Over the last decade, school funding has continued to decline at both the state and federal levels.  While all of the schools in Oregon have been impacted, small school districts like the Coquille School District have been impacted far greater than most mid to large size school districts.  The Coquille School District has had to consolidate students and classrooms, close schools, relocate the district office, cut back on certificated and classified staff, cut programs, including athletic programs.   While we are stating facts, the foundation does not have a political agenda.  Our only goal is to support the Coquille School District, its schools, the teachers and our students by making the community of Coquille an Educational Action Zone.

In developing the Coquille Education Foundation, the founders wanted to make sure that it represented the full spectrum of the Coquille community. To accomplish that, a Coquille Community Task Force was formed by caring citizens.  The task force members represented the district, schools, parents, teachers, the business community and the community at large.  Each member of the task force helped develop a needs assessment list and from that list, the purpose of the foundation was identified and became the keystone for the foundation bylaws and the foundation business plan. 

 In May 2005, the task force accepted applications from interested parties and appointed the first board members to the Coquille Education Foundation Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors then elected its officers. 

The current directors and officers are as follows:

Terry Schwerdtfeger                President                      Parent
Misty Faith                             Vice President               Parent
Rick Angelozzi                         Treasurer                     Parent
Alea Nortness                         Secretary                     Teacher
Mark Nortness                         Director                       Principal     
Edward Atkinson                      Director                       Alumni      
          
Dianne Gallispie                       District Advisor             Superintendent

We would love to have representation from the business community and the general community on our board.  Come join us as we build this important Coquille educational community resource.

Applications for open director or student advisor positions - can be obtained by contacting a school principal, by sending an email to TerryS12@msn.com, or by contacting Terry Schwerdtfeger, the foundation president, at 541-396-3333.