LSMSA Foundation Board of Trustees Creates New I.D.E.A. Fund to Support Change

7/7/2020

In response to experiences shared by students and alumni, the LSMSA Foundation has established the new Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (I.D.E.A.) Fund.

The I.D.E.A. fund will support and aid the equity initiatives of LSMSA’s new I.D.E.A. Council. The Council’s goal is to work towards full and equal access for all LSMSA students, faculty, and staff and a more harmonious living/learning environment for the community as a whole.

“The last few months have brought to light ongoing, reprehensible issues in our nation, but also right here in the LSMSA family,” said Mary Ellen Slayter (‘95), President of the LSMSA Foundation Board of Trustees. “The Foundation exists to enhance the work of the school, so we have a clear responsibility to ensure that every member of this community feels safe, supported, and heard.”

Because the Foundation Board wants every LSMSA student, faculty, and staff member to be offered an equally excellent LSMSA experience, they allocated $50,000 to start the fund. In addition, every single trustee made a personal financial commitment to the IDEA Fund, cumulatively totaling over $25,000 in the upcoming year.

“We apologize to anyone within the LSMSA community who we have failed for not recognizing sooner the pain, loneliness, and disenfranchisement that systemic issues have caused,” said Slayter. “Division and abuse have no place at LSMSA, and we are committed to the process of learning and re-learning, and helping our school constantly strive to be better and inclusive for all.”

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Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) is the preeminent state-supported residential high school with competitive admissions for Louisiana's high-achieving, highly-motivated sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As a public school, there is no tuition to attend, and assistance from the LSMSA Foundation ensures the program is available to all qualifying students regardless of family financial need.