HISTORY

In 1992, a group of people in Concord met to explore the possibility of a fund which would help to support public education in Concord, in the midst of tighter operating budget constraints. The political climate was one where the state had passed proposition 2½, and Concord's first override attempt had failed. Other towns had already started this type of fund. Information was gathered, legal procedures garnered 503(c) status for the Fund, and a board of directors was established in 1993.

Knowing that the funding gap between what the school budget requested and what the voters passed in 1992 would not be completely filled by this fund, the focus of the Concord Education Fund was on innovation. The feeling was that the most crucial programs at risk would be creative ideas that teachers had which could no longer be funded. The Concord Education Fund dedicated its resources to providing a place for those teachers to seek funding, thus providing a key element of enhanced curriculum. The first such grants were given in 1994, and have been given yearly in May ever since.

Since then, the Fund has awarded over 150 grants totaling over $1,100,000 to start programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Some of the most exciting programs for our students have been initiated by these grant dollars, and continue to add to the high quality of our schools today.