FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is Shorewood Supporters of Excellence in Educational Development Foundation, Inc. (“SEED”)?
SEED is an organization formed to raise funds and support the Shorewood Public Schools. SEED is a nonprofit corporation formed under Wisconsin law and recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
2. What is SEED’s mission?
To promote excellence in Shorewood’s public schools.
3. What is SEED’s vision?
Shorewood is a community where each public school student receives a liberal arts education responsive to his/her talent and abilities, preparing the student to meet the challenges of the future. Shorewood organizations and residents work together to ensure that the School District has the support needed to continue its tradition of excellence. The Shorewood SEED Foundation acts as a catalyst in the community to help provide Shorewood Schools with the resources needed to succeed.
4. Who organized SEED?
SEED was organized by a diverse group of Shorewood residents, most of whom are parents of children in the Shorewood public schools.
5. Shorewood public schools have maintained high standards in the past without help. Why is SEED needed now?
We believe that SEED makes sense at any time, but the immediate impetus is the shortfall of public funding for the school district. The Village’s reputation for outstanding public schools attracts young families, keeps property values high, and makes Shorewood a great place to live. We are determined to protect our community’s number one asset--its public schools.
6. What is the cause of the shortfall of funding for the Shorewood public schools?
A combination of factors relating to the complex formula the State uses to fund public schools throughout the state. We’ll mention just two factors here. First, because the state foots a large part of the bill for public education, the state also limits spending increases to a small percentage each year. Unfortunately, costs beyond anyone’s control have increased sharply. The state aid formula simply does not provide enough money for Shorewood to keep up with these costs and maintain academic programming at the same levels. Second, the formula provides a certain amount of state aid per full time student. Shorewood enrollment ebbs and flows over time. Right now, Shorewood numbers are down, which reduces aid, even though many program costs are the same regardless of the number of students.
7. Can’t the school district just raise taxes to solve the problem?
Not easily. Shorewood’s property taxes are already high compared with taxes of neighboring communities. Also, the state school funding law actually penalizes districts that raise taxes beyond a certain percentage by decreasing state aid.
8. What kind of fundraising does SEED intend to do?
Our fundraising will fall in two major categories. First will be annual “event” fundraising, which might include social and cultural functions. Second will be an annual campaign.
9. Who will decide how the money is spent?
The SEED grants committee will review requests for funding submitted by educators and others. The committee will make recommendations for funding to the SEED Foundation Board, which in turn will make recommendations to the Shorewood School Board, which will have final approval.
10. What programs will SEED fund?
Programs will be funded based on district priorities, developed in consultation with the Shorewood School board. The specific programs that are funded will depend on the requests for funding made to SEED and the amount of money available.
11. Are there areas that SEED will not fund?
Yes, SEED will not fund personnel or salary costs, awards for programs that will not be supported by the District, awards for programs that dictate curriculum changes without prior approval from appropriate levels of the District, or awards that are inconsistent with District priorities or policies
12. What are the criteria for projects that are funded?
Criteria include that the project has an educational focus, is consistent with funding priorities set by SEED and the School Board, that it meets a demonstrated need for the project, that students are positively impacted by the project, that the project has the potential for long-term impact on the Shorewood School District and students, and that it is reasonable, feasible, and has well-defined goals.
13. If SEED provides funds to the schools, won’t that reduce support for public funding for education in Shorewood?
No, SEED’s contributions will not affect the manner in which the School Board sets the tax levy or prepares the school budget. Contributions by SEED are not guaranteed and cannot be included when the Board prepares its budget. We expect the School Board to continue to provide sufficient funds to maintain a high-quality basic educational program.
14. How much money does SEED intend to raise?
As much as we can. The more money we raise, the more we can do to enrich our children’s education. The amount of money raised will depend on the amount of effort committed by the Board and members and on the generosity of Shorewood parents, alumni and community members.
15. But won’t SEED compete with the Shorewood Foundation?
No. Rather, we hope to work collaboratively with a variety of Shorewood organizations.
16. Do any other villages or cities have education foundations similar to SEED?
Yes, education foundations like SEED are fairly common and are often in addition to civic improvement foundations. Neighboring communities with education foundations include Whitefish Bay, Nicolet, Mequon-Thiensville, Hamilton and Greendale.
17. How long will SEED go on?
For as long as Shorewood residents care about education. We are committed to building a long-term sustainable organization.
18. How can I help?
Lots of ways.
- Contribute money. All donations are tax deductible.
- Contribute time. We need supporters to help with organizing and fundraising or with committee activities.
- Contribute skills. If you have skills of any kind, especially fundraising, we need you.
- Help us develop a liaison with the Russian community. We need help translating all SEED materials into Russian.
- Tell members of the community about SEED and encourage them to get involved. We want everyone in the community to know about SEED and to support its activities.
- Run for the Board of Directors. The Board’s nominating committee is always interested in potential board members and potential committee members.
To make a contribution, and/or volunteer, contact SEED at info@shorewoodseed.org.