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The Prairie Fund was created as a temporary solution to address the shortfall in tax funding that began in 2002. The school nurse and reading specialist were cut to half-time from full-time positions due to a change in headcount funding standards under Kansas Board of Education. Concerned Prairie parents came together to raise over $60,000 in three weeks to fund the remaining half of these positions for the ’02-‘03 school year.
In 2003, the Prairie Excellence in Education Fund “Prairie Fund” was created with the intention to be a temporary measure to bridge this financial gap. While the staffing positions have changed over the years, unfortunately, the need for supplemental funding remains.
The purpose of the Prairie Fund is to provide resources to supplement the annual shortfall in funding for our children’s education. These resources are utilized to promote excellence at Prairie by supporting delivery of special programs and necessary services thereby enhancing the learning environment for all children, increasing the effectiveness of instruction and strengthening ties between Prairie and the community.
Currently, the Prairie Fund supports three half-time positions: a counselor, a reading specialist and a math specialist. These positions were utilized both virtually and in-person and made a significant impact for the 2020-2021 school year.
Even if your child does not receive direct instruction from a counselor or specialist, your child benefits from his or her teacher having additional staffing resources to assist them throughout each day thereby allowing them to instruct all students more effectively.
We’re glad you asked! Your contribution can be made in a variety of ways. You can volunteer to help with any of the fundraising opportunities, assist in gathering sponsorships from local businesses, volunteer on the Prairie Fund, and last but not least, donations can be made at any time and are tax deductible. The Prairie Fund is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. A donation can be made via this link or a check can be dropped off at the front desk at Prairie payable to the Prairie Excellence in Education Fund.
Feel free to reach out to any of the Prairie Fund Board Members for additional information. It takes a village to raise these funds every year and we welcome your help!
The PTA and Prairie Fund work closely throughout the year on the needs of the school. We coordinate fund management and overall parental concerns together.