The District 196 Foundation: A Decade of Growth

In late 2007, then-Superintendent John Currie had the idea to form a Foundation for the School District to provide for scholarship, recognition of achievement and professional development for staff, students and school community members. 

To that end, a group of volunteers comprised of interested advisory council members, past educators, current educators, and members of the ISD 196 community, along with Jeff Solomon, Director of Finance and Operations for the District, began meeting to form such a Foundation. After months of work putting the details of the organization together and getting the legal paperwork in order, on June 26, 2008, the District 196 Foundation was formed and received its Certificate of Incorporation from the Minnesota Secretary of State. Shortly thereafter, the Foundation received its tax-exempt status from the IRS. 

All the work to get the Foundation up and running was performed by volunteers dedicated to specific tasks within their respective areas of expertise.

Initially, the Foundation Board was charged with administering donations to partially support the annual back-to-school all-staff picnic. Later, the Foundation became the fiscal agent of Apple Valley and Rosemount High Schools’ scholarship programs. Eventually, most of the initial Board members retired and were replaced with equally enthusiastic and committed members of the District 196 community. 

The Foundation began exploring other ways it could benefit the students and the District, and in 2014, it began supporting a Weekend Food Program, providing help to 43 students at three sites during the 2014-15 school year with donations totaling just over $5,500. That program has since grown to serve 315 students at 12 sites, with donations totaling more than $40,000. 

In 2016, the Foundation began supporting a Summer Reading Program, which to date has provided almost 1,000 books to about 970 students. The Foundation also now supports the Band for All Program that provides refurbished band instruments to students who otherwise would not be able to participate in school band programs.

The District 196 Foundation has grown from a small organization with minimal reserves and few programs to a thriving and energetic organization serving hundreds of District 196 students. The work of the Foundation continues to be completed solely through the voluntary efforts of the Board of Directors and other interested volunteers of the 196 community.

With more than a decade of growth behind it, the District 196 Foundation is just beginning to realize the full impact of its work, thanks to growing support from businesses, parents, teachers and citizens in District 196.