PARTNERSHIP CONTRIBUTES TO SUCCESS OF PERRY SCHOOLS

PERRY, Okla. (Sept. 2, 2022) --  The legacy of Ed Malzahn continues to live on in the rural town of Perry. Back to the roots he loved, the citizens of Perry are seeing his legacy touch economic development, local nonprofits, civic organizations, and the school system. 

Ed and Mary Malzahn, late Perry residents and Ditch Witch founders, established the Malzahn Family Affiliated Fund (MFAF) at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in 1992 to support their community in perpetuity. After losing Ed in 2015, the MFAF Board of Trustees are fulfilling his mission by pouring support back into the Perry community and building momentum for the future. 

Perry Public Schools and representatives of the Malzahn Family Fund have been working together for many years, but the partnership has grown stronger in recent years. 

When 2019 and 2020 presented a variety of challenges, the school was experiencing a significant decline in enrollment, which resulted in a decrease in state aid funding. They were considering drastic cuts to staff in order to make the budget work at that time. When administrators approached the MFAF trustees with these concerns, they jumped in to help without hesitation.

The Malzahn family not only stepped in during a time of need, but they’ve been building a meaningful relationship with school administrators, meeting on a regular basis, and are genuinely interested and involved with school programs and planning. 

“The Malzahn family truly believes in us. They share our vision and are helping equip us to be the best school in the state,” says Dr. Terry McCarty, Superintendent of Perry Public Schools. “Every year we get better and better with great staff, great people and great facilities.”

Recently, the trustees of the Malzahn Family Affiliated Fund met for their quarterly meeting and reviewed grant applications. Perry Public Schools was among the list of grant recipients. The school district was awarded a $1 million grant to fund key assets to continue in the positive direction. 

Because of their generous support over the years, Perry Schools is seeing the impact and experiencing growth. Enrollment numbers, which had previously dipped under 1,000 students, are now headed upwards. The district has also been able to retain staff and afford the opportunity to hire additional staff needed to run effective and efficient programs to meet the growing needs of students. 

Over the summer, the school launched a two-teacher agricultural education program to focus on developing leaders who will be college and career-ready by graduation. 

Also in the works is a unique opportunity to partner with Oklahoma State University to pilot a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program at Perry Public Schools. This will be the only program of its kind in the state of Oklahoma, and students in Perry will be the first to experience it. 

Things are definitely on the up with thriving programs, successful athletic teams, an award-winning band, top-notch academics, exciting opportunities, a supportive community, and an ambitious team of administrators and school board leading the charge.

“We are pleased and grateful for the incredible support and humbled that they have trusted us with this investment. We would not be in the position we are today without the Malzahn family,” added McCarty.  

The MFAF Board of Trustees includes Courtney Darrah of Wichita, Shelbi Duke of Perry, Rick Johnson of Edmond, Pam Sewell of Perry, and Tiffany Sewell-Howard of Boulder, along with two members appointed by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation from their board of trustees. The MFAF trustees expressed, “The school is the heart of Perry and it’s exciting to see more academic opportunities offered to students. Many aspects of Perry are flourishing and it truly is rewarding to be a part of it.”

Since its establishment, the MFAF has awarded approximately $6.5 million to Perry organizations and student scholarships. In addition to the school, they work hand-in-hand with the City of Perry and the Noble County Family YMCA. The unified, collaborative efforts are making Perry a great place to live, work, go to school, and raise a family.