Oak Park 'friends' supports school district

Friends of Oak Park Schools will donate $103,000 to the Oak Park school district for the 2008-09 school year. The money will fund a district science specialist for the second year. Although the elementary school science program will continue, more emphasis will be placed on reaching middle and high school students, said Friends Chair Barry Myerson. Part of the money will also continue to pay for the district's music program at all three elementary schools.

Friends raises much of its finances through an annual adult social event and a fundraising letter sent to parents. This year families are being asked to donate $100. Interdistrict families are asked for $197, the amount Oak Park residents must pay in the form of a school parcel tax.

"Thirty percent of interdistrict families donate at least the equivalent of the parcel tax," Myerson said. "We love our interdistrict parents."

This year the group will host a family program, what Myerson refers to as a "friendraiser." An endowment fund is also in the works. The idea is to raise $350,000 to be kept as an emergency fund to "help us through the lean years," Myerson said.

"We want people to understand who Friends is, why we are here and why we're significant to education," Myerson said. "We need parents, teachers, students supporting us supporting them."

Friends members work closely with the school board to determine where to earmark funds raised and with the science specialist to determine curriculum.

"We do not simply write a check to the district," Myerson said.

The Friends board has 12 volunteer members and each district school is represented. The group welcomes new members to its board and committees, Myerson said.

"Friends is working very hard to raise funds to protect important programs," Superintendent Tony Knight said. "Their support is more crucial now than ever with the decrease in funding from the state and due to our declining enrollment."

For more information, visit www.friendsofoakparkschools.org.