Fund drive to save Davis school jobs tops $1 million

A campaign to raise money for Davis schools has blown past the million-dollar mark.

Janet Berry, president of the nonprofit Davis Schools Foundation, said the group has raised nearly $1.2 million since it kicked off its fundraising drive in March.

That's far short of Davis Joint Unified School District's projected $4 million budget deficit for the next school year – a result of proposed cuts in state education funding and declining enrollment in the university town.

But the private donations are enough to buy back 20 of the more than 100 teacher and librarian positions that have been slated for elimination next year, Berry said.

The Davis effort initially sought a dollar a day from parents – or $365 a year – for each child enrolled in Davis schools.

The entire community swiftly embraced the cause, donating in amounts that have ranged from a child's jar of pennies to an anonymous contribution of $100,000.

On Saturday, dozens of city businesses contributed a portion of their profits in an event dubbed the Schoolapalooza.

The event took in more than $70,000, including hundreds of contributions from residents, Berry said.

One girl, the daughter of a graduate student, pitched in $34 in pennies, she said.

"It's about the community coming together and doing everything that we can," Berry said. "Whether you give $30 a month or $100,000, all of that is important. It's about everybody giving.

"Parents are having to pitch in to provide an excellent public education because the state certainly isn't doing it," she said. "California has among the lowest per-pupil funding rates in the nation."

The Davis effort has attracted widespread attention. Berry has been interviewed by NBC News and the Los Angeles Times, among others.

"I think it's because we've done it in such a short period of time," she said.

Although Davis is affluent by regional standards, it doesn't compare with the likes of Palo Alto and other wealthy communities in the Bay Area and Southern California that have funded their own schools for years through private donations.

Berry said she believes the Davis model can be copied by other school districts in the region facing budget crises.

Parents in Elk Grove and Chico have called her seeking advice about launching their own fundraising efforts, she said.

Davis schools Superintendent James Q. Hammond said contributions to the foundation will pay for the salaries of music and science teachers and school librarians.

Before the end of this month, the district will have to present its 2008-09 budget to Yolo County education authorities, he said.

At that time, the 115 teachers and librarians who have received pink slips will learn whether their jobs have been spared or if they still face layoffs.

Even after the budget deadline, teacher positions can be saved as the foundation continues to raise money, he said.

"It's testimony," Hammond said, "to the local citizens who are putting a value on the role that public schools play in their community."

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