Bitterroot group, The Greater Ravalli Foundation, donates $75,000 to area schools

Ravalli County school districts gained a financial boost this week from a local philanthropic organization.

The Greater Ravalli Foundation – http://www.tgrf.org a recently created public charitable organization – awarded all seven school districts in the county a total of $75,000 for programs or projects that may include basic educational needs, essential capital improvements, technological upgrades, books, food, clothing and extracurricular activities.

By JENNY JOHNSON Staff Reporter Ravalli Republic

The award was a pleasant surprise for many districts, most of which have cut programs and staff due to budget constraints.

"It was a really nice surprise," Corvallis Superintendent Daniel Sybrant said. "We want to express our appreciation to the foundation."

Corvallis will receive $15,620 of the $75,000. The foundation’s board of directors chose to disburse the funds on a per-child basis to all school districts in Ravalli County. Using October 2002 enrollment facts, districts will get $12.15 per student based on the 6,170 students enrolled in county public schools.

Hamilton will get $19,630; Stevensville’s share came out to $13,165; Florence will get $11,524; Darby will get $7,208; Victor will get $4,450; and Lone Rock will get $3,403.

"To distribute it the way they did was very equitable," Sybrant said. "It serves everybody well."

School districts must submit proposals for funding for foundation approval. The organization wants to target certain education priorities, said Corrine Gantt, co-executive director of the foundation.

This block of money was raised in part with a grant from the Montana Community Foundation. Other funds were donated by members of the Stock Farm Club and the foundation’s board of directors, which is made up of Stock Farm Club investors and residents.

"We finally got to a point that we were over $100,000 so we could start dispersing this money," said Matt Guzik, co-executive director of the foundation. "We want to keep a real active role in the community by assisting some of the grassroots efforts that support children."

The foundation is also committed to providing scholarships, Guzik said. The board has set aside about $25,000 in a scholarship fund that will target students who may not earn straight A’s but who have a financial need.

"We’re going to try to encourage people who might not go to school without the extra help financially," he said.

The foundation’s board of directors includes Stock Farm founders Jim Schueler and Charles Schwab and club member Jim Cote. The Stock Farm is a golf course community east of Hamilton owned largely by Schwab.

The foundation was formed in the wake of the Hamilton School District levy failure last year. It has since purchased a new dishwasher for Lone Rock School and followed up with this award. According to Gantt, the foundation’s priorities are education – science labs, computers books, scholarships for all levels of ability, sustenance in the form of lunches, clothing, jackets and boots and capital improvements.

To learn more about how you can help, call Matt Guzik at 375-1887 or Cote at 375-0005 or check out the foundation’s Web site at http://www.tgrf.org.

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