Source: Carmel Valley News, August 28, 2008
By Matt Liebowitz
After a few years of controversy and contention, the Del Mar Schools Education Foundation is moving forward with new officers, a new business model, and ideas to keep money pouring into the school district’s enrichment program.
At its Aug. 12 meeting, the Education Foundation elected 10 new members, including Matt Zevin, who will serve as one of two co-presidents (the other still to be determined), secretary Allison Poe, and treasurer Jon Flam. To round out their 16-18-person board, three more appointees will be named at the foundation’s September meeting.
About three-quarters of the 18-member board reached the end of their two-year-terms at the end of this past school year.
“We’re in a two- to three-year change process,” said Jeb Spencer, who’s been on the Education Foundation board since April 2007, and who led the nominating committee to pick the new board members.
With the changing board comes a changing way of doing business, one that steers away from conflicts of interest and fundraising controversy.
This past school year, the foundation did away with paid staff employees, including highly paid executive director Maria Olson, and instead shifted towards a volunteer organization.
The foundation will still employ a part-time accountant to process fundraising checks, and a part-time administrative assistant.
“It’s a big change from a year ago,” said Spencer. “We had to find a new group of people who understand this is a three- to five-hour-a-week commitment. It’s much more than coming to a one-hour board meeting once a month. These are people with an activist philosophy who are going to roll up their sleeves.”
Because each board member has a child in one of the eight district schools, Spencer is confident the foundation will have the best interests of each school at its heart, and that the controversy that plagued the foundation—especially in regards to enrichment funding—is a thing of the past.
The enrichment program provides art, music, science, and technology education; its staff is funded partly by donations to the foundation. As a result of the controversial buyout of former Superintendent Tom Bishop, many parents withheld donations, causing instability and panic as to how the enrichment program would continue.
“Let’s get rid of all the issues, all the scandals, all the politics, and get some money into our school system,” he added. “That’s all this is about. I think we got rid of all the politics last year, and we’ll continue to do so this year.”
Donations for the Enrichment Program will occur on a school-by-school basis rather than going into a general fund. This approach comes as a result of a survey Spencer wrote which revealed that 90 percent of parents preferred to see their contributions go to a specific school.
In the past, parents expressed to the foundation their hesitancy at donating to a general fund and being unable to track how their contribution was used.
To avoid this, and to foster and maintain a healthy relationship between the foundation and its donors, the foundation will engage in monthly dialogues with the parents, and will provide each school with a “fundraiser toolbox,” which offers ways—fundraising galas, pledge days, educational seminars, telemarketing, appealing to past donors — to effectively raise money.
Last year, the foundation raised about $600,000, and though no fundraising goal has been set for the coming year, Spencer expects they’ll take in between $500,000 and $600,000.
Each year, the foundation hosts two events—in the past it was a golf outing and a gala at the Belly Up Tavern—that cover its minimal overhead and allow them to donate all the money raised directly to the school without skimming any off the top.
“We rebuilt trust with many people last year,” he said. “I think the fact we raised so much speaks to that.”
Keeping the Education Foundation a separate entity from the Del Mar Union School District Board of Trustees is a quality Spencer believes will eliminate any conflicts of interest, and create a clear fundraising path for donors.
“We’re a nonprofit organization, separate from the school board,” said Spencer. They say to us, ‘You guys raise the money, let us know where you want it to go.’ That makes sense. We have a very good relationship.”
Steven McDowell, a board member of the Del Mar Union School District and ex-officio member of the Education Foundation in 2007, applauded the foundation’s independence, but is cautious about the foundation making demands of the school board.
“The foundation has to set its own goals and missions. It’s difficult to provide a forecast of our needs.”
Though the foundation will work closely with each school’s principal and parent population, McDowell said the school board will ensure foundation money is distributed equally throughout the school district.
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