News

Frequently Asked Questions!

You’ve asked, and we’ve answered!

Q: I already joined the PTA and/or PTSA, or donated to the Scholarship Fund. What are the differences between these and the Foundation?
A: The Foundation, PTA and PTSA are different organizations that exist to provide critical support for our school’s success. Each makes significant contributions; however, they are different in structure and focus. The Foundation was established solely to raise money and make grants to our school (grants come directly from the administrators or teachers). It was created to be a long-term entity and has focused on curriculum development and funding larger critical infrastructure needs. The Scholarship Council provides important need-based scholarships to Edgemont graduates attending college. We encourage you to support all Edgemont organizations and appreciate the differences.

Q: What is the Edgemont School Foundation?
A: Founded in 1993, the Edgemont School Foundation (Edgemont School Foundation) through its endowment, awards monetary grants that support and enhance the Edgemont School District’s curriculum, its students, and its teachers. The Edgemont School Foundation is a fully qualified IRS 501(c)(3) entity chartered in New York State as a Not-for-Profit charity. After several failed school budget referendums in the early 1990’s, many Edgemonters desired a vehicle that could create and finance new and alternative school programs and initiatives. With the encouragement of the Edgemont Board of Education, the Edgemont School Foundation was formed by a diverse group of concerned parents, school administrators, and alumni. The Edgemont School Foundation board meets monthly to review grant proposals, monitor existing programs, create new and exciting fundraising events, and manage its endowment.

Q: How Is Edgemont School Foundation Funded and Supported?
A: Financial support for the Edgemont School Foundation takes many forms: Contributions, Matching Corporate Gifts, Appreciated Stock, Bequests, Gifts in memory of loved ones, and Gifts to honor birthdays and other occasions. These grants enable our school district to rank among the top in New York State, and in the country. Without the money contributed by our generous neighbors and friends of Edgemont School Foundation, enhancements that have been granted could not have come to fruition.

Q: Why does Edgemont School Foundation maintain an endowment and not grant all of its funds to the school district?
A: Since the Edgemont School Foundation was created to be a long-term vehicle, the Foundation maintains an endowment which is approximately $1,000,000 and professionally managed. The interest and dividends earned on investments, along with annual donations, help ensure that the Foundation can continue to fund grants each year to the district. It would not be a prudent long-term strategy for the Foundation to drain its endowment given the likelihood that the district will face future budgetary pressures.

Q: Do most residents give a donation?
A: Many residents do contribute and have been faithful supporters of the Foundation. We are grateful for each and every gift. Our teachers and students are most fortunate to have this kind of support from the community. This past year, we receive donations from approximately 400 families. There may be many reasons why a school family would choose not to make a donation to the Foundation. One reason may be that people really don’t know what the Foundation does and how donations are used to give all of our children such important incremental resources. Every student in our school benefits from Foundation grants, whether their families are donors or not. Keeping Edgemont Schools among the top in the nation helps maintain real estate values – an added reason for residents without children in the schools to continue to support the foundation. We hope to increase the donor participation rate amongst our residents.

Q: Who decides how the money is spent?
A: We have a board which is comprised of all volunteer community members plus one school board representative and the superintendent. The community members represent a broad cross section of our overall community. As representatives for all our donors, our board takes their responsibility in considering all grants very seriously. We are focused on ensuring that the grants awarded are beneficial for a large number of students, are consistent with the goals of the school, and our mission. We have a rigorous procedure for evaluating and approving grants.

Q: How independent is your grant process from the goals of the administration if you have the Superintendent and a School Board member on your board?
A: An important reason the Edgemont School Foundation has been successful over the years is because we actively engage our administration and school board. By doing this, we have ensured consistency in prioritizing needs and working toward the common good of the school. This does not mean that the administration or school board dictates what we choose to fund. Instead, they provide meaningful input into our direction and level of support for the school as does each member of our board.

Q: How can I justify giving the school any more after years of tax increases?
A: Taxes are a concern for everyone in our community and they have gone up over time. A large part of our taxes go to the school and help to achieve the community’s goal of excellence for our students. However, there are costs that are outside of our district’s control such as pension requirements, state- mandated programs and certiorari awards that have increased dramatically over the years. While our taxes may be considered high – our property values remain relatively strong. The quality of our school has a direct impact on the strength of housing values.

As a community, we have very high standards for our school. However, we cannot achieve these standards through public school funding alone. Our teachers and administrators have innovative and exciting ideas to improve the educational experience of our students and they need a place to go for financial support. The Foundation fills this very important role.

