In 1993, foresighted community members came together to help the Spring Branch Independent School District serve its students. The area was growing, students were pouring into the district, and the budget was stretched thin. An education foundation would provide a vehicle for donors to make tax-deductible gifts to fund programs not covered by the district’s budget. And with that forethought, the S
pring Branch Education Foundation became a reality. The Foundation’s first board meeting, on January 12, was attended by Dr. Harold D. Guthrie, SBISD superintendent, Donnie Wright, and Carol Lowery. signed and filed the Articles of Incorporation on January 20. Its original mission was: To foster change in the Spring Branch Independent School District, leading to significant, measurable improvements in student academic performance and student effectiveness in the workplace and society generally. At the February 1993 meeting, plans developed quickly. Pamela Akins served as acting chair until Jim Stewart III was named the first official chair. [He still serves as Chairman Emeritus, and in the spirit of the district’s legacy, his son, Robert, has joined the board.] The group voted to expand the board and make the Dillard’s/Houston Chronicle Teacher Appreciation Fashion/Style Show an SBEF fundraiser. The event would later become the Crystal Awards Gala. In April, the Foundation assumed responsibility for Running for the Arts. Chairs Joanie Haley and Mary Brooks laid the groundwork for an event that would become a community festival. The board also got busy with the critical work of soliciting donations and providing seed money for significant district initiatives. The first large donation came from Union Texas Petroleum. The company committed $150,000 to support “Investment in Excellence,” a district-wide leadership development course for staff, teachers, and students. Over the past two decades, SBEF has provided seed money for the district’s technology program, the Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum, and the SpringBoard Mentoring and Good Neighbor programs. It funds district and campus grants, as well as scholarships for SBISD students. And it has created the Fund for the Future Endowment, which will support programs for our students in perpetuity. SBEF is one of the most successful education foundations in the state and has received the Greater Houston Partnership Houston Business Promise Award. The Foundation has awarded almost $8 million to SBISD since its inception.
