SIMI VALLEY : Magnet School Boosters Cheer CNBC Donation

Organizers of a proposed magnet school in Simi Valley are pointing to a news anchor set donated by CNBC in Los Angeles as evidence of the community’s support for their project.

The set, valued at $15,000, consists of a wooden backdrop and an anchor table. It was given to the school by the parent of a student who works at CNBC, a cable TV station specializing in financial news.

“This shows that people are interested in helping us,” said Judy Cannings, who was hired by the board to oversee the magnet school start-up. “Nobody else has signed on the dotted line yet, but we have a lot of nibbles.”

Earlier this year, the school board voted to close Sequoia Junior High and open a magnet school, which will specialize in the performing arts and technology, on the campus next fall. The magnet must rely on donations because the district is allocating only $100,000 in start-up funds.

The CNBC set is currently being used in Frank Rudiger’s video production class at Simi Valley High School. Rudiger said it took him 15 years to collect the equipment and cameras he uses to teach his students about editing, filming and producing television sequences. The equipment is worth more than $100,000, he said.

Video production classes at the magnet school would be similar to Rudiger’s class. Rudiger said such classes can be self-supporting. The school’s Video Production Club, which he founded, films graduations, dances and sporting events and then sells the tapes. The income goes toward buying more equipment.

“High school is a good place to start,” Rudiger said. “There are a lot of opportunities in this business.”