Solid Foundations for an Education

While studying the techniques and styles of Pablo Picasso, students at Mesa School created their own works of art in homage to the famous painter--works that now decorate the main office and the cafeteria.

And every few weeks, a music theater teacher travels from Los Angeles to teach students Broadway show tunes and other facets of the performing arts.

That is because arts programs at the only school in the Mesa Union Elementary School District are not special occasions: They are priorities.

“The creativity and the understanding of why music developed, why art developed and historically what it means--there is a tremendous amount of education that takes place along with the pure enjoyment of the arts,” Supt. Dennis Convery said.

But without the money raised through donations, his students wouldn’t learn how to make flutes with PVC pipes--or much else about music, Convery said.

In 1983, the district established an education foundation that raises money to fund what are considered extras in California schools--arts and technology programs.

Now, the Mesa Education Foundation is much like more than 500 others in the state and 10 others in Ventura County. Associated with, but not directly tied to, the school districts, the incorporated nonprofit groups raise money and rally community support for students.

“The foundation adds resources in terms of the programs or services that are offered and it provides a link between the community and its schools that I don’t see any other organization providing,” said Susan Sweeney, executive director of the California Consortium of Education Foundations.

The Mesa foundation has had such success that in 1996, the consortium recognized it as one of the state’s exemplary groups.

And it’s not surprising. Foundation money pays for everything from copy machines to the arts program.

Rob Bowers of the Music Center in Los Angeles visits the school every two weeks to give lessons in singing, acting and dancing. While arts are the curriculum, his aim is loftier.

“My real goal is to get the students comfortable so that they can present themselves well, whether it’s speaking or singing or just standing in front of the audience and not freaking out,” said Bowers, who teaches workshops at a handful of schools in the Los Angeles area.

The performing artist knows he has to make the students feel safe before they will get up and belt out a song from “Hair.”

“I say ‘OK, if you don’t want to be an actor or a singer, I want you to feel comfortable with yourself,’ ” Bowers said. “I think a lot more of the kids are willing to take that risk.”

Elsewhere, the Ojai Education Foundation raises money to fund many projects, from math programs to a visit to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The foundation, launched in 1994, hosts a sweetheart ball in February that serves as the group’s annual moneymaker.

“I think if you want something for your kids, you have to have [foundations],” said Michelle Ball, the foundation’s president-elect. “You have to have people that raise money.”

The foundation works to reach out to as many members of the community as possible, not just parents and teachers. Recently, it has increased outreach efforts to senior citizens, Ball said.

The Somis Education Foundation raises $8,000 to $10,000 a year to pick up the tab for the Somis School’s computer, arts and science programs. The foundation even covers the cost of the school’s Renaissance Program, which rewards outstanding students with T-shirts and discounts at local businesses.

“We have a PFO [Parent-Faculty Organization] that raises money,” said treasurer Donna Griffiths. “This is kind of over and above. This covers stuff that the PFOs can’t do.”

Foundations began to mushroom during the early 1980s in the wake of the passage of Proposition 13, the 1978 measure that limited property-tax increases.

“What the state has basically done has equalized its expenditures by pulling down funding for wealthy districts and pulling up funding for poorer districts,” said Eric Brunner, an assistant professor of economics at San Diego State University who studies education foundations. “In the old days, there wasn’t much need for volunteer donations because each community picked its own level [of funding].”

State funding has fallen in recent decades, dragging California’s rankings to one of the lowest levels in the country.

With less money available to maintain art and music programs, school districts began looking for ways to fund them on their own.

Foundations, along with other donations raised through PTA drives, rake in more than $200 million each year for public schools in California, experts say.

Even so, per pupil spending, which is $1,100 below the national average, is rarely increased dramatically by outside fund-raising.

But that isn’t the point.

“Actual dollars [raised], it’s not a lot,” Sweeney said. “But the fact that the community has control over how this money is spent, and it’s not part of the general fund, is what kind of makes it special.”

At Mesa School, per pupil spending is not largely increased by foundation support. But Supt. Convery is thankful that the foundation can foot the bill for the school’s technology program, which was set up a few years ago.

Without the nonprofit group, Convery isn’t sure how the money would be raised. The school now has Internet connections and maintains a Web site.