Pleasanton's CORE Effort Reaches Almost $500,000

After two months of garage sales and special nights at restaurants, coupon books and 'drop and donate' days, the district-wide Community Outreach for Education fundraiser effort is coming to an end Tuesday.

As of June 4, organizers report that the campaign has raised nearly half of its approximately $950,000 goal with $466, 282.

District Spokesperson Myla Grasso said the district is grateful and content with how the campaign has progressed.

"We're very pleased," Grasso said. "We raised a good amount of money and appreciate what everybody has done."

Organizers report a total of $273,252 raised for elementary schools. At the middle schools, $87,776 has been raised, and $94,771 has been raised for the high schools. An additional undesignated total of $10,483 has also been raised.

These numbers represent three hours of technology support and four additional daily hours of library at the elementary level and two-and-a-half hours of technology support and six additional daily hours of library at the middle school level.

At this point, donations at the high school will be allocated equally per student to the three high schools, according to the Pleasanton Partnerships in Education website.

Facing an $8 million shortfall at the beginning of the year, the Pleasanton Unified School District along with the Pleasanton Partnerships in Education and the Parent Teacher Association Council embarked on the campaign effort to restore hours for its library assistants and fund on-site technology support.

Fundraising is not new to Pleasanton's active parent community, but its only the second year that the community undertook a district-wide effort. In summer 2009, the community raised $450,000 during the "I Love Pleasanton" campaign, according to Grasso. This year's fundraiser, was the first time parents were asked to give a per child donation of $150.

As funds for schools dwindle at the state-level, district-wide fundraiser efforts represent a shift in how the California school districts are turning to parents and communities at-large to help save school employee positions ranging from counselors, specialists and even teachers.

Neighboring districts have undergone similar efforts.

San Ramon Valley Education Foundation asks $300 to $350  per student and the Dublin Partnerships in Education Foundation requests $100 per family. In Cupertino, parents raised more than $2 million to save teacher positions.

An agreement with the teacher and school employee unions helped fill the district's budget gap with $5 million in savings, but before the fundraiser there were still no monies allocated on-site technology support and hours for library assistance at school sites were drastically reduced.

Organizers of the campaign deemed it necessary to look for alternative funding sources from requests from parents, to bring back technology-related services, Grasso said.

"This effort is bringing back some really important services that we as a district could not afford," said Grasso, who added that the district had to make tough choices to eliminate services they did not want to in order to balance the budget.

If goals are fully reached in the elementary and middle school levels, all 12 positions will be saved, Grasso said. Each total for the designated school level will go toward that level. Once the deadline is reached, the district, with input from all stakeholders, will decide how the undesignated funds will be divided, Grasso said.

The community-wide effort and how much it raised has thrilled sponsors of the fundraiser like Debi Covello, executive director of the Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation.

"I'm excited in that this was really a community effort. School sites worked hard together, with us, with the district," Covello said. "We're creating a new opportunity, a new climate, another way to support our schools."

Community members still have other options to support Pleasanton schools besides handing over donations.

A coupon book that offers more than $1,000 in savings at stores in downtown Pleasanton is being sold for $10.00. All proceeds will be donated toward the campaign, Covello said.

On Tuesday, community members who shop at 99 Ranch Market at 4299 Rosewood Drive will also be taking part in the fundraiser. Three percent of the store's daily revenue will be donated to Pleasanton schools.

While there are no more planned events at the school sites, parents and the community can donate online at www.ppie.org or drop off donations at school sites or at the district office. Coupon books are also available for sale on the foundation's website.