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Education foundation trying to retain teachers
The Lewis-Palmer Education Foundation is raising money to recruit and retain teachers in School District 38. The Griffis Group has donated $50,000 in housing credits to support this cause.
The Griffis Group is a privately held equity firm specializing in class A apartment complexes in Colorado Springs, Boulder, Ft. Collins and the Denver Metro area. Managing director Ian Griffis has been in the business locally since 1985.
Housing credits awarded through The Griffis Group Teacher Housing Program will be accepted at all Griffis Group apartment complexes in the state. Local properties include Sagebrook Apartments, with 314 units, located near the Shops at Briargate, Grand River Canyon Apartments, with 440 units, located at the intersection of Interstate 25 and North Academy Boulevard, and Oasis Apartments, with 252 units, located near the Kissing Camels Resort at the intersection of Fillmore and Mesa Road.
The housing credits will be awarded to incoming teachers as a signing bonus and to current teachers as a means of augmenting their compensation and retaining their employment.
The first award has been given to an incoming Spanish teacher at Lewis-Palmer High School.
According to Cheryl Wangeman, assistant superintendent of operations for D-38, foreign language teachers can be difficult to recruit. The Griffis Group Teacher Housing Program gives D-38 an edge when competing against other districts for valuable resources.
Griffis said the donation is an investment in the local community.
“Without quality high schools our community will deteriorate,” Griffis said. “When voters turned down the operating funds for the new high school they hurt an already strained system. I don’t like taxes either, but without quality schools our local economy will go into decline and property values will continue to fall.”
In the past, D-38 has consistently been among the three-highest achieving districts in the state for both CSAP and ACT test scores. Also, on average, more than 98 percent of D-38 students graduate high school and 85 percent attend colleges or universities after graduation.
Supporters of the Lewis-Palmer Education Foundation believe this performance has been due in large part to the quality of teachers in the district.
Due to recent budget cuts D-38 has lost 27 teachers and district salaries have been frozen. There is also increased competition from neighboring districts for D-38 resources.
“Teacher salaries in D-38 are less than neighboring districts; 17 percent less than neighboring district Douglas County,” said Janet Nordlie, president of the Lewis-Palmer Education Foundation. “Our foundation is working to close that gap and retain our great teachers.”
Tax-deductible donations can be made by credit card or direct bank withdrawal via PayPal at www.lewispalmer.org. Click on “Education Foundation” on the left hand side of the page. Checks can be sent to Lewis-Palmer Education Foundation P.O. Box 2531, Monument, CO 80132.
The Lewis-Palmer Education Foundation was organized by a group of parents and students in D-38 who recognize the need to provide greater financial support to teachers. Money raised by the foundation is directly used to retain teachers and recruit new talent. The foundation is a non-profit organization and donations made to it are tax-deductable. To learn more visit www.lewispalmer.com or e-mail lp-foundation@lewispalmer.com.
The Griffis Group is a privately held equity firm specializing in class A apartment complexes in Colorado Springs, Boulder, Ft. Collins and the Denver Metro area. Managing director Ian Griffis has been in the business locally since 1985.
Housing credits awarded through The Griffis Group Teacher Housing Program will be accepted at all Griffis Group apartment complexes in the state. Local properties include Sagebrook Apartments, with 314 units, located near the Shops at Briargate, Grand River Canyon Apartments, with 440 units, located at the intersection of Interstate 25 and North Academy Boulevard, and Oasis Apartments, with 252 units, located near the Kissing Camels Resort at the intersection of Fillmore and Mesa Road.
The housing credits will be awarded to incoming teachers as a signing bonus and to current teachers as a means of augmenting their compensation and retaining their employment.
The first award has been given to an incoming Spanish teacher at Lewis-Palmer High School.
According to Cheryl Wangeman, assistant superintendent of operations for D-38, foreign language teachers can be difficult to recruit. The Griffis Group Teacher Housing Program gives D-38 an edge when competing against other districts for valuable resources.
Griffis said the donation is an investment in the local community.
“Without quality high schools our community will deteriorate,” Griffis said. “When voters turned down the operating funds for the new high school they hurt an already strained system. I don’t like taxes either, but without quality schools our local economy will go into decline and property values will continue to fall.”
In the past, D-38 has consistently been among the three-highest achieving districts in the state for both CSAP and ACT test scores. Also, on average, more than 98 percent of D-38 students graduate high school and 85 percent attend colleges or universities after graduation.
Supporters of the Lewis-Palmer Education Foundation believe this performance has been due in large part to the quality of teachers in the district.
Due to recent budget cuts D-38 has lost 27 teachers and district salaries have been frozen. There is also increased competition from neighboring districts for D-38 resources.
“Teacher salaries in D-38 are less than neighboring districts; 17 percent less than neighboring district Douglas County,” said Janet Nordlie, president of the Lewis-Palmer Education Foundation. “Our foundation is working to close that gap and retain our great teachers.”
Tax-deductible donations can be made by credit card or direct bank withdrawal via PayPal at www.lewispalmer.org. Click on “Education Foundation” on the left hand side of the page. Checks can be sent to Lewis-Palmer Education Foundation P.O. Box 2531, Monument, CO 80132.
The Lewis-Palmer Education Foundation was organized by a group of parents and students in D-38 who recognize the need to provide greater financial support to teachers. Money raised by the foundation is directly used to retain teachers and recruit new talent. The foundation is a non-profit organization and donations made to it are tax-deductable. To learn more visit www.lewispalmer.com or e-mail lp-foundation@lewispalmer.com.
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