, Wendy Dunn, Mary WeberQuinn, Naticia Litven, Julie Reister-Keaton, Annie Reeves, Pierce Smith Third row: Amy Longanecker, Tom Puckett, Geraldine Lewis, Kendon Perry Back row: Kelly Prior, Matt Mire, Shawn Woodward, Brent Eacret, Chris Bessler, Ross Longhini Not present for photo: Karl Dye, Travis Kaul, Patty Schwartz, Joe Williams

Panhandle Alliance for Education | P.O. Box 1675 | Sandpoint, ID 83864 | 208-263-7040 For information contact Marcia Wilson, Executive Director. Or visit our website at: www.PanhandleAlliance.org 2

ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 FISCAL YEAR

Citizens, businesses and educators building an independent, community-based foundation for public schools.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to promote excellence in education and broad-based community support for the Lake Pend Oreille School District. As an independent organization, we will create and sustain an e­ ndowment to provide resources in support of effective teaching, learning and school management.

New this year!

Step Up to Writing

In 2016, thanks to your generous support, the Panhandle Alliance for Education made a vital investment in our kids. Step Up to Writing is a new district-wide writing curriculum for all students K-12. Step Up to Writing guarantees our students are exposed and trained in the most compelling, proactive approach to writing within modern times. See examples of impressive early results on the next page.

Kootenai Elementary fourth grader Will Leisy writes every day, in every subject, across all disciplines and strives to meet rigorous new standards.

On the cover: Will Leisy has a depth of resources working to ensure his success.

Pictured: Student Will Leisy; (second row) Kootenai teachers: Nancy Williams, Alan Larsen, Lori Bopp, and Trish Butler; (back) District Instructional Coaches Natassia Hamer and Kelli Knowles.

Credits: Design, Laura Wahl, Keokee Editing, Keokee Photography, Doug Marshall, El Photo Grande

ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 FISCAL YEAR

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Instructional Coaches

Most Powerful Asset to Modern Education Instructional Coaches are a vital resource for all educators in the Lake Pend Oreille School District. These are highly trained and experienced educators. Their job is to instruct our teachers to be the best they can possibly be. Because effective teachers matter more to student achievement than any other aspect of schooling.

Meet Natassia Hamer and Kelli Knowles, 2016 Instructional Coaches in the Lake Pend Oreille School District. Their salaries are funded by a partnership between the Lake Pend Oreille School District, the Panhandle Alliance for Education, and the Equinox Foundation.

Natassia and Kelli used their coaching techniques to roll out Step Up to Writing, the District’s new writing curriculum. Using a train the trainer pyramid model, they serviced all teachers and all grades K-12 in the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

Instructional Coaches Natassia Hamer and Kelli Knowles.

Results: The skills of the instructional coaches are coupled with a curriculum that utilizes the same methodology but intensifying each year. Students have already made marked improvements. Here is the evidence: After: Spring First grade After: Spring Seventh grade

Before: Fall First grade

First graders learn sentence structure and letter formations.

Note that this child has learned to use capital letters, demonstrates an understanding of the subject, reveals familiarity with punctuation and uses proper spelling and spacing between words.

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Before: Fall Seventh grade Seventh graders are working on purpose and organization, evidence and elaboration, and the proper use of conventions. Student improvement is validated in many areas in this example including paragraph development, expanded vocabulary and introductory and closing paragraphs.

ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 FISCAL YEAR

Permanent Programs

Teacher Grants Forty-six teachers were awarded grant funds totaling $107,000 to do something spectacular in their classrooms. Your generosity made this possible. This annual competition delivers enrichment opportunities to inspire and prepare our next generation. Examples include: 3D printing, Drone Design & Deployment, a radio and TV production studio, Robotics, Snow School, Just Right Books, and many more. See our website for a list and description of all 46 new projects.

READY! for Kindergarten Over 300 families learned to play with a purpose in READY! for Kindergarten workshops in 2016. Parents received training, toys, books, and bright ideas to inspire their 0 to 5-year-olds for a lifelong love of learning. Over 90% of READY! “graduates� enter school testing at or above readiness levels, compared to just 56% in Idaho.

