Judy Bjarke-McKenzie, left, became President of the LAPS Foundation Board April 1 and Jenny McCumber is the Executive Director of the organization. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
The Los Alamos Public School Foundation (LAPS Foundation) is welcoming a new board president, Judy Bjarke-McKenzie. She took office April 1.
LAPS Foundation Executive Director Jenny McCumber and Bjarke-McKenzie have some interesting history. They were opponents in a Los Alamos School Board race in 2015.
“I decided to support Jenny,” Bjarke-McKenzie said. “I was ready for a new role, and she was an outstanding candidate.”
Bjarke-McKenzie served on the School Board from 2011-2015. McCumber left the board in
December 2019. Both women were Board presidents and represented the School Board as liaisons to the LAPS Foundation Board. The executive director position came open just as McCumber was leaving the School Board.
“This is a great job and I have the best board in New Mexico,” McCumber said. “I do everything from cleaning to financial planning. I have Krystal Roach as Operations and Finance Coordinator helping me at the office and she’s terrific with the financial end of things.”
“The Foundation is wonderful, and this is the best board I’ve ever been on,” Bjarke-McKenzie agreed. “There have been many past School Board members and many alumni on the Board. There are around 20 of us.”
Bjarke-McKenzie grew up in Los Alamos, along with her five brothers. Her father also served on the School Board. She returned to town in 1986. Bjarke-McKenzie taught second, third and fourth grade at Barranca Elementary School before retiring. After teaching boys 14-18 at Springer Boys Ranch, it was a breeze, she said.
“I miss the students,” she said. “So much has changed since I started teaching.”
In 2004, recognizing the need to address growing financial pressures, the Los Alamos Public School formed a “Financial Stability Task Force”. One of the recommendations of the task force was the creation of a charitable non-profit corporation, the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation, whose purpose is to raise community and corporate funding in support of the Los Alamos Public Schools. Cheryl and Morrie Pongratz founded the nonprofit LAPS Foundation, which was incorporated in 2005.
Since then, the Foundation has consistently raised funds to support educational programs, promote professional development of teachers and other school staff, defray operating expenses and help fund school capital improvements. In November 2016, the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation celebrated its facilitation of $1 million in donations to LAPS
“Our number one priority is teacher pay,” Bjarke-McKenzie said. “We’re happy about the recent raises and we want to build on the positive. Although pay has gone up, so have insurance premiums. Teachers are notorious for using their own money for supplies and expenses. We want to ease that burden.”
The Foundation is winding up its “Shower with Love” campaign in which teachers created wish lists for their classrooms and donors chose the contribution they wanted to make.
“It’s really fun to deliver the donations to the teachers,” McCumber said. “It’s a great campaign. People like to know where their funds are going. They can have the fun of choosing a gift and for the teachers, it’s great to get what they really need.”
One important use of donations is the financing of professional development for educators by paying for conferences and training, licensure advancements and other opportunities. Teachers formerly paid for this themselves, McCumber said.
Donations also fund grants offered to teachers ranging from mini grants under $100 to larger grants like Great Idea and the latest category, Wellness. In addition, the Foundation offers scholarships to 10 students each year.
“We’ve evolved during the pandemic,” McCumber said. “It’s been fun and challenging to provide support in new ways.”
Bjarke-McKenzie and McCumber are not only friends. Their admiration for each other shines. Brimming with enthusiasm and creativity, they are a dynamic duo on a mission to make Los Alamos Public Schools the very best they can be.
Visit lapsfoundation.com to donate or learn more about the LAPS Foundation.