For all those who clamor for more financial investment in K-12 public education, there is a perfect investment opportunity for you – the Volunteer Public Education Trust.
Imagine an endowment for K-12 public education that generates millions of dollars in investment earnings for use by local school systems to enhance their educational opportunities. Imagine being able to make a personal contribution to an endowment dedicated to K-12 public education. Such a contribution would represent your individual support and commitment to K-12 education, similar to the endowments at the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University or University of Memphis.
An endowment like this can exist. And it could be transformational.
In 1985, the Tennessee Legislature created two education endowment funds: The State of Tennessee Volunteer Public Education Trust for supplemental funding of K-12 education and The Tennessee Chairs of Excellence Trust for higher education.
Nearly 35 years later the two funds find themselves in dramatically different financial positions. The Volunteer Public Education Trust has earned $85,944 through investments from contributions totaling $123,699. In contrast, there have been contributions totaling $104 million to the Chairs of Excellence Trust, and it has earned more than $444.1 million through investments. The Chairs of Excellence Trust has also been able to provide more than $212 million in funding to enhance higher education in Tennessee.