The Thornton Alumni Legacy Fund
The Legacy Fund is an independent, 501(c)(3) registered organization. A group of Thornton alumni came together in 2004 to organize TALF in response to the severe budget cutbacks Thornton has experienced in the last two decades. Our efforts are fully supported by the district and school administration, and are entirely for the benefit of Thornton Township High School. We work with the faculty to identify needs that will directly benefit students, and closely track that our funds are appropriately spent.
All contributions are tax deductible.
History & Situation
Thornton’s neighborhoods have lost their corporate tax base and local employment sources as companies moved out during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Given Illinois’ school funding formula, which relies primarily on local property taxes to fund neighborhood schools, this exodus of the tax base has resulted in drastic budget cutbacks for Thornton.
Specifically
- Spending per student is less than half that of wealthier communities.
- The yearbook was not published in 2005. For nearly a decade the school newspaper (now called Paw Prints) was not published.
- Personal property tax support has declined significantly and federal funding has also dropped in recent years. Several local bond issues and assessments have failed in recent years due to the general economic distress in the area.
- Virtually all of the many academic, athletic and extracurricular clubs that once flourished at Thornton have been eliminated.
- Many of the instruments used by students in Thornton’s award winning band are more than 30 years old.
Mission
To create an endowment in excess of one million dollars to provide financial support for under-funded academic and extracurricular programs now and in the future. We believe that in cooperation with the administration of the district, this effort will enhance and enrich the experience of current and future Thornton students.
Contributions will be allocated as follows:
70 – 80% to the endowment and 20 – 30% annually to immediate needs as identified by the TALF Steering Committee.
