HISTORY

Help improve instruction by supporting innovation and creative thinking about teaching and providing opportunities for teachers to improve their skills and practice

• SEF has approved over 210 Educational Grants since 2004, ranging from innovative reading programs to whiteboard technology in nearly every classroom, equipment for high school biology and robotics technology for the tech program in the middle and high schools.  SEF has provided grant to every school, grade, and department in the district.  The Foundation has funded over 110 Professional Development Grants and has built its support for Professional Development to $10,000 annually. Expenditures for Educational Grants and Professional Development for teachers and staff have totaled over $711,565 through 2024.

Create a simple, teacher-friendly grant process

• The grant application is one page and can be completed and submitted online.

Create a teacher centered process for grant distribution, giving teachers primary responsibility for initiating and implementing grants.

• The overwhelming majority of grants are initiated by teachers through applications and, when awarded, are implemented by teachers. Administrators sign off on the grant applications to make sure they are consistent with district, school, and department goals. Administrators have also participated by submitting grant applications.

Build an endowment of $250,000 by year ten (2014). 

• By 2014 the endowment was $310,000.  

Build an endowment of $1,000,000 by year 20 (2024).

•  By 2024, the endowment was $1,012,356.

The Somers Education Foundation was named the Best New Foundation of the Year by Connecticut Consortium of Education Foundations (CTCEF) in 2004 and Foundation of the Year in 2014. In 2014 there were 79 foundations in Connecticut.

     Paul grew up in Enfield and graduated from Holy Cross in 1976. His graduate studies culminated in an MD from Texas Tech.   While in Texas, he learned of the Permanent University Fund (PUF) which provides targeted funding to UT and Texas A&M.  He learned about its formation, purpose, and its success.  He noted that only a percentage of the income earned from the principle could be spent on capital improvements.
    After Texas, Paul spent 3 years at the University of Arizona for a pediatrics residency and then 3 years at Indiana University Medical Center for pulmonary fellowship.  While in Indiana, he traveled the state on scores of medical transports and again learned about Community Foundations in the smallest of towns and how they supported town libraries along the same concept as the PUF in Texas.  

    Paul settled in Somers in 1994 with his wife Ann and 3 children who graduated from the Somers school system.  He developed an idea for creating an Education Foundation based on what he had seen in Texas and Indiana. It would supplement the public school system for projects that wouldn’t or couldn’t be funded through its regular budgeting process.  Paul had in mind the structure: a permanent endowment and a 10-year financial plan, which would award 50% of income per year to teacher grants and put 50% into the endowment.  After the first 10 years, the return on the endowment would support additional grants.  He began presenting the concept to civic groups in Somers in 1996.  However, it wasn’t until he met Lou Bachetti in 2002 that the SEF became a reality.   

    Paul was encouraged by friends to present his idea to the Community Partnership Council of which Lou was Chairman.  Paul pitched the concept, structure, and financial plan.  Lou immediately grasped the potential of the idea, and the two became a team.     

    Others who contributed to the formation of SEF include Dan Roulier, Evan Plotkin, Tim Keeney, Tom Mazzoli, Mike Parker, Terri Henderson, Amanda Vesce, Kathy Devlin, Zanis Gazis and Mark Maniscalco.  Many meetings were held, and long hours were spent deciding on the structure and goals of the foundation.

    The group agreed on the following organizational basics:  

• All positions are voluntary – no salaried positions
• No voting Board Member can hold a publicly elected office or be a full-time employee of the Somers Public School System.  They also have to be a Somers resident.
• The BOD will consist of 9 members.  Advisors and Ex-Officio Members can be added as needed but do not have voting rights.  Advisors and Ex-Officio members are sought for their expertise and experience.  For example, the Superintendent of Schools as an Ex-Officio board can advise SEF on the school district’s mission and goals.

    In early 2004, the original Board Members were sworn in by Town Clerk, Ann Logan, at a ceremony in the Warming House at Worthington Pond and the Somers Education Foundation officially came into being.  Paul’s view of his work with Lou is, “I built the skeleton and Lou put the meat on the bones.” 

       After SEF was formed, it was time to figure out how to build its cash reserve.  We wanted to assure that there were always funds for awarding of deserving projects and supplies, even in years of high expenses and/or lower donation levels.  The decision was to build an endowment to guarantee financial continuity. 

      The plan was to allocate 50% of income yearly to grants and 50% to pay expenses and build an investment portfolio.  With generous gifts from its original Board Members, the SEF awarded $5,900 in grants in its first year and began funding the endowment.   Since then, the endowment has grown through donations, community fundraising events, and investment returns. 

     The first ten years were used to build the endowment.  Each year since then, 4% of the average assets over 5 years has been used to fund grants. By 2024, the endowment had grown to over $1,000,000 and was annually contributing about $33,000 for grants.