The district has announced the creation of an education foundation to raise funds to remove barriers and provide opportunities to the students and staff of Wichita Public Schools.

The Wichita Public Schools Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to provide resources, funds and opportunities to support the education of students within Wichita Public Schools.

The Foundation will work in partnership with the district’s administration, staff and Board of Education to identify and address needs in staff development, mental health, technology, curriculum and more, and will build on the proud traditions of Education EDGE and the Legacy Fund and expand into new areas of investment and innovation.

“The vision of the foundation is to strive to remove barriers for students and staff by providing opportunities for all,” said Frank Shoffner, President/CEO of Credit Union of America and chairperson of the foundation. “At Credit Union of America our purpose statement reads ‘We come to work every day inspired to make a difference in our members' lives,’ so when I heard about this initiative, I was all in. This is our chance to do what we do at CUA and take it to the next level.”

In addition to Shoffner, there are three other founding members of the foundation’s Board of Trustees:

• Treasurer: The Honorable Lynn Rogers, retired, former Lieutenant Governor and State Treasurer for the State of Kansas and former President of the Wichita Public Schools’ Board of Education
• Vice Chairperson: Connie Dietz, retired, former President of the Wichita Public Schools’ Board of Education and former Wichita State University Director of Cooperative Education & Internships and Executive Director of the Career Development Center and former classroom teacher
• Vice Chairperson: Kathy Busch, retired, former Chairperson and member of the Kansas State Board of Education, former Wichita Public Schools Assistant Superintendent and former middle and high school principal

The Foundation will have four funding pillars with the goal of making sure all students are future ready:

• Promoting Student Success
• Investing in Staff
• Classroom Innovation
• Creating a Legacy

To learn more about the Wichita Public Schools Foundation, visit wichitapublicschoolsfoundation.org