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Vail Daily letter: Youth funding clarification

We wanted to provide some clarity regarding the $150,000 Youth Foundation request that was made to the School Board on Oct. 28. For fiscal year 2016, we are currently focused on securing funding streams for a $383,000 expansion of programming to better serve students in the 2015-16 school year. The $55,000 that was approved for Youth Foundation at the school board meeting is a pass-through from Federal Supplemental Education Service (SES) funds, which cannot be used by the school district. The $55,000 has to go to an external provider for tutoring services. We are thankful for this funding, and it will go to supporting the expansion of our Pwr Hrs after school programs.

Youth Foundation ended its fiscal year on Sept. 30 in the black and the prior year was in the black as well. Our parent company, Vail Valley Foundation, also had a positive financial outcome from the 2015 Alpine World Ski Championships. To date, we have not yet identified $150,000 of the required $383,000 for the expansion of Pwr Hrs Summer, Pwr Hrs After School, Parent Mentors, Sowing Seeds, First Notes, Girl PowHER and the development of a new internship and apprenticeship program for high school students. Our request of Eagle County Schools was to help us ensure that our expanded services to their students can be maximized. The $55,000 approved for Youth Foundation does not impact the school board budget and will be a great benefit to the youth of our community.

Melisa Rewold-Thuon



Vice president, education, Vail Valley Foundation/The Youth Foundation


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