 Jeannie Bruin presents Superintendent Rich Fischer the MVLA Foundation’s largest donation yet. The foundation’s annual contributions enable the district to enhance programs for students. |
The Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School Foundation has raised its largest contribution to date for local high schools - $500,000.
Superintendent Rich Fischer accepted the donation on behalf of the district from foundation President Jeannie Bruin at the foundation’s annual dinner at Chef Chu’s earlier this month.
This year’s donation is equivalent to about $600 per student. Although the foundation presents its check at the end of the school year, it pays for programs that have operated yearlong.
Bruin said last week that the foundation’s goal for 2005-2006 is to raise $600,000. Part of that amount will be used to upgrade the schools’ technology.
“It’s one of the hardest things schools struggle with - technology goes stale pretty fast,” Bruin said.
Replacing outdated servers and other computers will cost at least $50,000, Bruin estimated.
“We’ll build that into the school budget to be used as we specify, then we’ll start raising the money in August. The school district is actually spending that money while we’re raising it. All districts in California have operated this way since Prop 13 passed,” she explained.
The donation for 2004-2005 increased from $350,000 last year and $220,000 two years ago - impressive generosity in an unimpressive economy. Parents and other community members contribute to compensate for the scarcity of state funds, said foundation member Andy Danvers.
“It’s been a great year. People really came to bat for the school district. It’s nice to see the parents step up,” Danvers said.
The grant for 2004-2005 paid the salaries of additional teachers to reduce class sizes in freshman English, Algebra I and geometry classes; free on-campus tutorial centers; college counseling and vocational training; the salaries of assistant librarians to keep the school libraries open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; subscriptions to online research; and instructional materials for science and elective classes at Alta Vista.
Because of this year’s foundation grant, 902 students attended smaller freshman English, Algebra I and geometry classes - the average student-teacher ratio declined from 29:1 to 20:1 in those classes.
In addition, 397 students signed into the tutorial centers every school day for more than 71,900 contacts, and the career and college centers made 40,000 student and parent contacts.
Every school day, 240 students signed into the library before and after school, and students had access to 600 magazine and newspaper titles online at school and at home.
Alta Vista benefited from manipulative teaching aids in science and career classes.
