By Sara Ballenger

The Mountain View-Los Altos High School Foundation has come closer to its goal of raising $220,000 for the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District after its annual phone-a-thon Sept. 24-25, foundation president Julia Rosenberg said.

About 100 parent volunteers, administrators and even the principals of Los Altos and Mountain View high schools manned the phones and solicited donations at the San Antonio Road offices of Coldwell Banker and Alain Pinel.

The total amount raised by the phone-a-thon was not available at press time.

“It’s the foundation’s 20th anniversary this year, which I am very proud of,” Rosenberg said. “As a percentage of a budget, $220,000 doesn’t seem like much, but it goes a long way in the education of students.”

This year, the foundation is asking for a donation of $350 per student, but Rosenberg stresses that in the current tough economic times a donation of any denomination is greatly appreciated.

“Last year, we had our phone-a-thon a few days after Sept. 11, and we were thinking things would get better,” Rosenberg said. “Things are not getting better, but people are really coming through for schools and recognizing that the foundation really makes a difference to the district.”

Parent volunteer Gloria Davis has seen a lot of enthusiasm from families new to the high school district.

“The new families are getting really excited,” she said. “The economy is still really hard, but it’s a great cause.”

The foundation funds programs at Los Altos and Mountain View high schools, including tutorial centers, library materials, the industrial technology program, science equipment and additional textbook purchases, technical support for the performing arts facilities, and research databases for the library, Rosenberg said.

The foundation also funds Alta Vista at a percentage based on its enrollment. This year, foundation funding was about 5 percent of Alta Vista’s budget, Rosenberg added.

“Like everybody, we are really having to work hard to maintain the quality program we have had in the past,” Rosenberg said.

The community’s giving to the high school foundation has helped the district maintain its high quality of instruction, Superintendent Rich Fischer said.

“The amount of giving in this community is phenomenal,” Fischer said. “The turnout is great.”

Send tax-deductible donations to the MV-LA High School Foundation, P.O. Box 1146, Los Altos, CA 94023-1146.