The Promise Fund

The Promise Fund was launched in March of 2005 to forestall teacher lay offs and maintain class size within Winchester School Committee guidelines.  The idea of using private donations to pay teacher salaries was shocking.  But, years of growing enrollment in Winchester public schools coupled with decreasing state aid to education had created a crisis.  The community responded, donating $450,000 through The Promise Fund to meet core needs of the schools.

Faced with an $800,000 deficit in the 2006- 2007 school budget, the School Committee and Superintendent again asked WFEE to raise money through The Promise Fund.  Generous donors contributed $410,000.  That money, coupled with an increase in state aid, again forestalled teacher layoffs, increased class sizes, the elimination of middle school exploratory classes and additional increases in athletic fees.

The successful override to Proposition 2 ½ in early 2007 plus the continued reform of state educational aid has eased the school funding crisis in Winchester. In 2007 and 2008 the School Committee did not turn to WFEE to fund teacher salaries.  Those teachers either hired or maintained by The Promise Fund have now been added back into the school’s base budget.

The Promise Fund is not the ultimate solution to on-going school funding problems nor is it the only way to meet growing school needs in Winchester. It is a tool, a way for families to address core educational needs that are going unmet. It is up to the community and our elected representatives, both local and statewide, to decide what quality of education we expect and how we will pay for it. The Promise Fund can address some community needs but as currently envisioned it can’t, and shouldn’t, be expected to cover all the unmet needs in Winchester’s school system.