Donors sought to help fill funding gaps at school

Published 11:20 am Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Orcas Island Education Foundation is looking for 1000 generous donors.

The Orcas Island School District has had to make $120,000 in mid-year cuts. The reductions in the district were across the board. OIEF has been able to fund the library through the rest of the year.  But that was only one cut. The organization is now looking to fund the other reductions.

Teacher Kari Schuh wondered if there was a way to back-fill this deficit with many smaller donations. She came up with the “$100 Campaign.”  If there were a thousand donors – parents, friends, friends of friends, aunts-uncles-grandparents – who could give $100 each, most of the mid-year cuts could be mitigated. OIEF has taken on the “$100 Campaign” idea and is looking for those 1000 donors.

“When you give $100, you are helping to bring back a Para-pro who works with a Special Ed student.  Or you are helping to keep a bus route that may otherwise have to be cut,” said OIEF president Janet Brownell. “You may even help keep the elementary secretary available when that second grader needs some extra TLC.”

Donations can be mailed to OIEF, POB 782, Eastsound, WA 98245 or at www.OIEF.org.