SANTA ANA : School District OKs Bingo Fund-Raiser
The Santa Ana Unified School District board will permit a parent booster group to operate bingo games at Valley High School to raise money for extracurricular sports and activities.
The board approved the request on Tuesday with a 4-1 vote, with members Richard C. Hernandez, Audrey Yamagata-Noji, Sal Mendoza and Robert W. Balen voting in favor of the proposal and Rosemarie Avila voting against it.
Avila said that she objected to the games because they would send the wrong message to students by offering “high stakes and easy money.” She said she favored programs that promote teamwork and encourage students to earn money by providing goods or services, such as carwashes.
But Parent Booster Board spokesman Hal Kraynek said that the group wanted to offer bingo so that students “wouldn’t have to work eight to 10 hours a day in a carwash.”
“I’m thrilled” about the school board’s decision, said Sue Williams, a member of the parent association, on Thursday. “We want to bring in money and help our kids. That’s the main thing. We’re really happy. The kids need it.”
The money will help fund the field trips, extracurricular activities and special needs of school clubs, including athletic groups, the band and scholarship programs.
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