Private charitable donations to public high schools

[BradStevens]

I find this phenomenon bizarre. It's now going on at my school. A neighbor was invited to a mixer that turned out to be a fundraising networking event. These people are looking for people to donate between $100k-$500k. To my kid's public high school. They said it's a more "progressive" way to fund the school's $250 million renovation that was voted on and somehow they want private funding to cover part of the cost.

Here's an earlier example:

https://www.axios.com/2018/02/16/schwarzman-public-school-private-donation

The same guy told me that some billionaire graduate from this high school offered to pay the whole $250 million if they'd name the school after him. And our board flatly declined. WTF???

 

[CO. Hoosier]

I find this phenomenon bizarre. It's now going on at my school. A neighbor was invited to a mixer that turned out to be a fundraising networking event. These people are looking for people to donate between $100k-$500k. To my kid's public high school. They said it's a more "progressive" way to fund the school's $250 million renovation that was voted on and somehow they want private funding to cover part of the cost.

Here's an earlier example:

https://www.axios.com/2018/02/16/schwarzman-public-school-private-donation

The same guy told me that some billionaire graduate from this high school offered to pay the whole $250 million if they'd name the school after him. And our board flatly declined. WTF???

Many public school systems have foundations to accept donations.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

I find this phenomenon bizarre. It's now going on at my school. A neighbor was invited to a mixer that turned out to be a fundraising networking event. These people are looking for people to donate between $100k-$500k. To my kid's public high school. They said it's a more "progressive" way to fund the school's $250 million renovation that was voted on and somehow they want private funding to cover part of the cost.

Here's an earlier example:

https://www.axios.com/2018/02/16/schwarzman-public-school-private-donation

The same guy told me that some billionaire graduate from this high school offered to pay the whole $250 million if they'd name the school after him. And our board flatly declined. WTF???

$250M is a helluva budget for a school renovation.

By way of reference, the cost to build Lucas Oil Stadium from the ground up in 2005-2008 was $720M. Adjusted for inflation, that’s a little over $1.1B today.

So that renovation budget is roughly a quarter of what a brand new NFL stadium cost to build.

 

[BradStevens]

$250M is a helluva budget for a school renovation.

By way of reference, the cost to build Lucas Oil Stadium from the ground up in 2005-2008 was $720M. Adjusted for inflation, that’s a little over $1.1B today.

So that renovation budget is roughly a quarter of what a brand new NFL stadium cost to build.

Yep. And decided without a referendum which pissed us voters off to no end. They tried to get a referendum passed to build a new pool for $40 million about 8!years ago. When that failed , they went with this $250 million project with a bigger pool embedded in it. And didn’t put it up for public vote.

Politicians suck. Even at the local level.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

Yep. And decided without a referendum which pissed us voters off to no end. They tried to get a referendum passed to build a new pool for $40 million about 8!years ago. When that failed , they went with this $250 million project with a bigger pool embedded in it. And didn’t put it up for public vote.

Politicians suck. Even at the local level.

An interesting (though not surprising) nugget of data as we hear them complain about funds currently going to public schools being subjected to going elsewhere by way of parental choice.

They sure do seem to be living hand to mouth in your area…with quarter of a billion dollar school building renovation projects.

 

[BradStevens]

An interesting (though not surprising) nugget of data as we hear them complain about funds currently going to public schools being subjected to going elsewhere by way of parental choice.

They sure do seem to be living hand to mouth in your area…with quarter of a billion dollar school building renovation projects.

The best part is, they all claim that racial equity is their #1 concern, while building a $50 million pool that will be used by an all white swim team of under 100 kids?

 

[mcmurtry66]

The best part is, they all claim that racial equity is their #1 concern, while building a $50 million pool that will be used by an all white swim team of under 100 kids?

We got a new stadium at my daughter’s school. When a shooter comes in they’ll say special doors and a metal detector was too much

 

[Baller23Boogie]

I find this phenomenon bizarre. It's now going on at my school. A neighbor was invited to a mixer that turned out to be a fundraising networking event. These people are looking for people to donate between $100k-$500k. To my kid's public high school. They said it's a more "progressive" way to fund the school's $250 million renovation that was voted on and somehow they want private funding to cover part of the cost.

Here's an earlier example:

https://www.axios.com/2018/02/16/schwarzman-public-school-private-donation

The same guy told me that some billionaire graduate from this high school offered to pay the whole $250 million if they'd name the school after him. And our board flatly declined. WTF???

So your school wasn't the one MTG was talking about getting billions earlier this year, huh?

 

[UncleMark]

I find this phenomenon bizarre. It's now going on at my school. A neighbor was invited to a mixer that turned out to be a fundraising networking event. These people are looking for people to donate between $100k-$500k. To my kid's public high school. They said it's a more "progressive" way to fund the school's $250 million renovation that was voted on and somehow they want private funding to cover part of the cost.

Here's an earlier example:

https://www.axios.com/2018/02/16/schwarzman-public-school-private-donation

The same guy told me that some billionaire graduate from this high school offered to pay the whole $250 million if they'd name the school after him. And our board flatly declined. WTF???

I take it they don't have bake sales anymore?

 

[secondasky]

I find this phenomenon bizarre. It's now going on at my school. A neighbor was invited to a mixer that turned out to be a fundraising networking event. These people are looking for people to donate between $100k-$500k. To my kid's public high school. They said it's a more "progressive" way to fund the school's $250 million renovation that was voted on and somehow they want private funding to cover part of the cost.

Here's an earlier example:

https://www.axios.com/2018/02/16/schwarzman-public-school-private-donation

The same guy told me that some billionaire graduate from this high school offered to pay the whole $250 million if they'd name the school after him. And our board flatly declined. WTF???

Run away as fast as you can when you here that word progressive.

 

[mcmurtry66]

I take it they don't have bake sales anymore?

My kids’ schools sell t shirts. I’ve never seen a bake sale. People don’t seem to bring stuff to get together either. Jell-O shots etc.