Elevating education is one of the primary goals of the annual Eureka Giving Campaign, part of the Eureka Schools Foundation. It is not surprising then that the theme for this year's event, which runs now through April, is "Elevate to Educate."

For those unfamiliar with the annual campaign, now in its sixth year, parents from schools in the Eureka Union School District volunteer to call other parents and tell them about the campaign and ask for a donation. Donations are used to support enrichment programs in the district. Things like art, music, computers, library, foreign language and physical education.

John Reese, ESF boardmember and chairman of the campaign, says that because to the designation as a rural area back in 1983 (due to Proposition 13), Granite Bay schools receive less funding than other schools in the area.

"Other districts get more money from their taxes than we get," he says. "We are in the lower 10 percent of the state for funding enrichment programs. A lot of folks who move here don't realize that."

It is the job of his volunteers each year to try to get this message across to parents and to collect donations. The donations help keep programs and staff, like the library and technology resource people and foreign language instructors, funded in the district. They'd like to implement a foreign language program in first through third grade, but so far the money just isn't there to go district wide.

"We just don't have the money to get some of these programs," he says. "They don't start a foreign language until they are in junior high or high school. If they could start a foreign language in second or third grade, they could be fluent by the time they are in high school."

Reese says the district has about a $375 per student shortfall to keep programs and the campaign is a key ingredient to make up the difference. Last year the campaign raised about $200,000 with less than 30 percent of families participating.

The problem, he says, is not interest in helping the district, but awareness. The campaign simply does not have enough volunteers to call every family in the district.

"That's why it is so important to have more volunteers," says Reese. "If we can just reach everybody. If we can have more people make less of a donation we can cover it."

With three school-aged children in the district, Reese realizes the importance of a well-rounded education, especially for those who are college bound.

"It's not like it was in our day, grade point average just doesn't cut it anymore," he says. "You have to have it but you have to have other qualifications and be well-rounded. The competition is so tough and this is one way we can help them get the education they deserve."

The annual campaign actually began last month with a "no-call-a-thon." Families who donate prior to Feb. 22 will not be called during the calling campaign. Families can donate at any school office in the district or online at www.eurekaschoolsfoundation.org.

Kicking off the call-a-thon, Reese arranges two nights when volunteers can get together and call from a local office. This year's call nights are 7-9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25 and Thursday, Feb. 28.

Training is provided and the call-a-thon nights are a fun way to meet other involved parents, says Reese.

Volunteers then follow-up in March with those they could not reach or those who needed time to think about a donation. For most volunteers, the commitment is not that large. Reese says most are assigned about 20 to 25 families and it takes about five hours to complete.

"You basically call and make a presentation and then you follow up and send out donation envelopes," he says. "We really want to make an effort to have every family be contacted, but we really need the volunteers. Some of us call 200 and 300 families and that is a lot. You have five weeks to call."

This year, Reese would like to raise $300,000 but he realizes a tight economy could be a challenge. Still he is hopeful.

"We'd like 100 percent participation, obviously. If we could get one out of every two families to make a donation that would be great," he says.



Susan Jameson can be reached at susanj@goldcountrymedia.com. v