Curt Bisarek, Hillsboro superintendent of schools, is the recipient of a 2013 Spirit of Philanthropy Award given by the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin.
Bisarek was recognized at the Foundation’s annual meeting on Oct. 16 for his leadership in the creation of the Hillsboro School Funds, components of the Community Foundation.
“Philanthropists experience the pure joy of seeing their passion nurtured, developed, and supported,” said Barb Daus, donor services representative for the Community Foundation. “That is surely true for Curt Bisarek. Curt truly cares about education–I should really say he cares about kids–and he has seen that passion nurtured, developed and supported through the successful establishment of the Hillsboro School Funds.”
The Hillsboro School Funds include the Hillsboro Scholarship Fund and the Hillsboro Excellence in Education Fund. The Excellence in Education Fund is a resource of private dollars dedicated to supporting educational programming in Hillsboro schools. Bisarek introduced the concept of an excellence in education fund to the Hillsboro community after witnessing the benefits of such a fund while working for the Iowa-Grant School District.
After laying out the vision for the funds, Bisarek’s leadership included recruiting the initial advisory board, and, with them, determining a plan of action to establish the funds. With his administrative support, the advisory board recruited 67 charter donors during the 2012-2013 school year, raising nearly $70,000, more than twice as much as needed to begin both funds. In May the first awards were made: $4,500 in scholarships to seven students and $500 to the technology education program at the high school.
Bisarek has been the superintendent of the Hillsboro School District since 2010. For five years prior, he was the elementary principal. Before coming to Hillsboro, Bisarek taught social studies at Iowa-Grant and Argyle. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and completed the Superintendent Licensure Program at Winona State University. He lives in Hillsboro with his wife, Linda, and two children.
The Community Foundation’s Spirit of Philanthropy Award recognizes Foundation volunteers who lead and live philanthropic lives. Recipients are honored for giving consistently and generously of their time and resources, for making things happen in their communities, and for encouraging others to do likewise.
One award is given for each of the Community Foundation’s three regions: Rock/Walworth counties, Green/Lafayette counties and Southwest Wisconsin, including Vernon County.
The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin offers assistance to communities and individual donors seeking to establish charitable funds across nine Southern Wisconsin counties. In 2012-2013 grants and scholarships from Community Foundation funds totaled $2.7 million.
Further information about the Foundation may be found at www.cfsw.org or by calling 608-758-0883.
