Page 42 - January Report 2025

Page 40 January Report
of the endowments will take some time, and possibly some site visits. One recommendation was
executing addendums for every endowment expressing the reporting timing to be as of June 30th,
with a report due to JSF by August 15th. The addendums could also list specific information to be
supplied.
The Committee directed Bobby to bring an action plan for the endowment project to the
March 2025 meeting.
c. Indigenous consultant update
Bobby announced that for the past 5 years, Rick Williams has been saying that he was ready
to retire but would stay until Bobby could find someone else to do the job. This time, Rick has
advised that he is ready to retire and will do so effective December 31st. Rick has been with the
Foundation since early 2015. He has been a faithful, committed part of JSF. His experience and
connections in Indian Country have made him a very positive face of JSF in all matters Native.
Bobby expressed the Foundation’s thanks to Rick.
On the recommendation of both Rick and Sherry, Bobby has retained Rick’s successor, Ian Record,
who will come on board January 1st. Ian, who has his own consulting firm, is well known in Indian
Country. He is planning to be at the Discovery Associates’ meeting in Tampa which should be a
very comprehensive orientation for him into JSF and its programs. Rick has agreed to help orient
Ian to the Entrepreneurship Scholarship Program.
9. Disadvantaged programing
a. Cristo Rey Boston
Bobby introduced Rosemary Powers, President of Cristo Rey Boston High School, and Tom Ryan,
the school’s Principal. Debbie Rateau, Director of College Counseling, and Katie Wardlow, Grant
writer, appeared before the Committee via Zoom. An application requesting $195,000 over 3 years
had been circulated along with a financial summary, notes from a June 20, 2024 videoconference,
a report from a site visit on October 16, 2024, and a PowerPoint presentation prepared by Cristo
Rey Boston.
This is one of the 40 high schools in the Cristo Rey Network across the country. For background
context, Rosemary explained that while Boston has many choices for high potential students,
theirs is the only private, tuition-free, college-prep high school for aspirational students with
economic need. 99% of their students are of color and 100% of their students qualify for free/
reduced lunches. The school offers a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio for a student body of about
250. While most students come into the school with math and reading skills at a 5th grade level,
they boast that 50% of the 2024 class had a 3.0 or better GPA. Their program includes 4 days per
week of classes and 1 day of a paid internship/work study. The student salaries go to the school
and help pay tuition costs. Work study used to cover 65% of the school costs, but that has been
less in recent years. The balance of their funding comes through philanthropy.
Acceptance into a college or university is a requirement for graduation. They have strong college
counseling programs that not only assist students in getting into colleges, but offer proactive
support, counseling, and even emergency funding when needed. In spite of this, they are concerned
about the college retention rates of their graduates which are in the low 40 percentile. In meetings
with leadership from other high schools in the Cristo Rey Network, they learned of schools whose
graduates have a better college retention rate. Rosemary is convinced that the difference is the
three programs outlined in their application: the Pre-College Summer Scholars program, the Pre-
College Touring Scholars program and the Pre-College Visiting Scholars program. Basically, the
thought is that if students have the opportunities to actually be on campuses before making a
GRANT PROGRAM COMMITTEE MINUTES (DRAFT) (4)