The Moline Public Schools Foundation enriches learning opportunities across the Moline-Coal Valley School District by engaging and empowering a diverse community. We support teachers to help them inspire innovation and creativity among students by providing resources and building partnerships.
Making a difference for teachers and students
Working to make our schools the best they can be is the core of the Moline Public Schools Foundation’s mission.
The Moline-Coal Valley School District is the largest in northwest Illinois and the 26th largest in Illinois with more than 7,300 students enrolled at 15 schools.
The Moline Public Schools Foundation directly impacts students across the district every year through a teacher grant program, awarding more than $50,000 annually to help fund projects that enrich learning, encourage innovation, and spark creativity.
In addition to the grant program, we also participate in other projects that emerge to help make a positive difference in the community, i.e. Read Moline in the past and the current HAVlife Foundation partnership.
Building on our history
Founded in 1988, the Moline Public Schools Foundation was the vision and energy of former Moline School District Board President Janice DeTaeye, who brought the nonprofit, non-governmental organization to life.
In partnership with a dedicated superintendent, teachers, and community volunteers, the Moline Public Schools Foundation continued to grow and hired its first part-time Executive Director Joy Boroff.
While the faces of the Executive Director and board members have changed and the needs of the school district have evolved since then, the primary mission of the Moline Public Schools Foundation has remained the same.
Serving the community
The Moline Public Schools Foundation is a tax-exempt organization, operating independently from the Moline-Coal Valley School District Board of Education.
An Executive Director and Board of Directors lead the foundation. As volunteers who are passionate advocates of the Moline-Coal Valley School District, board members provide support in a variety of ways through fundraising, communication, allocations, and other committee work designed to advance the mission and vision of the foundation.
2024-25 Board Members
Ashley Allen-Smith
Amanda Bergeson
Dr. Melissa Birdsell
Anna Castro - Treasurer
Karen Dahlstrom
Julie Darnold - Executive Director
Dr. Matt DeBaene – Assistant Superintendent, Moline-Coal Valley School District
Colton Drish
Matt Fournier
Steve Inman
Bill Karben
Sarah Kretschmar
Emily Menke - Secretary
Stephanie Noble
Leslie Perkins
Dr. Rachel Savage – Superintendent, Moline-Coal Valley School District
Brandon Tidwell - President
Julie Utz