Educational Foundation wants you

During its 15 years of existence, the Valley Stream District 13 Educational Foundation has raised more than $52,000 for the elementary school district. Last week, its members met at the James A. Dever School to discuss the group’s efforts for the new year and find more ways to give back.

First up for the group this year will be a fall fundraiser dance in the Dever School gymnasium on Oct. 21. The event looks to play off the successful 80s dance fundraiser that the foundation hosted in April 2008. The evening dance next Friday will include music, snacks and raffles.

The Educational Foundation will also explore the possibility of hosting a golf outing to raise money. “We have to try to come up with more creative ways to raise money,” said foundation President Emilie Stris, who noted that grant money has dried up in recent years.

Past grants, specifically from State Sen. Dean Skelos, have paid for etched glass windows above the libraries at each of the four schools, and SmartBoards, laptop computers and band uniforms. The foundation also presents scholarships each year to graduating sixth-graders at the four schools.

Stris said that the Educational Foundation is seeking members who would be able to assist with writing grant applications.

This past summer, the foundation received a small grant from CVS. The group used the $75 gift card to purchase school supplies for needy children. Money was used to buy folders, notebooks, pencils and crayons, and were given out to students based on recommendations from the school social workers.

The foundation also has a new savings account to assist needy students on a case-by-case basis. An initial $1,000 in seed money was provided by Free Masons Reliance Lodge No. 776 in Whitestone.

Money is also raised through the yearly dues for the foundation. The annual cost is $5 per person or $10 for a family, business or organization. At the suggestion of District 13’s assistant superintendent for business, Meredith Brosnan, the foundation now also offers a lifetime membership for $100. Stris, her husband Bill who is a Board of Education trustee, and Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Robb-Fund became the first lifetime members after handing in their checks at the Oct. 5 meeting.

The group has nearly 50 members, including Board of Education trustees, administrators, teachers, parents and community members. The Educational Foundation’s leaders say they want to grow, and will also be reaching out to area businesses. Anyone who joins the organization can have input on the group’s fundraising efforts, and how the money is spent. “If you’re part of it, you have a say in it,” said Toni Pomerantz, a third-grader teacher at Howell Road School. Pomerantz is a director and past president of the Educational Foundation.

Emilie Stris said that her goal is make the organization more known to the community. She wants people to understand the Educational Foundation’s core mission, which is to provide financial support to the district and offer more educational opportunities for students. “We’ve been around,” she said, “and people don’t really seem to know us.”

Anyone can join the organization, as it is not just limited to District 13 residents. “It helps children in the district,” Bill Stris said, “but as far as membership or money coming in, there are no boundaries to that.”

Fall dance