Current Board of Directors

Pam Teal, President RSD School Board

Kyle Grubbs, Vice-President Community Volunteer, RSD Parent

Geri Carlson, Financial Secretary Community Volunteer

Erin Maxwell, Recording Secretary Windermere Real Estate, Alumni-Lindbergh High School

Dr. Avanti Bergquist Eating Recovery Center of WA, Alumni-Hazen High School

Craig Cooper Principal – Risdon Middle School

Randy Matheson Community Relations RSD

Christina Park Risdon Middle School Office, RSD Parent

Samir Patel Convoy Inc., Community Member

Shivani Kailesh Patel SAP Concur, Community Member

Dr. Damien Pattenaude Superintendent – Renton School District, Ex-Officio

Greg Piantanida G.P. Realty Finance

Pamela Scott RSD Parent

Kaitlyn Spore Assistant Principal – Hazelwood Elementary School

Buddy Waddington SUM Seattle, Alumni-Hazen High School

Shelby Scovel Cambia Health Solutions, RSD Parent

Staff

Linda Foley, Executive Director Board Member – Ex-Officio

Renton Schools Foundation

 

The Renton Schools Foundation, RSF, aka Friends of Renton Schools, was originally established in 2009, under the fiscal sponsorship of the Renton Regional Community Foundation.  In 2019, in conjunction with our tenth anniversary, the Foundation became an independent 501(c)(3) non profit organization.  All monies donated in support of the Renton School District made via the Foundation are tax deductible; Tax ID# 83-4113441 

Mission

The mission of the Renton Schools Foundation is to increase and enhance educational opportunities for all Renton School District students by providing financial support through the fostering of community partnerships.

The foundation helps bridge the gap between inadequate state and federal funding and the cost of high-quality learning opportunities for every child, every day in every classroom.

Goals

Our current focus is funding programs in:

• Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) education
• Music & Arts
• Literacy
• Teacher Grants

We strive to inspire our community to invest in education through…

Increasing public awareness about the funding challenges facing our schools and students and by communicating the short and long-term benefits of having a thriving school district that produces educated, engaged, and productive citizens.                                                                                                                                                                   

We cultivate school-parent-community partnerships by…

Collaborating with Renton School District administration, teachers, and principals; PTA and parents; businesses; civic leaders; higher education institutions; professional education organizations; and other area education service organizations.

We foster broad corporate investment by…

Inviting representatives of local, state, and national companies to engage with us; we encourage participation in our mentoring, apprenticeship, and scholarship programs to foster true business/education partnerships for mutual benefit.

We support the vitality of our community

The 15,500 students in the Renton School District are our most valuable resource. But education does not just impact students and teachers – the quality of our schools is directly related to the vitality of our community as a whole. Having great schools increases pride in our community; increases home and commercial real estate values; provides a trainable and educated workforce; produces more affluent consumers; and reduces crime. Students today become the voters of tomorrow in a world with issues that are increasingly more complex and their future votes will impact everyone.

History

The Renton Schools Foundation was established in 2009 as “Friends of Renton Schools,” by a group of volunteers, educators, business owners, civic leaders and community volunteers concerned about the ongoing problems arising from state and federal education budget deficits and the impact that these funding gaps have on the quality of public education in the Renton School District.

The first three years of the funding was used to bridge the gap during the most difficult economic time our region has seen. Funds were directed towards mathematic and reading support, credit retrieval and helping our struggling students successfully transition into middle and high school.

Since then, the Renton Schools Foundation has supported many K-12 programs within the Renton School District. These proven successful programs further the foundation’s core mission of giving every student an opportunity to achieve an exceptional education

Operations

• An all-volunteer Board of Directors, representative of parents, teachers, alumni, business owners, and community leaders who share a passion for and are invested in the quality of education being delivered, governs the work of the Foundation..  
• New with the Foundation’s independent 501(c)(3) status in 2019, the Foundation’s day to day operations are managed by the staff member, the Executive Director.  
• Members of the current fifteen- member Board of Directors are joined by two ex-officio members, the Executive Director and the  Superintendent of the Renton Schools District, and provide oversight through their contributions to one or more working committees: Executive, Governance, Finance, Development, Engagement, and Programs.