Businesses Take on Bigger Role as Schools’ Budget Crunch Continues

In an attempt to deal with larger demands and fewer dollars, Westside schools are turning to the area’s business sector for everything from school supplies to career advice.

Although such partnerships took hold in the Westside little more than a decade ago as a way for students to gain practical skills through real-world experience, the pacts are now seen as a way to supplement everyday education.

“I would like to see a real high-quality vocational program and apprenticeship opportunities in this community,” said Patricia Hoffman, school board president of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. She said there is a “need to continue to pursue financial enhancements to the district” from businesses.

The district accelerated its Adopt-a-School program during the last year and now has corporate sponsors for all 12 of its Santa Monica-based schools. Roosevelt Elementary School celebrated its recent adoption by First Federal Bank of California at a recent ceremony. The district is also seeking sponsors for its two Malibu-based schools.

And in Beverly Hills, school district officials plan to begin a formal partnership program to supplement a pared-down school budget.

The Santa Monica-Malibu district had its budget cut $400,000, because of a state bill that shifts more spending burdens to localities, said Santa Monica City Manager John Jalili. Beverly Hills schools are suffering from the loss of $7 million in expected state funding over the last seven years, said Hali Wickner, a spokeswoman for the Beverly Hills Unified School District. “We have terrible needs,” she said. “We definitely need school-business partnerships.”

More cuts in education spending are expected from Sacramento for next year. Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposed budget calls for a $2-billion cut in funding over an 18-month period.

But while education budgets seem to be shrinking, the participation of corporations in schooling has increased dramatically during the last decade not just on the Westside, but nationwide. Schools in San Diego, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., also have teamed up with business.

Locally, the Los Angeles Unified School District has been a national leader in pairing the classroom and the boardroom since about 1978, and has linked about 90% of its Westside schools with local businesses, said Wayne Carlson, director of Los Angeles’ Adopt-a-School program. Culver City has a successful program too, although it has yet to get partners for all its schools, spokeswoman Joy Jacobs said.

During the last year, Santa Monica in particular has stepped up its Adopt-a-School program, where businesses such as Gillette/Paper Mate and First Federal Bank of California have made formal partnerships with local schools. The partnerships provide money (for teachers’ aides), employees (to serve as tutors and mentors) and equipment (such as notebooks and computers). Added to $1.5 million in funding this year and a proposed $2 million next year from the city of Santa Monica, the community--businesses and citizens--are keeping local schools afloat during bad financial times, district officials say.

“We’re extremely lucky to be in Santa Monica, where the community has agreed to attach itself and where the City Council sees youth as a budget priority,” said school board President Hoffman.

Gillette/Paper Mate has promised to contribute $11,000 to its partnership with Lincoln Middle School, and First Federal is still planning a budget for its adoption of Roosevelt Elementary School, said Karen Johnson, co-chair of a Santa Monica Area Chamber of Commerce task force on school partnerships.

The district and the chamber last year formed a task force to see that every local school gets a major corporate sponsor. School and chamber officials, however, say they don’t intend to create a partnership agenda or rigid rules of participation for fear of asking too much of the businesses.

“I think that when the message becomes blurred between the commercial and the education, that is bad for the kids,” said Hoffman.

Hoffman also is concerned about the prospect of permanently reduced state funding resulting from successful partnerships that supplement school budgets. “I don’t think we should be put in the position of having to turn to the community for equipment and services,” Hoffman said. “The state should be providing adequate funding for the schools.”