Building our Endowment The endowment is a secure financial strategy and ensures savings are invested wisely to produce cash flow for future needs in perpetuity. A portion of revenues are deposited each year into the endowment. Commitment to growing our endowment ensures the permanence of the Panhandle Alliance for Education and our commitment to the children in the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 FISCAL YEAR

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Financial Summary I am happy to report that the Panhandle Alliance for Education has completed the first year of its 5-year strategic financial plan and in doing so we exceeded our revenue targets and were under budget with our expenses! This allowed us to increase the impact to programs for the benefit of the Lake Pend Oreille School District by over 90%.

We also accomplished our goal to restructure the organization after losing one of its key corporate sponsors, Coldwater Creek. This restructure has allowed us the ability to operate our communications, fundraising and administrative expenses at less than 30% of its total revenues, a fantastic accomplishment for an organization that utilizes event based fundraising. This means that over 70% of every dollar raised is going right to the programs that drives performance in the LPOSD.

Kelly Prior, Treasurer Panhandle Alliance for Education

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You might notice that our financial performance indicates that we are operating at a deficit for the last two years. This too is part of our plan. As a result of being fiscally conservative during the decline in the economy to ensure sustainability of the organization, PAFE made sure to hold onto some cash reserves. At the end of the year we had $537,578 in cash and with the completion of the 5-year plan and our successful performance, we are putting those dollars to work and are intentionally drawing down the reserves and putting that money to work in developmental programs in the LPOSD. In addition, PAFE ended the year with $3,166,710 in its endowment which will provide future sustainability of the organization for years to come.

Special Contributors:

Gala Sponsors:

Litehouse Foods, Inc. for their sponsorship of the 2015 Litehouse Charity Golf Tournament and the following community team sponsors: First American Title Company, Mel and Marylee Fowlers, Gibson Wealth Strategy Group, Lewis & Hawn Excellence in Dentistry, Realm Partners Real Estate, Slaughter Wholesale, Trinity at City Beach, Unicep Packaging

Litehouse Foods Inc., Tomlinson Sotheby’s, Trinity at City Beach, Realm Partners Real Estate, Mountain West Bank, Columbia Bank, Family Health Center, Lewis & Hawn Excellence in Dentistry, Spires at Schweitzer

Grant Funders: Equinox Foundation, STCU, Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation , Idaho Community Foundation, Inland Northwest Community Foundation, Steele Reese Foundation

ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 FISCAL YEAR

2016 Financial Highlights

10%

REVENUE TOTAL

Grant Revenue

26%

$689,427

Donation Revenue

2% 2%

Admin Communications

26%

& Education

Endowment

17%

53% Programs

Fundraising

Grantsto awarded to since Grants awarded teachers teachers since inception in 2003: our inception inour 2003:

PROGRAMS $362,669

13%

Fundraising Events Revenue

9%

EXPENSES TOTAL

$514,518

55%

Endowment Revenue

GRANT YEAR

16%

Instructional Coaching

READY!

33% Grants

38% Step Up to Writing

GRANT AMOUNT

NUMBER GRANTS

2003

$35,000

15

2004

$72,000

34

2005

$100,000

35

2006

$100,000

33

2007

$125,000

51

2008

$170,000

57

2009

$147,000

52

2010

$167,000

65

2011

$111,000

48

2012

$77,800

45

2013

$77,340

41

2014

$75,000

42

2015

$100,000

52

2016

$107,008

46

$1,464,148

616

TOTAL:

ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 FISCAL YEAR

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Leave a Legacy Have you considered leaving a legacy to the children in our community?

Adding to your will or estate plan is a simple act with exciting consequences.

In fact, legacy gifts generate much of the philanthropy that is at work today – right here in our community. When you leave a charitable bequest you create a personal legacy that endures forever.

For an informative brochure about adding charity to your will, call the Panhandle Alliance for Education

www.PanhandleAlliance.org 8

ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 FISCAL YEAR