Fifth Annual Ladue Education Foundation Breakfast

Some 300 guests started their day by dining on sausage, eggs, juice and coffee while supporting and learning more about the Ladue Education Foundation.

Some wonder why public schools, supported by a tax base, would want to have foundations as a financial resource.

The reasons are many. Often, school districts are not able to fund extra projects while they struggle just to meet obligations such as payroll, utility expenses, retirement funding and other necessary expenses.

Today, the children of the Ladue School District get to enjoy things such as advanced robotics competition and participation in national or even international musical events thanks to the good work of the foundation. Each year, teachers make specific requests and those needs are often met by grants from the foundation.

Several speakers talked about the mentoring program between the Danforth Plant Center and Ladue School District students.

As parent and scientist Pradip Das of Monsanto said, "Our goal is to make sure Ladue remains a world-class educational system."

Everyone in the room nodded their heads in agreement. Ladue has offered its students superior education since its inception back in the 1920s and with the founding of Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 1954.

The entire Ladue community benefits from the efforts to unite a wide range of projects to support a world-class educational system.

Ladue students peform outstandlngly in the classroom and on standardized testing, and some 85 percent of the students go on to four-year colleges for more education.

The breakfast was as much a platform to thank donors as to ask for more help. Educators Elizabeth Peterson from the middle school and video instructor Don Goble talked excitedly about programs involving their students. David Streid, high school student and performer in the Ladue Strolling Strings orchestra, spoke eloquently about his learning experiences in the world of science.

Marsha Chappelow, superintendent gave a state of the district message and Dr. Das spoke of his vision for the foundation.

For the fifth consecutive year, Dielmann Southeby's International Realty stepped to the plate as the presenting sponsor.

To learn more about the LEF, go to its website.