Join your
friends, colleagues, and neighbors to help "Bridge the Gap" in the
Fiscal Year 2011 School Budget.
You can make a difference for the children in Arlington. It’s not too late. Mail in your donation today or donate via PayPal.
This coming year,
the Arlington Public Schools face a projected deficit of $3.9 million.
The FY11 School Gap Fund is a one year emergency fundraiser which aims
to bridge the financial gap while Arlington finds long term solutions to
the schools' financial stresses.
For the last several
years, the School Department has cut funds for core budget items with
minimal impact to the students. This was necessary because the state cut
local aid and its commitment to help pay for special education costs as
a result of the economic downturn. At the same time, the cost of
utilities, health care and special education rose dramatically. Now
there is little left to cut except the teachers and staff. This means
the impact of a $3.9 million decrease will be felt dramatically by
students.
Our goal for the campaign is $1 million. Based on
prior fundraisers, we believe that this is an ambitious but reachable
goal. Arlington’s commitment to education is strong and the needs of our
students’ great. If 2,000 households give an average gift of $500, we
can reach the goal, retain teachers, and offer our students a well
rounded education in less crowded classrooms. However, every gift, no
matter how large or small, will make a difference.
The campaign closed on June 15, 2010 in order to know which teachers and staff can
be rehired for next year. Please help by making a donation – then
encourage your friends and neighbors to give too. If we work together,
we can bridge the gap and make a difference in FY11 for Arlington’s
students.
