‘It’s All About The Kids’
For over 30 years, that singular idea has guided the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation. Working with district families and teachers to educate, elevate and celebrate ‘the kids’, IPEF has helped build and sustain many of the programs that make IPSD204 such a highly regarded school district.
IPEF Founding
In 1987, Indian Prairie School District 204 served 3000 students in Waubonsie Valley High School, Hill Middle School and five elementary schools. IPSD204 Superintendent Dr. Thomas Scullen had seen how a supportive educational foundation could help a school district and was determined that one be formed. He asked Board of Education President Peter Neumeister to reach out to active citizens who could ‘get things done.’
They recruited Tom Miers and Alan Fry who, in turn, assembled a ‘blue ribbon’ group of volunteers as the founding Board of Directors of the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation. The IPEF was incorporated in 1988 with Fry as its Chairman.
The Inaugural IPEF Board of Directors. Front: Alan Fry, Judith Sotir, Sue Mortenson, John Triebe Back: Dodd Fong, Tom Miers, John Brohier, Dr. Tom Scullen, John Karubus
Inaugural Programs
Dr. Scullen and the School Board envisioned academic excellence in every school, with IPEF helping to pay for programs which tax dollars normally cannot fund. The first priority was recognizing academic achievement and the IPEF Excellence in Education Awards program was born. It honored the top seniors of each academic department and the teachers who most influenced them. 30 students received the first awards. Since then, over 1400 seniors have been honored with ‘Excellence’ awards.
The second priority was to build a top-tier music program. Why? The dedication and discipline needed to master orchestral music carries over to other academic pursuits. The district had been recruiting top music teachers and building curricula, and IPEF helped by purchasing non-curricular items – from pianos to stage lights.
IPEF also took over sponsorship of the Fine Arts Fair – IPSD204’s annual celebration of student musicians and artists. The first Fine Arts Fair was held in 1987, in a tent behind Brookdale Elementary, and featured performances by and visual arts of an estimated 200 students.
IPEF Today
After 20 years on the IPEF Board, the last five as Chairman, Kent Duncan retired in 2017 and was named Chairman Emeritus. Our current Chairman is Chad Stevens, who continues to lead IPEF in sustaining the foundational programs developed over the prior 30 years, plus a new category of programs. This new category of programs that IPSD204 leaders developed addresses the needs of at-risk students facing economic, cultural or social/emotional barriers to their academic success.
While proud of its history, the IPEF understands that it must continually evolve, as today’s educational landscape changes more rapidly in five years than it used to in 25 years. But the important element of IPEF that will not change is its guiding principle: “It’s All About The Kids.”
Three decades and three chairs of IPEF (left to right): Alan Fry, Rana Khan and Kent Duncan on the occasion of Duncan’s retirement after 20 years of service to the IPEF.