Schools

T.H.E. Foundation Donates $200K to Local Schools

The fundraising group writes a big check to help fund Las Virgenes Schools for the 2012-13 school year.

The Together Helping Education Foundation for Las Virgenes Unified (LVUSD) schools announced Wednesday that it donated $200,000 to the district for the 2012-13 school year.

This gift will be put to immediate use as the LVUSD continues to weather the storm of cuts from Sacramento. Not only is the district faced with continuous reductions to funding, but the state is currently more than five months late in payment to the district. As they enter the 2012-13 school year, the LVUSD is operating at a $3.4 million deficit, due to cuts in state funding that began in 2007.

District Superintendent Dan Stepenosky said he is thrilled to put the substantial
donation to good use.

“This exceptional donation allows the district to maintain our K-3 average class size at 22 to 1, instead of facing the class size increases which had been discussed,” he said, adding: "Additionally, this donation makes it possible for each middle and high school to reduce class size in at least one core curriculum class."

Marc Hernandez, president of T.H.E. Foundation, said: “Saving teachers for the
2012-13 school year was not something we dreamed possible. We are humbled
and inspired by the generous outpouring from our communities that came together to help education.”

“It is moving and encouraging that our community was quick to rally support for T.H.E. Foundation and our schools,” Stepenosky said. “At a time when
districts throughout the state are cutting teachers and increasing class sizes to
record numbers, we are grateful to T.H.E. Foundation for enabling us to bring
back teachers and protect our small class size ratios."

More than 1,000 members of the Las Virgenes community – from Calabasas to Westlake – attended the that took place on June 9 at the

“We worked very hard for almost a year to create an event that would unify our community to support our schools. Only now, after handing this check over to the district, does this accomplishment feel tangible,” said Deanna Glassberg, co-chair and organizer for T.H.E. Event.

"This new education foundation, alongside our new superintendent, paints an
optimistic picture for the future of the LVUSD," said School Board President
Cindy Iser. She described the reaction of the Board of Education by saying: "We
are proud and gratified that our community is supporting the efforts of T.H.E.
Foundation to help us protect the quality of education in our schools, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with them. This is just the beginning."

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