Pearland ISD names Kim Barfield director of Education Foundation; foundation readies gala, grant cycle

Kim Barfield, the new director of the Pearland ISD Education Foundation, said she joined the volunteer-led nonprofit to strengthen ties between the district and the community and to expand classroom funding opportunities for teachers and students.

"This district has been more than an inspiration," Barfield said, describing how she felt connected to Pearland ISD within her first 24 hours. She said the foundation’s biggest impact is “funding those innovative programs in the classrooms” and providing resources “that go beyond the district’s budget.”

The foundation funds teacher-led “innovative grants” that pay for classroom projects not covered by district budgets. Barfield said the foundation’s annual grant awards exceed "over a hundred and $50,000 for just these grants." Examples cited from previous years include a book vending machine at Silvercrest that dispenses books as reading incentives, greenhouse projects, robotics programs, camera equipment and 3-D printers.

Pearland ISD superintendent Mr. Berger, host of the district’s Building Blocks podcast, noted the role the foundation plays for projects that district budget constraints cannot cover. "A lot of people come up with these great ideas in Pearland ISD, and they go, ‘Mr. Berger, can we do this?’ And I say, ‘No. Because we don't have the money.’ And then they come over here and fill out some innovative grants, and you get to say ‘Yes,’" he said.

Barfield said the application window for this year’s innovative grants opened in January and remains open for a few more weeks; she will hold a workshop for prospective applicants the evening after the podcast recording to explain eligibility and the application process. She encouraged teachers and teams with classroom ideas to apply.

Fundraising and community engagement are central to the foundation’s plans. Barfield said the organization’s main annual fundraiser—its gala—is scheduled for March 8 at the Houston Post Oak and that tickets are available through the foundation’s website, with some table spots remaining. She said the gala is the primary source of the roughly $150,000-plus that underwrites the innovative grants, and emphasized the foundation receives no district, state or government operating funds: it is supported by donations and fundraising alone.

To broaden outreach and recurring revenue, Barfield said the foundation launched a community engagement committee and plans recurring community partnerships including a proposed monthly “foundation night” with local businesses to share profits and raise awareness. The foundation also is starting a formal volunteer program for people who want to help at single events without serving on the volunteer board.

Barfield described the Education Foundation board as entirely volunteer-run and urged local businesses, parents and community members to participate as donors, volunteers or ambassadors. "Any support, big, small, any which way to the foundation…goes a long way in our community," she said.

The foundation marks about a decade of activity, and Barfield said her early goals are to raise the group’s profile and expand donor recognition and annual giving. She said the foundation will continue awarding grants that directly put money into classrooms and that the organization will highlight winners with on-campus recognition.

For now, the foundation’s immediate timeline includes the open grant window and the March 8 gala; education staff and community members interested in applying for grants, volunteering or buying gala tickets were directed to the foundation’s website or to contact Barfield directly.