Source: http://delmarkids.org/docs/pdfs/DMSEF_Letter_DMUSD_040208.pdf
Del Mar Schools Education Foundation
April 2, 2008
BY EMAIL
Dr. Annette Easton, President
Ms. Katherine White, Clerk
Dr. Janet Lamborghini
Mr. Steven McDowell
Board of Trustees
Del Mar Union School District
225 Ninth Street
Del Mar, California 92014
Dear Trustees:
On behalf of the entire board of the Del Mar Schools Education Foundation, I would like to thank the hundreds of donors who have supported our mission to support and enhance educational programs, and specifically enrichment programs, by contributing so generously to our annual appeal. Although our appeal will not end until the end of this month, we are mindful of the District’s May 1 deadline for accepting donations toward funding additional enrichment staffing positions for the 2008-09 school year, which you approved unanimously at your July 2007 meeting, and we are committed to helping each school secure its goal in the little time remaining.
Therefore, on April 15, 2008, the Foundation will deliver a check to the District for the gross amount raised and received to date through our annual appeal, without any deductions for any expenses associated with raising these funds (including credit card fees). The check, which will exceed $510,000, will be designated for “Enrichment Programs” at each individual school, in the amount raised on behalf of each school. This fulfills the promises that the Foundation has made throughout its current fundraising campaign that: (i) we would turn over all money raised through the annual appeal in advance of the May 1 deadline set by the DMUSD Board of Trustees; (ii) any dollars raised would be donated, without regard to the expenses associated with our fundraising efforts; and (iii) any donations designated for a particular school would stay at that school. Of course, we will continue to accept donations to our annual appeal through the end of the month, and we will turn over any additional amounts received, with the same designations as our April 15 contribution, as soon as possible. As soon as the Foundation completes its budgeting process for next year, we will also donate any available surplus as an additional sum, which also will be designated for “Enrichment Programs”, to be divided evenly amongst the individual schools.
We are pleased to be able to contribute these funds to benefit our children. Nevertheless, for all of the reasons stated in our March 6 letter (available on our website at www.delmarkids.org), and further stated at your March 26 meeting, we believe that our fundraising efforts have been hampered by the failure of the Board of Trustees to act upon the enrichment funding proposal submitted by the DMSEF. Further, the assurances given by a majority of individual trustees at the meeting that the District will accept donations for additional staffing positions at school sites beyond those allocated by the District, without regard to whether the particular site meets its fundraising goal, has further undermined our efforts by creating a disincentive to support these goals. These comments raise doubt regarding the necessity and desirability of maintaining a district-wide fundraising organization such as the Foundation. Therefore, the principal agenda item at our May 6, 2008 Board meeting will be to determine the feasibility of accomplishing our mission under the current environment, and whether it would be preferable to suspend our operations at the present time.
Very truly yours,
/s/
Bob Gans
DMSEF President
cc: Ms. Janet Bernard
Interim Superintendent
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