Foundation for Tigard-Tualatin Schools outlines programs, scholarships and food pantry at EEAC meeting

Margie Green, a representative of the Foundation for Tigard-Tualatin Schools, gave a presentation to the Education Equity Advisory Committee on March 3 describing the foundation's programs, grant-making and pandemic-era supports for students and families.

The foundation, Green said, formed in 1991 after funding reductions tied to Measure 5 and now focuses on funding teachers, college scholarships, arts programs and enrichment grants. Green told the committee the foundation has distributed “over $3,300,000 to our schools, our students, and our recipients, our teachers” since the organization began keeping records in 2006. She listed recurring programs including Art in the Burbs (an annual two-day fundraiser for school arts), innovative teaching grants, Sunday enrichment classes that expanded into summer offerings, and a scholarship portfolio that currently includes seven post–high school awards.

Green described several school-level projects the foundation funds: Creekside Community High School’s culinary internship and weekly community lunch; Walton High’s academic coaching and wraparound supports that, the foundation said, helped increase on-time graduation among at-risk seniors; Tigard High’s homework clubs and additions to English Language Development staffing; and elementary social-emotional programming and after-school staffing used by schools such as Metzger and Bridgeport. She said the foundation has supported arts classes (photography, printmaking) and longstanding classroom supports such as a writing coach at Hazelbrook and a math-focused intervention at Mary Woodward.

Green also reviewed the foundation’s pandemic response, including Pack with Pride, a food and supply pantry created in 2020. She said Pack with Pride operates as a shopping model two days per week, provides culturally relevant food when possible (for example, masa and halal protein), and was on pace the month of the presentation to record about 1,000 visits. Green said the foundation partners with Oregon Food Bank for donated items but uses donor dollars to purchase items not available through donations (for example, halal protein).

Committee members asked follow-up questions after the presentation. Lisa Jones identified herself and noted she had inquired about an extracurricular scholarship; Green clarified that multiple community resources exist and that some programs (for example, the family resource center) operate separately from the foundation. Barb, an elementary teacher on the committee, asked whether after-school programs supported by foundation dollars include transportation; Green said the school and district typically arrange busing and she would clarify specifics for Deer Creek and other schools with large after-school programs.

Green emphasized that donated funds are managed directly with school principals and placed into school accounts rather than into district general operating funds, a distinction she said donors request.

Green closed by inviting committee members to follow up with additional questions and offering to send slides used in the presentation.

If the committee asks for additional detail, Green flagged several quantifiable items she presented: $3.3 million distributed since 2006, seven active post–high school scholarships, Pack with Pride operating two days a week and the pantry’s reported monthly visit rate. She also identified the foundation’s priority areas as teacher funding, scholarships, arts and targeted classroom supports.