EVENT DATE: Thursday, November 9, 2023, 9:00 a.m., Cardinal Café at Johnson High School, 4260 Ranch to Market Rd 967, Buda, TX 78610

It’s a new day for the Hays Education Foundation – a non-profit that was created to benefit Hays Consolidated Independent School District teachers and students. The Foundation has been working since the pandemic disruption to reinvent itself as an organization that can grow with the district and tackle a changing array of education funding needs. On Thursday, November 9, 2023, the Foundation will host a re-launch event and share its new plans.

“The Foundation, a district partner since 1998, has provided valuable assistance to district teachers and students. The first 25 years were successful for the early 21st century Hays CISD. However, with no sign of student population growth slowing, and increasingly uncertain education funding from the state, it’s time to reassess, retool, and remake the Foundation into an organization that can serve Hays CISD for the next 25 years,” said Hays CISD Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright.

In 1998, when the Foundation was first created, Hays CISD had a student population of 6,126. Today Hays CISD is home to 23,300 students – nearly four times as many. To prepare for the Foundation’s new direction, the Hays CISD Board of Trustees entered into a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Foundation earlier in 2023 and then hired two newly created staff positions in September.

“This is an exciting time for the foundation. We have such a strong and supportive community that wants to grow with the district,” said Ida Musgrove, the new Hays Education Foundation executive director. “I am prepared to assist the Foundation and District in achieving the new goals and vision for a successful future.”

“We have been working for this day for a number of months and I’m eager about the limitless opportunities ahead for the Foundation,” said Foundation President Micah Petrea. “We are going to build on our rich traditions and deep roots in the community, but we are also going to bend with the changing landscape of education needs, new technologies, and fresh ideas. We have so much potential and, increasingly, so many students and teachers who need our help.”        

Some of the goals for the re-launch include:

• Focusing on raising more money by setting higher fundraising goals to meet the growing needs of the district.
• Adding a 100% Hays direct-to-student grant program to ensure money isn’t a barrier for students to participate in activities, career and technical education classes, fine arts, and sports.
• Adding a “Big and Bold” grant program to pay for important, larger district initiatives, including potentially funding staff positions for education programs.
• Adding professional development grants for teachers.
• Continuing grants for teachers to buy materials for lessons in their classrooms.

View the foundation’s new initiative flyer online:

https://www.hayscisd.net/cms/lib/TX02204837/Centricity/Domain/59/231103 HEF Info Flyer 2324.pdf