The Foundation was formed in August, 1997 to receive gifts and donations from individuals, families and corporations who want to invest in our future leadership through the Meridian High School District.
While the foundation operates independently from the school district, it exists solely to benefit the students, staff, and faculty of Meridian Public Schools. The Foundation provides scholarships for Meridian graduates, support for faculty and staff excellence awards, and supports educational programs at all grade levels that are not currently funded by tax dollars.
The Board of Trustees oversees application procedures, solicits donations, applies for matching grants, and manages all other business of the Foundation. A 14-member Board of Trustees, including two ex-officio members representing the school district, governs the Meridian Public School Foundation. The rest of the board consists of other professionals and residents of Whatcom County who represent the broad spectrum of the community.
The foundation offers a number of annual scholarships to college-bound graduates and is currently building a series of new
endowments: The Anvil Corporation Athletic Challenge Endowment, The Sanderson Family Endowment, and the Ed Nelson Endowment. Although much of the original funding for the foundation was unsolicited. Funding also came from the generosity of alumni, their families, and a few estate gifts.
The Meridian Public School Foundation recognizes the need to be proactive in seeking funding for more scholarships. The community served by the Meridian School District is largely agricultural and rural residential, with little corporate support for education, and where fewer individual taxpayers must provide for a larger geographic area, making educational funding difficult to sustain. The Foundation recognizes the increasing financial challenge of providing quality education for K through 12 students and for students who want to continue after high school.
By providing assistance through the Foundation, private donors, alumni, and local business can help insure a prosperous and successful future for all.