By Sara Ballenger

The Los Altos Educational Foundation held its annual phone-a-thon Oct. 15-17 and has come closer to its goal of raising $1.278 million for the Los Altos School District, said Rae Lee Hansen, president.

A total of 300 parent volunteers manned the phones and solicited donations at the Los Altos offices of Coldwell Banker Gateway Center, Seville Coldwell Banker and Alain Pinel, she added.

The total amount raised by the phone-a-thon was not available at press time. Signs outside each school indicate the foundation has raised more than $600,000.

“This is our biggest goal ever,” Hansen said. “We made that commitment to the district for this year, so every child in the school district will benefit from these funds in the here and now.”

This year also marks the largest suggested donation of $500 per student the foundation has asked for.

“We want 100 percent participation (from families), but at whatever financial level is comfortable for them,” Hansen said.

With the district facing a $3 million deficit this coming school year, the foundation’s funds are crucial to art, music and physical education classes, Hansen said.

“Their pledge went up originally just to pay inflation increases,” said Superintendent Marge Gratiot. “When it became apparent that there would be a budget deficit, the parents decided to raise money to keep class sizes reasonable in fourth through eighth grades.”

The foundation earmarked $535,000 of the $1.278 million to go toward class-size reduction by adding new teachers in fourth through eighth grades, Hansen said.

“Adding a teacher is expensive,” Gratiot said. “With salary and benefits, on average the cost to us is $65,000 for hiring that teacher.”

Aside from class-size reduction, the funds raised by the foundation will go toward educational enrichment programs like art, music and physical education, with a cost-of-living increase factored in, said Hansen.

“For parents, art, music and physical education was part of the fabric of our education,” Hansen said. “Now it’s an add-on.”

Fund raising from the foundation is the primary way enrichment programs are being funded, Gratiot said.

“I think we wouldn’t be able to offer the kinds of programs we do for children, without the foundation. We wouldn’t be able to afford it,” Gratiot said.

Some parents have come to the same realization.

“This is about helping your kids get a super education that is not just reading and writing,” said Peggy Schaefer, an Almond parent who volunteered to call for the phone-a-thon. “It has to do with being culturally involved, learning about art, music and the world around you.”

For more information about the foundation, logon to www.laefonline.org.