Q: What has the Foundation funded? Would it matter if the Foundation did not exist?
A: Since inception, the Edgemont School Foundation has awarded the Edgemont School District an average of $100,000 per academic year, which has had a significant impact across our school district. Grants have included curriculum development in the following areas: technology, art, science, drama, foreign language and facility modernization. See attached list of prior grants and imagine the school district without these initiatives which enrich the education of our students.

Q: What is the Tax Identification Number (TIN) of the Edgemont School Foundation?
A: 13-3754763

Dr. Manisha Juthani receives the 4th Annual Distinguished Alumni Award

Thank you to all for being part of the 4th Annual Distinguished Alumni event honoring Dr. Manisha Juthani. Edgemont is an incredibly special community and school district, and that was made particularly evident through Dr. Juthani’s comments and the stories from Nancy Taddiken, Eric Kantor and the Juthani family. Clearly Dr. Juthani made her mark while in Edgemont and continues to do so in her career as the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health in Connecticut.  

Students in the Science Scholars program at EHS were lucky enough to spend time with Dr. Juthani in the afternoon.

To nominate a future Distinguished Alumni, please click here.

The Edgemont School Foundation depends on donations from the community and alumni. To donate to our Foundation in support of our schools please click here. We are continually thankful for all support.

2022 Distinguished Alumni Award To Be Given to Dr. Manisha Juthani, EHS Class of 1990 on Wednesday, May 25 at 8 pm! 

Dr. Manisha Juthani will be the recipient of the 2022 Edgemont School Foundation Distinguished Alumni Award on Wednesday, May 25 at 8 pm. This award was established in 2019 to showcase Edgemont graduates who exemplify excellence in their career, dedication to philanthropy, and commitment to community. Dr. Juthani, the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, and a member of the Edgemont Class of 1990, personifies all of these qualities.  Prior to her current role, Dr. Juthani worked at the Yale School of Medicine where she served as an associate professor of medicine and director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship program. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Juthani has been a leading voice in educating the public and appeared in several news outlets and publications, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Throughout her career, she has worked to protect the vulnerable and to advocate for the ideal of health as a human right.  Click here to register!

Join us on May 25 as we present Dr. Juthani with this award at Edgemont High School auditorium. Scarlet Fu, an Edgemont graduate and Bloomberg television host, will engage Dr. Juthani in a fireside conversation about her experiences in Edgemont and how they have translated into her very accomplished career.  Community members, family, and friends are welcome and encouraged to attend.  

To support the School Foundation in Dr. Juthani’s honor, please donate here!

Click here to register!

EHS Classroom Projects

In the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 school year the School Foundation donated three flexible-use classrooms to EHS. The classrooms were designed by 7th grade math students, who went through a rigorous presentation process with three designs being ultimately chosen and brought to fruition. The flexible furniture allows the students freedom to move around, sit in various group sizes, and work to the best of their abilities. The Foundation is incredibly proud of the students who put together presentations and advocated with graphs, surveys and research for their designs to be chosen. None of these classrooms would be possible without the strong relationship that the Foundation has with the teachers and administrators in Edgemont. Please continue to support us and your students!

ESF to Present Third Annual Distinguished Alumni Award

The Edgemont School Foundation is proud to announce that Dr. Jeffrey Eckardt, Edgemont High School Class of 1963, will posthumously receive the third annual Edgemont School Foundation Distinguished Alumni Award on Wednesday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Dr. Eckardt served as a Commander in the United States Navy and was the Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCLA, where he pioneered innovative techniques for limb salvage surgeries that have now become standard practice in medicine.

The evening, hosted via Zoom, will feature stories and conversations with Dr. Eckardt’s family, friends, and colleagues, who will be discussing his formative experiences at Edgemont as well as his distinguished professional and philanthropic career.  

We hope you will join us for a memorable evening. To register for this community event, please CLICK HERE.

Omnidirectional Microphones in the Classrooms

The Edgemont School Foundation, along with the PTA/PTSA, granted every classroom an omnidirectional microphone to enhance the hybrid model of teaching.

*Scroll to the bottom for teacher and student testimonials.*

“Young children are novice language participants both as speakers and receivers of the spoken word. The microphones have assisted our work, as they amplify conversations between adults and children by picking up their young, soft voices which can easily fade in a classroom conversation.  But more importantly, the increased amplification has helped the children themselves as they communicate with each other on Google Meets during the hybrid learning sessions. I most appreciate the Foundations support for all of Edgemont’s students over the years. But especially this year, you chose to fund an amazing project that has helped all of us teaching during this challenging hybrid situation.” – Dr. Deborah Mumford, Seely Place Kindergarten