The following was submitted by Minuteman:
A group of local business leaders is establishing a new non-profit corporation – the Minuteman Futures Foundation, Inc. – to support the growth and development of Minuteman High School.
Led by Christopher Bateman, the Managing Partner of Lexx Restaurant in Lexington, the Minuteman Futures Foundation will be able to accept tax-deductible donations of equipment, services, or cash to benefit Minuteman. Mr. Bateman, who already chairs Minuteman’s General Advisory Committee, will serve as the Foundation’s first president.
“What we’re hoping to do is fill in some of the gaps – to help support innovative programs that may be outside the normal district budget,” said Mr. Bateman. “The Foundation will create a vehicle to allow businesses and individuals to make tax-deductible gifts to benefit Minuteman and its students.”
Christopher T. Murray, who works as a Vice President Human Resources at Hill Holliday in Boston, will serve as secretary. Leonard J. Tocci of Lexington, who works as a Private Mortgage Banker at United Bank in Wellesley, will serve as treasurer.
“We’re very grateful to this group for stepping forward to help our school and its students,” said Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon, Minuteman’s Superintendent-Director. “This foundation could be a tremendous asset, allowing us to create opportunities for students that our existing budget just wouldn’t be able to support.”
Dr. Bouquillon pointed to two new innovative programs being planned for the new Minuteman High School: Multi-Media Engineering, which will educate students in the technical aspects of theatre design, rigging, lighting, and sound; and Advanced Manufacturing & Metal Fabrication, which will educate students in a growing field with thousands of unfilled, high-paying jobs in Massachusetts. Minuteman needs to equip both of these new programs to industry standards.
Several vocational-technical schools have already established successful foundations. Perhaps the most notable is the Skyline Technical Fund created at Worcester Technical High School by the late Edwin B. “Ted” Coghlin, a prominent Worcester business leader. Mr. Coghlin spearheaded a campaign that brought millions of dollars of private sector investment to Worcester Tech, revitalized the school, and renewed public support for that institution. The Fund was established to raise funds to supplement the purchase of materials, equipment, and technology in support of the school. The group created a series of “entrustments” with business and industry allowing the school to secure much-needed equipment for its vocational programs and ensuring a steady supply of trained workers for the companies.
While the Minuteman Futures Foundation, Inc. is designed to support Minuteman High School, it will act independently of the school district and its administration, Mr. Bateman, the Foundation president, stressed.
Mr. Bateman began the process of establishing the Minuteman Futures Foundation as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2014. In October of 2015, the Secretary of State’s office approved Articles of Organization for the Foundation. In November, the necessary paperwork was submitted to the Commonwealth to register as a charity and to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for recognition of tax-exempt status.
Minuteman is an award-winning regional high school located in Lexington. It delivers a combination of robust academics and powerful career and technical skills that gives students a competitive edge in the new economy. It is one of 26 regional vocational-technical school districts in Massachusetts.
