Working for Educational Excellence Since 2005
The mission of the Cortland Public Education Foundation is to enhance the quality of education for the students of the Cortland City School District.
The Cortland Public Education Foundation was founded In 2005 by John Lutz, the former superintendent of the Cortland City School District. Dr. Lutz wanted the district to be the one of the best in the state and he wanted teachers to have everything they needed to achieve that goal.
When teachers asked if Cortland could create an educational foundation to raise money for classroom projects, Dr. Lutz quickly went to work to create the Cortland Public Education Foundation (CPEF).
Today, the foundation is run by a 13-member board that includes representatives from local businesses, the Cortland School District and SUNY Cortland. The board awards up to $8,000 in grants to teachers and staff in Cortland every year, supporting projects that are outside the school budget.
The funding raised for CPEF’s grants comes from the annual Golf Tournament held each July at Willowbrook Golf Club. CPEF also receives generous donations from local businesses and community members.