Saratoga News Calls to help Saratoga Education Foundation By Cyndy Riordan On Sunday, Feb. 7 the Saratoga Education Foundation will be asking parents and community to show their support by making a tax-deductible donation. The Phonathon is an annual event that depends upon more than 150 parents, school employees and community volunteers to reach its fundraising goal--$150,000 for the 1999-2000 school year. Donations raised through SEF allow the Saratoga Union School District to maintain basic programs such as science and libraries, to provide the so-called extras, music and art, and to expand learning opportunities through the use of technology. SEF has donated more than $2.5 million to the school district since its inception in 1982. It hopes to donate $550,000 next year that will help ease the gap between state funding at $4,917 per student and school district expenditures of $5320 per student in 1998. Even comparable communities such as Los Altos and Los Gatos receive more in revenue--$569 and $328 more per student, respectively--than Saratoga though our property tax base is higher. In California, taxes do not fully pay for public K-12 education. In the 1970s, the California Supreme Court's Serrano vs. Priest decision held that the existing school finance system based on property taxes was inequitable and unconstitutional. To comply with Serrano vs. Priest, the state legislature created formulas for school financing that resulted in limiting the funding available to districts like Saratoga. Local property taxes are redistributed by the state according to formulas that restrict the dollars available to each school district. If we look at property taxes alone as a funding source, Saratoga is entitled to 91 cents of every dollar by this formula. The intent and effect of this financing is that well-off communities do not necessarily have well-off schools. The goal of providing quality public education to Saratoga students has been made more difficult because high property values in our community do not translate into higher levels of funding. A community's schools are everyone's responsibility. Saratogan Dr. Frank Dutra says he is trying to make up for governmental neglect of schools in his own way by donating to the Saratoga Education Foundation. People who earn their living in Silicon Valley industries place a high value on education. They are willing to pay premium prices for their homes because of the excellent education available to their children in Saratoga schools. Bill and Mary Keating pulled their children out of private school to attend Saratoga Elementary. They told me, "We loved the private school, and our boys were very happy there, but after visiting Saratoga Elementary we felt it was even better. Parental involvement in education is an essential part of our community." The Keatings think everyone should contribute to SEF, so that the education we can offer our children will be even better. SEF thanks our past supporters and would like to remind everyone to donate generously on Feb. 7 when you receive a call during Phonathon 1999. Cyndy Riordan is outreach coordinator for SEF, which can be contacted at P.O. Box 2392, Saratoga, Calif., 95070. SEF is also on the web, at www.saratoga-sef.org. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 3, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.