Supporting Students, Strengthening Schools: Spotlight on Blaine County Education Foundation
By Lindsay Boeger
Now that fall is in full swing and back-to-school routines are well established, we’re proud to highlight one of our recent Impact Grant recipients: the Blaine County Education Foundation (BCEF). This small but mighty nonprofit plays a critical role in our community, providing essential support to students, educators, and schools throughout the district.
This past winter, Spur Community Foundation awarded BCEF a $50,000 capacity-building grant to help the organization expand its capabilities by hiring a part-time operations coordinator. While modest in size, this investment has significantly enhanced BCEF’s ability to serve more students and educators, and we're thrilled to be part of its continued growth and impact.
Meeting Urgent Needs in an Underfunded System
With the school district facing multiple financial challenges – Idaho ranking 51st in the nation for per-pupil spending (behind all other states and the District of Columbia), a projected budget shortfall facing the Blaine County School District, and the rising cost of living – the need for supplemental support for students is more urgent than ever.
Amid this landscape, BCEF’s mission is to ensure that every student has the opportunity and resources to participate fully in their education, regardless of their economic situation. Since its founding in 1992, BCEF has invested over $5 million into the local school system, directly supporting students, teachers, and schools. The work spans a wide array of programs, including:
Backpack drives so students start the year with essential school supplies.
Scholarship packages to make higher education more attainable.
Expanded access to school meals for students facing food insecurity.
“Kids are acutely aware of what is happening around them,” says Deborah Van Law, BCEF’s executive director. “We want them to feel successful starting from day one. That means making sure they have access to balanced meals, the right supplies, and the ability to participate in all aspects of school life.”
Supporting Educators and Fostering Innovation
BCEF’s impact extends to providing educator and club grants that enable teachers to fulfill immediate and often unforeseen needs, fund innovative ideas, purchase essential supplies, and launch schoolwide programs. The BCEF has helped cover a wide range of costs, including playground equipment, literacy resources, and librarian service for the SummerBridge program. This year, assistance for social and emotional learning and suicide prevention efforts has been prioritized.
Building Capacity for Greater Impact
With support from Spur's Impact Grant, Van Law was able to hire Monica Wray as the part-time operations coordinator (growing their staff from one to two), which has led to numerous improvements, including organizational efficiency, vetting applications to the Educator Opportunities Grant, increasing capacity for communications, and enabling the organization to serve more students. Moreover, Van Law now has increased time to fundraise – particularly for unrestricted funds that allow the BCEF to budget healthier amounts to meet growing schoolwide and classroom needs.
“BCEF receives no federal, state, or local government funding,” Van Law explains. “Our work is made possible by the generosity of individuals, businesses, and philanthropic partners, like Spur Community Foundation, who believe in our mission and in the power of public education.”
As demand continues to rise, BCEF is working hard to keep pace – and since they’ve invested in capacity building, they are better equipped to meet that challenge.
More Than Support: Restoring Dignity and Opportunity
Beyond the tangible benefits of its programs, the BCEF also works to remove barriers, build dignity and confidence, and ensure each student can learn and grow without being held back by financial hardship.
Spur is honored to support BCEF’s mission, and we look forward to seeing how their continued growth will uplift students and strengthen schools across Blaine County.
Recent Accomplishments:
Backpacks distributed: 468
# of students who received free meals: 475 in school year 2024-2025.
# of students whose negative school meal balances were paid: 450
Educational Opportunities grants: $60,000 to 50 educators across all school sites, impacting grades pre-K-12.
Scholarships awarded: 50 totaling $230,000 (including seven new scholarships created for trade/technical schools, certificate programs, and associate’s degree programs).