IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers HAY, YOU!—Above, Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education seventh-graders, from left, Adenna Bratz, Natalie Glover and Harrison Anderson leap over bales of hay in an obstacle course during the fourth annual Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education CAPE-athon Oct. 2. Students raced around the obstacle course or rode scooters around a track to earn money through pledges from their friends and family. Because of California budget cuts to education, student fundraisers are more important than ever for local schools. CAPE raised about $20,000 this year, according to a school official. Shawn Klingenhoff, at right, scrambles through a tunnel as part of the event. School principals in Pleasant Valley and Oxnard Union High school districts are coping with markedly reduced budgets and say creative fundraising is vital to filling the funding gap.

Although local officials at public schools said fundraising efforts have been mostly on a par with last year, the schools are unable to bridge the millions of dollars in cuts the state has made to the schools in the past two years.

Rio Mesa High expects a $1million loss from its general fund this year compared to last, Principal Ray Gonzales said.

The Oxnard high school is absorbing the loss by not filling vacant jobs. Also, the school no longer has a $200,000 improvement fund to pay for educational field trips, classroom technology and the like.

“Just like in our personal lives, we’ve got to tighten our belts,” Gonzales said, adding the school’s parent-faculty organization has been discussing what measures to take to raise money and is developing a plan. “We’re being creative.”

Despite the loss, Rio Mesa continues to offer programs that help students outside the classroom, such as reading sessions and after-school tutoring.

Adolfo Camarillo High expects to lose about $600,000 from its general fund this school year, said Principal Glenn Lipman.

Lipman said he’s confident the four fundraising groups—the Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA), Adolfo Camarillo High School Foundation and athletic and band booster clubs—will continue to be aggressive in raising money for the school.

“The community supports us,” Lipman said.

PTSA President Rochelle Sullivan said the association asked parents at the beginning of the school year to donate $25 per student.

More recently, the association asked parents to donate an additional $10 per student to help pay for classroom technology and to support the district’s Gifted and Talented Education program and the association’s fund. The association pays for academic awards, student tutoring and prom and grad night tickets for disadvantaged students.

The association also receives money when referring families to online driver’s education and grocery store purchase programs.

The Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education, a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school chartered by Oxnard Union, held a student jog-athon on Oct. 2. Students raised $20,000, about the same amount as last year, said Doreen Learned, director of operations.

The money will be used to pay for art and music appreciation and reading programs.

Fundraisers are also important to private schools, such as Catholic school St. Mary Magdalen in Camarillo.

And no fundraiser is more important for the parochial school then its annual fiesta, held last weekend.

Amy Jo Reinoso, the school’s head of marketing, said early projections show that raffle ticket and food sales during the two-day carnival-style event were up over last year.

She said the money raised during the fundraiser is important to the small private school “because we don’t receive the public school funding.”

Little goes a long way

Pleasant Valley School District Assistant Superintendent Linda Bekeny said the district lost about 20 percent of revenue from the state compared to last year.

To meet its shrunken budget, the district slashed office and classroom supplies by 10 percent, cut down library technicians’ hours and increased class size from 20 students to 24 for kindergarten through third grade.

The district also kept $50,000 from a $350,000 school and library improvement grant that’s divided among the schools.

At Los Primeros School of Sciences and Arts, Principal RaeAnn Michael said her preliminary budget is about 15 percent less than last year.

The district is expected to have final budget figures for schools this month.

The kindergarten-througheighth-grade school plans several fundraising events this school year. A student jog-athon is set for Oct. 23 with the goal of raising $40,000. The event raised close to $30,000 last year.

Middle school students are planning three benefit dances, and the school’s education foundation plans a student production of “Guys and Dolls 2” for March 18 through 20.

The Los Primeros ParentTeacher Organization recently donated $16,000 to pay for science, music and art teachers. The community group Save Our Children’s Music donated $10,000 to Los Primeros to share with Camarillo Heights Elementary for a music appreciation course.

Los Primeros also received about $35,000 in grants for the library, technology in the classroom, physical education programs and extra help for English language learners this year.

Community volunteers are coaching the school’s girls’ and boys’ basketball teams.

“We’re very, very lucky,” Michael said, referring to the donations, grants and volunteers.

Michael said all is not “rosy,” however, pointing out that the district had to lay off 27 teachers this school year.

“This is the worse I’ve seen it in 20 years,” Michael said of education funding.

Jay Greenlinger, principal of La Mariposa Elementary, said his preliminary budget for this year is $2.5 million, down from $2.7 million last year. But Greenlinger said he’s bracing for more bad news because the preliminary figure is based on enrollment projections and La Mariposa’s enrollment has been lower than expected.

La Mariposa was scheduled to have a student jog-athon fundraiser yesterday, Oct. 8. The event last year netted $45,000 for the school. Greenlinger said he hopes the jog-athon raises at least that much this year.

La Mariposa’s jog-athon had been its only fundraiser until last year, when the school sponsored a gala dinner and auction at Las Posas Country Club. The inaugural event brought in $25,000 for the elementary school.

La Mariposa’s gala for 200910 is scheduled for March 13.

The two fundraisers pay for school assemblies, field trips and new classroom technologies, such as response devices that give teachers instant feedback on student learning. The money will also help pay for installation of a wireless network that will allow teachers to learn from one another and work together on lesson plans.

Greenlinger said the most difficult consequence of the decreased budget has been lost time for teacher collaboration. The tight budget has no room to pay for substitutes for the classroom while teachers attend workshops to learn about new technologies.

The principal said he won’t buy classroom technologies if teachers aren’t trained to use them.

“The last thing we want to do is raise money to buy expensive paperweights,” Greenlinger said.