Foundation will form to support school district

Foundation will form to support school district

By Heather Milo
Acorn Staff Writer
 

In a unanimous effort to find new sources of funding for school programs, the Conejo Valley Unified School District voted 5-0 to authorize the creation of the Conejo Schools Foundation as a parent support/booster organization.

The approval is pending review of by-laws and documentation, allowing for revisions of documentation if necessary.

District Superintendent Robert Fraisse said he was very excited about the foundation. "I believe a very wise person once said, ‘Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.’ The time for the Conejo Schools Foundation has come," he said.

Fraisse introduced Thousand Oaks High School parent and booster club member Terry McCallum, who explained to the board the steps the foundation committee members are following. "We’re all in the process of trying to figure out what the state is going to do," said McCallum, adding that the community does not want to be at the whims of state funding. "This is a community effort."

McCallum and others started to talk about this foundation three years ago, he said. The committee’s research has turned up successful examples based on community efforts, rather than just school efforts. The main focus of the foundation will be to provide resources for the children. Committee members have admired the success of programs such as classroom size reductions, and want to ensure these programs continue.

Fundraising goals will be filled both short-term and long-term simultaneously. Some funds will be re-circulated immediately into programs, and some funds will be placed into long-term endowments.

Foundation examples were taken from such local efforts as the Alliance for the Arts, from which many volunteers have already come on board to help the school district, and from the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall, which has given gifts to schools. "We believe we can apply these models to support all schools," said McCallum.

Fundraising expert Anne King, who is a relatively new face in the district, will be heading up the fundraising aspects of the committee along with Thousand Oaks High School PTA President Patti Yomantas.

McCallum said that the committee plans to match donors’ passions with the needs of the district. But for now, next steps for the Conejo Schools Foundation include the standard red tape: submitting articles of incorporation to the state, and submitting a plan to the IRS, as well as establishing sub-committees. The committee has already been receiving a regular number of calls in the past few weeks, with interested parties inquiring about how they can help the foundation.

King said that the Conejo Schools Foundation is going to give major donors and donor prospects the reassurance of knowing their gift will be long-lasting. King has 10 years of experience as a professional fundraiser, from working with health and social service agencies and colleges. Using her experience, the committee will be applying the time honored traditions of workable fundraising systems. Charitable giving in the amount of $200 billion plus is created each year in this country, said King. "There’s no reason why we can’t get a piece of that."

King also had supportive words for the school board. "This board has done the right groundwork to make this a success," she said.

President Dolores Didio said, "I’m so excited for this to get off the ground, and I know that Dr. Fraisse has been hard at work behind the scenes to get this going." Didio added that an investment in the city’s school system was also an investment in one’s own property values, since real estate values can be dictated by the quality of local schools. "What better investment could you make?" she asked.

Boardmember Tim Stephens said that the establishment of this foundation is one of the goals the district has planned to meet.