New Frontier Educational Foundation (NFEF) was formed in 2016 with the goal of supporting the students, teachers, and alumni of Frontier Schools in ways that were outside the scope of the normal operations of a public school district, and which could not access local, state and federal funding sources used to operate a public school.  Gregory Rieke, a founder of Frontier Schools, conceived of the idea of starting a foundation, similar to other successful models that have worked well for many years. Greg Rieke, Jennifer Watson, and Ugur Demircan were the founding members of this new foundation. They met with the Frontier School Board and outlined their plan to proceed with its formation under the laws of the State of Missouri. An outside consultant was procured and articles of incorporation were drafted and submitted. Bylaws were modeled after a neighboring suburban school district, modified to the special purposes of Frontier which had been in operation since its founding in 2009, its predecessor organization. the New Millennium Schools, founded in 2007 by Greg Rieke and Dr. Coskin Cetincaya, New Millennium’s first President. Greg served as NFEF’s original President for 5 years.

The State of Missouri awarded a corporate charter to NFEF as Not-For-Profit organizational status. In late 2016, the Internal Revenue Service awarded NFEF a tax exemption status under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. IRS initially issued a status of Private Operating Foundation which was later amended to a Public Charity Status upon application by NFEF in 2020. There is no ownership or governance conflict between the NFEF and the Frontier Schools organizationally or financially. Both are separate entities, with different boards, accounts, and tax reporting.

The Original Bylaws of NFEF called for a Board of Directors and four officers, namely the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. A close operation with Frontier Schools has been assured by two principal actions. First, the Board Chair of Frontier Schools as well as the Frontier Superintendent, serve as Ex-officio (non-voting) Directors who participate in all board meetings. Secondly, a Memo of Understanding (MOU) between NFEF and Frontier Schools provides for certain beneficial relationships between the two organizations and calls for a close working relationship between both boards and with the Frontier Schools administration and faculty. The agreement also called for cooperation and coordination of funding requests, to ensure that donations received would be channeled to the proper source, given the differing missions and regulations of both operating entities. 

After spending the initial years on startup governance and funding issues, NFEF formulated its first comprehensive Five-Year Plan in 2019, outlining the priorities and financial goals of the organization. At this time three principal initiatives were established: The creation of a mentoring organization for Frontier students, working closely with Frontier staff and administration and outside advisors; The continued support of Frontier teachers through annual excellence recognition awards; the creation of a broad-based support organization, named Friends of Frontier, and comprised of past and present board members of both boards, local professional, Frontier alumni and community organization who shared similar goals; Scholarship programs to support outstanding Frontier graduates in the pursuit of their academic and career goals. Since its founding, NFEF has financed four student collegiate scholarships, in cooperation with the KC Scholars program, to benefit Frontier’s highest achieving student graduates, in partnership with generous local donors. The scholarships are selected independently by KC Scholars within their rigorous selection criteria and include a highly leveraged 3-to-1 funding match for every dollar NFEF (and the individual donors) funds privately.

At the commencement of the New Frontier Educational Foundation (NFEF) we re-dedicated ourselves to a challenge articulated by President John F. Kennedy when he inspired the nation in the 1960s:

“We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do. Today we stand on the edge of a New Frontier, a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils– a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats. The New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises–it is a set of challenges. Courage–not complacency–is our need today–leadership–not salesmanship. I believe the times demand new invention, innovation, imagination, decision. I am asking each of you to be pioneers on that New Frontier. My call is to the young in heart, regardless of age.”

Today we stand at the entrance of yet another New Frontier in this century. We welcome any and all to join us in growing life-long learners and productive citizens at Frontier Schools.

The New Frontier Educational Foundation was formed in 2016 as a non-membership, not-for-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Missouri. The IRS has granted it the status of 501c3, tax-exempt, public charity.