It is increasingly clear that our public schools cannot provide
what a variety of programs without financial support from sources
other than the state and federal government. The current situation
in our state and our district is a prime example, with drastic
cost-cutting measures under way.
It is increasingly clear that our public schools cannot provide what a variety of programs without financial support from sources other than the state and federal government. The current situation in our state and our district is a prime example, with drastic cost-cutting measures under way.
Morgan Hill students and families are fortunate to have two additional funding sources to provide some of the things that the district – and the state – cannot.
The Live Oak Foundation has been a part of Morgan Hill for 22 years. Its sole purpose is to raise money to provide grants for deserving programs in the district that otherwise might not receive funding. Since the foundation’s inception in 1981, it has awarded nearly $450,000 to local schools. This year’s $19,000 will be used to fund such diverse programs as library books, a Spanish language immersion program and a writer’s workshop, to name a few.
We commend the foundation, its board and its president, George Thomas, for their fundraising efforts and their diligence in reviewing the numerous applications for funding they receive. We appreciate the contribution they make to the students of the Morgan Hill School District and, therefore, the community as a whole.
A relative newcomer in the community, the Teacher’s Aid Coalition, or TAC, has already made its mark. Founded by Jon Hatakeyama and a group of his fellow dentists, the organization was founded to encourage private donations by individuals and local businesses to lessen the classroom expense burden of teachers.
TAC, which was founded in October 2001, now has a steering committee which includes Burnett Elementary School Principal Bob Davis and Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers President Mary Alice Callahan, among others.
Supplies ranging from chalk to copy paper, from tissues to binders, are collected in a district warehouse, and donated funds used to purchase more supplies to fill the gaps. On a designated day, teachers can come to the warehouse to pick up supplies.
Hatakeyama and others recognized a need in our community – the need to keep teachers with salaries not comparable to the average corporate worker from spending their own money to purchase supplies for the education of our children – and they filled it.
Our community is fortunate, especially given the fallout from the high tech bubble-burst, to have both the Live Oak Foundation and TAC to assist the district in providing quality programs, services and supplies to our students.
TAC accepts donations of supplies or funds to purchase them. If you dine at Chevy’s in Gilroy today and drop your receipt in the fundraising box, Chevy’s will donate 20 percent of your meal to TAC. To otherwise volunteer or contribute, contact Jon Y. Hatakeyama at 779-7391 or Bob Davis, principal at Burnett Elementary School at 779-5241. The Live Foundation accepts donations to fund the grants it distributes each spring. To contribute, P.O. Box 10, Morgan Hill, 95037.
