By JESSA LEWIS
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Money from school districts pays teacher salaries and helps provide classroom supplies necessary to education. However, sometimes that money doesn't support everything a school thinks it needs to be great.
Non-profit foundations are helping Knox County Schools pay for the programs and supplies they need to go from good to great.
The Great Schools Partnership raises about $6 million per year to supplement Knox County School programs.
"We do a lot of strategic planning with the district to figure out where limited private sector resources would make a key difference. For example, in distance learning, e-learning, early literacy, find out the areas where Knox County Schools may need some help. Then I help marshal the private sector resources to get them there," said Great Schools Partnership President Buzz Thomas.
He says his goal as partnership president is to make Knoxville famous.
"We want Knoxville to be famous for something that really matters. You know Memphis is famous for BBQ and the blues, and that's fine. Nashville is famous for country music, and that's fine, too. But we want Knoxville to be famous for something more important than that. We want Knoxville to be famous for schools," Thomas said.
He assures donors their money will be put to good use. "Each one of those dollars goes into a targeted program that is research-based, and data driven and focused on whatever that particular problem is. For example, reading," Thomas explained.
Not all of the enrichment programs funded but the partnership are available at every school in the district, but aim to make better students at each level. "Good schools drive everything else. If you have good schools, you have good jobs, you have good health. People are even happier," said Thomas.
Separate from the Great School Partnership, parents and community leaders throughout Knox County have started their own, non-profit foundations to help fund capital improvement projects for schools.
Dr. Todd Moore is the president of the Shannondale Elementary Foundation and says the purpose is to get kids the best education possible.
"We're still in our infancy, but in the past year we have raised over $40,000 with the help of families and friends and corporations in the local area to fund three major initiatives," Moore said.
The money paid for computers in six classrooms, a portable science lab and funded additional hours for teaching assistants to spend in the classrooms.
"We identify initiatives from teachers and parents and board members themselves of items that we might like to fund to enhance that environment," Dr. Moore said.
The Shannondale Foundation board has already received several ideas for projects next year, including increasing the number of computers throughout the school, purchasing iPads for classroom use and continuing to fund extra hours for teaching assistants as well as the portable science lab.
"Shannondale Elementary is already a fantastic school, and we have wonderful parents and supportive staff and our long term goal is really just to continue to support and enhance what is already a wonderful school," Moore said.
"Education drives everything. Two thirds of Tennessee employers want kids with post-secondary training and only about 30% of Tennesseans have it. So until we finally reach that level where the state is supporting education as we hope it will, we've got to marshal private sector resources to get there," Buzz Thomas said.
Several other schools within Knox County have foundations similar to Shannondale's including West High School, Farragut High School, Fulton High School, Powell High School, and Sequoyah Elementary.
