The Lake Travis Education Foundation announced in September it would begin directing resources to fund some staff positions in Lake Travis ISD, the first initiative of its kind in the district.

What's happening?

Members of the LTEF presented the board of trustees with a $405,000 check during the Sept. 17 board meeting.

Funds like this raised through the LTEF can now be directly allocated toward funding some full-time staff positions, an initiative guided by new Superintendent Curtis Null.

The LTISD board of trustees adopted its fiscal year 2025-26 budget in August with a $4.2 million shortfall, which included some staff reductions through attrition.


LTEF's new initiative will provide LTISD with an equitable solution to better help meet and "triage" district needs, said Claire Kinnersley, LTEF's executive director of corporate relations

"A lot of people don't understand how public education is funded and its issues," Kinnersley said. "... [The initiative] feels like it's responding to the climate."

What else?

The foundation is also working to fund on-campus "field trips" for students after principals had to make cuts in this area due to budget constraints.


The field trips would bring immersive, hands-on experiences to campuses, such as interactive science labs.

"Now that [the community] can see something very real and tangible and touchable—you can't go on a field trip—it's something that we can point to and say, 'This is what we do; this is the problem that we're here to solve,'" LTEF President Kris Devlin said.

The background

The LTEF, which was formed 40 years ago, consists of a 21-member board and offers community volunteer opportunities.


The foundation awards scholarships for students in fine arts, athletics, Model United Nations and more. Last year, it also funded 142 grants for classroom instructional materials, teacher aids and campus projects.

Get involved

The LTEF hosts several annual fundraising events. Dates for the 2025-26 school year include:
  • Oct. 20: FORE The Kids, a four-player golf scramble with on-course competitions, tournament champions and other prizes
  • Nov. 27: Hill Country Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving 5K and 1-mile race
  • March 6: Gala, LTEF's largest annual fundraiser
  • May 8: Butterfly Brunch, a women's leadership brunch
Donations can also be made here on a one-time or monthly basis.

"We have this rare opportunity where people are talking about us," Devlin said. "Our board is just trying to capitalize on that."