By: Dr. Christy Haller, Exeter Township School District Superintendent.
During a time when school districts are under more pressure than ever to pinch pennies as we deal with an ever-growing list of mandates that we must meet to satisfy federal and state laws and regulations, we in the Exeter School District find ourselves turning more than ever to the Exeter Community Education Foundation to provide pathways for student opportunities that our district cannot fund through taxpayer dollars.
Established in 2008, ECEF was created by a small group of well-meaning parents and community members who partnered with teachers and administrators to provide “extras” that the school could not.
Today, the organization has grown to 25 board members, a part-time executive director, and additional committee members who work tirelessly to plan community events, fund educational opportunities for students, provide mini-grants to teachers and transform educational spaces through the purchase of equipment and furniture.
The very definition of grassroots, the organization has raised and given an impressive $600,000 through its 16-year existence while becoming an integral part of how we support students and their families.
While most schools now have educational foundations to do big things such as funding scholarships, educational programs and teacher projects, ECEF’s heart is in doing the little things, such as providing needy students with underwear or deodorant.
They bought bikes for several students who wanted to attend summer school to get their grades up but did not have transportation over the summer.
They covered co-pays for students who needed counseling but did not have the funds to pay for it. They bought bus passes for students who wanted to participate in an internship during the school day but did not have transportation to an off-campus job site.
They gave away sneakers, school supplies and bookbags and provided haircuts to students who could not easily afford these things on their own.
Please do not mistake these incredible acts of generosity as handouts; instead, ECEF calls its student outreach a “hand up,” a term that I embrace and drives the work that we do collectively here in Exeter.
It is no secret that kids who do not feel physically or mentally well or are not having their needs met outside of school cannot learn in school. Kids who lack transportation or the funds to purchase equipment or fees miss educational opportunities and extracurricular activities. Eventually, these kids become our most vulnerable students as they feel more and more disconnected from school, leading to chronic absenteeism, social isolation, and poor academic performance.
While I am certainly not suggesting that a stick of deodorant is a panacea for the ills of public education, when a student is identified discreetly by the district and student outreach efforts are initiated by ECEF, it begins a process that signals to the student and their family that someone in Exeter cares about their well-being outside of “just” the classroom and wants to help them succeed.
Often, the initiation of this outreach leads to more support and help from administrators and teachers. It has often led to strengthening relationships between students, their families, and school — translating into successful student outcomes.
I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have smiled at graduation, watching kids who I did not think would make it walk across the stage to collect their diploma and head off to college — a feat, I believe, that was made possible first by an ECEF “hand up.”
As I manage our budget and the pressures from stakeholders who want our schools to provide the best education to all students at the most affordable cost, I feel blessed that we can turn to our education foundation to provide both the big — and the little — things. Because it is often the little things that mean the most and create the most significant impact.
This article was originally published by the Reading Eagle: https://www.readingeagle.com/2024/10/10/superintendents-forum-the-little-things-that-make-a-big-impact/