Community groups rise to the occasion
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SCHOOL FRIENDS- Friends of Oak Park Schools Chairman Barry Myerson, center, discusses new projects with, from left, Barbara Wechter, Willie Veliz and Eric and Tanya Tong during a recent gathering at an Oak Park home.

When Oak Park students attend music classes each day, they can thank their parents and others for the program. A small group of Oak Park residents raises thousands of dollars annually to help create and retain new programs in local schools, including music education.

Friends of Oak Park Schools, a 13-member board made up mostly of parents with children in the district's five schools, raise funds to supplement shortfalls in the local education budget, according to Friends Chair Barry Myerson.

The group's motto is "A Promise to Our Children."

About $51,000 raised last year saved the music program from dramatic cuts, Myerson said.

Friends is one of 250 education foundations throughout the state that were formed to help augment school funding, Myerson said. According to the Friends, local property taxes provide only one-third of Oak Park's $28 million operating budget.

"This is something that needs to ring in the ears of everyone so they actually understand the battle that our district's administration has to wage on a daily basis," Myerson said.

Behind the curve

U.S. Census figures show each state spent about $8,287 per student in 2004. At $12,981 per student, New Jersey topped the nationwide spending list. Utah spent the least- - $5,008.

In 2005, California spent between $5,500 and $6,659 for each student. Current figures were not available.

"Like many school districts throughout the state, people in Oak Park are realizing the importance of raising additional funds to support programs that make a difference for our kids," Superintendent Tony Knight said.

Despite the lack of funding, district administration and teachers "still deliver over and above what we expect from them," said Myerson, who pointed to the Distinguished and Blue Ribbon honors that Oak Park schools have earned- as well as the 95 percent of Oak Park High School graduates who go on to college.

"How could you live in this community and not be proud of our district's accomplishments?" Myerson said.

Trying to bounce back

Following the defeat of two school bond measures in 2006, the Friends will be called upon to help sustain music and art programs, board member Kim Mogavero said.

"A higher priority would probably be placed on existing programs rather than new programs," Mogavero said.

The Friends raise funds through a community appeal letter sent at the beginning of the school year. Families outside of Oak Park whose children attend school on interdistrict permits also receive letters asking for at least a $197 donation, the equivalent of the parcel tax that Oak Park residents pay.

"These parents respond with incredible financial and emotional support," Myerson said. "Our interdistrict parents are also paying parcel taxes in their own community where they do not reap the benefits of this."

This year, Friends has raised $66,000, including $31,000 from interdistrict families, $27,000 from Oak Park families and the remainder from corporate sponsorships. The money will fund a new science specialist at the elementary school labs and more advanced science projects at middle schools and high schools.

Additional funds are raised by special events including a golf tournament two years ago that made $40,000. Other fundraisers are the "Slam 'n Jam" basketball expo held last year and this year's Casino Royale, planned for March 25 at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills.

Friends members meet with Knight and school board President Marie Panec to discuss what the district's needs are for the coming year. They also work closely with the various parent/ teacher organizations.

"They are a group of extraordinary people who are very committed to their community schools and willing to work hard to encourage others to voluntarily support the schools," said Panec. "The money they raise has allowed the district to maintain some vital programs that make a big difference to kids." The organization originally was called the Oak Park Education Foundation, but the group went dormant about a decade ago when state funds were more plentiful, Myerson said.

When the district began to experience declining enrollment and state cutbacks about four years ago, then-Superintendent Marilyn Lippiatt asked residents to reestablish an education foundation. The name chosen was Friends of Oak Park Schools to better reflect the purpose of supporting local schools.

The board meets monthly, and its members are elected to three-year terms.

Volunteers are always needed for Friends committee work, including finance, marketing, events and corporate giving, Myerson said.

"I am very proud to work with an incredible group of community members who give the greatest gift of all, their energy and time.

"What we do is a labor of love," said Myerson, who has a son at Red Oak Elementary and a daughter at Medea Creek Middle School. His wife, Andrea, has served on the Red Oak Parent Faculty Association board.

For more information or to find out how to volunteer, call (818) 735-3270 or visit www. friendsofoakparkschools.org. In a Nutshell

Oak Park residents have expressed confusion about the different support organizations in the community. The following describes them.

+Friends of Oak Park Schools is a nonprofit group dedicated to obtaining supplemental resources for educational and enrichment programs that may not be affordable in the budget.

+The Oak Park Community Foundation recruits volunteers and raises money for community programs, including Friends of the Oak Park Library, Oak Park High and Medea Creek Middle School parent-faculty clubs, Oak Park High Grad Night Committee and Oak Park Performing Arts Boosters. The group also conducts community forums for school board and Municipal Advisory Council elections.

+The Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) is the governing body of Oak Park. Residents elect five members to serve on the council as representatives of the community, advising Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, who oversees the local unincorporated area.

+The Oak Park Schools Community Group is a new organization that was begun following the defeat last year of two school bond measures. It hopes to address various issues concerning the future of Oak Park schools and facilitate communication between the school district and the community.

- Sophia Fischer