Over the top -- Donations to MV-Whisman foundation will cover lost school programs Over the top -- Donations to MV-Whisman foundation will cover lost school programs (January 02, 2004)

By Julie O'Shea

The Mountain View Education Foundation announced last week that it received a string of year-end donation promises from local businesses, totaling nearly $30,000.

The foundation now has around $450,000 in its fundraising jar -- more than enough money to pay for many of the programs and services originally slashed from this year's Mountain View-Whisman School District budget.

"I think it's great," said school board trustee Gloria Higgins. "They've (the educational foundation) been tremendously helpful in mitigating the cuts for the kids."

The largest donation promise came from NetScreen, a Sunnyvale company, which, through the Entrepreneurs Foundation, has pledged $21,421.53. According to a spokesperson with the Entrepreneurs Foundation, the money should be transferred within a week or so.

"NetScreen and its employees are proud to be making such a significant contribution to the Mountain View Educational Foundation," the entrepreneurs group wrote in an e-mail. "NetScreen is delighted to be able to support education and all of the children attending school in Mountain View."

In addition to NetScreen, the Kiwanis Club came forward last week with a pledge of $5,000 to be presented to the educational foundation at the club's annual luncheon on Jan. 21.

And foundation president Amy Beare said two more members of the Tri-County Apartment Association each have written checks for $1,000.

Twenty-eight thousand dollars "is a significant chunk," Beare said last week. "It was a great Christmas present.

"These donations represent to me the progress we have made in public awareness about the needs of our students," she added.

Following the failure of Measure E -- a $2.5 million parcel tax -- the foundation stepped forward and promised to raise enough funds to pay for six items that were on the budget chopping block. Those included counseling services, art and music, the hands-on science program, after-school sports in the two middle schools and library services.

Beare said the foundation needed about $410,000 to get these services up and running. The latest donations have increased the amount of money raised to about $450,000, and Beare said the foundation's board will meet next month to determine how to use the additional funds.

"We covered all the programs promised," Beare said. "It really is nice to have some extra room."

The next thing on the school district's wish list is money to reinstate office support services, but Beare said she is not sure if this is where the foundation's board will choose to spend the extra cash.

The district is going out for a $1.6 million parcel tax -- Measure J -- this March, and Beare said the board may wish to wait to see how it does at the polls before making any decisions on what to do with the additional money.

If Measure J loses, Beare said, the foundation will have to start thinking about its fund-raising efforts for the next school year, when the district will be "back to square one."

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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