A school-remodeling process was completed in fall 2002, but funds were unavailable to complete most of the landscaping. So community members have been stepping up over the past two years to beautify Foothill's grounds, in a project that's finally nearing completion.

Foothill parent and former School Site Council President Frank Balma and past Principal Helen Sullivan first identified the landscaping needs of the campus. Balma then enlisted the charitable efforts of notable arborist Barrie Coate and Jeffrey Heid, a Saratoga landscape architect who had attended Foothill as a child. Through their combined efforts, an arborist report and landscape plan were developed. Balma also worked in conjunction with Saratoga Union School District board member John Waite to finalize the plans.

The plans included organizing the campus into 17 separate sections so volunteers could more easily address one area at a time. A parent committee—headed by Waite—worked during the 2003­04 school year with Sullivan and Paul Tipton, the district's facilities director, to implement the vision.

"It was thrilling to see it finally happen after all the planning we put in," said Foothill parent Denise Balma, Frank's wife. "We really tried to stress the drought-tolerant trees."

The school's perimeter is now lined with 50 trees such as Chinese pistache, incense cedar, crape myrtle and Chinese hackberry.

"I wanted to make sure we did our research well so that the trees would really be able to last and reach full maturity," Denise said. "Trees requiring less water are more likely to survive and be healthy and are much less costly to the district."

Diseased trees were eliminated and the area was properly irrigated, with landscaping by Bob LeBlanc of Shamrock Landscaping. Parent volunteers also worked with neighbors who border the school's property, reaching a balance in aesthetic goals and community concerns.

District Superintendent Lane Weiss and Howard Miller, the American Youth Soccer Organization's regional commissioner, coordinated a generous donation from AYSO to complete planting and irrigation of a new field. The Los Gatos­Saratoga Girls Softball Association, led by Steve Zankich of Zankich Construction, also made a major contribution to the project. Zankich and the softball league previously developed another field at Foothill. Denise Balma stressed these are now resources that help address the shortage of athletic fields in the Saratoga community.

Pat Vogel, last year's Foothill Parent­Teacher Association president, coordinated efforts for landscaping the school's entry, including plant selection and installing a school sign, planter and memorial bricks. Vogel is also working to develop shade structures for the lunch area behind the school's multipurpose room, aided by community donations. In addition, shade trees will be planted near the kindergarten and playground areas.

"The project has evolved over time," Vogel said. "A lot of people wanted to be involved in the process. There's just a pride in the community."

Waite said the landscaping complements the school's new facilities. He added the hardest part will be staffing and maintaining the grounds, now that they are about 90 percent complete. The district has some categorical money that has been used for landscaping, but Waite said it's not an easy decision to divert money to provide a pleasant environment when that funding could be used for learning. Therefore, he said it's always necessary to have community involvement.

Most recently, Vogel organized a volunteer group, including parents and girls in Brownie Troop No. 276, to provide weeding maintenance for the grounds. Last year, the school's student service organization—called the Dolphin Doers—helped in this capacity. Vogel is now heading the landscaping volunteer efforts for the current school year.

Donated benches, yet to be installed at various spots across campus, were another component of the volunteer effort. Parent Laurie Vaughan researched bench types and locations and developed a map of potential sites from which donors could choose.

Foothill Cub Scout dens donated three benches, while still other benches were donated by Foothill Girl Scout and Brownie troops, the PTA and the Foothill community. Volunteer Trudi Dionne-Reid organized parents to donate a bench in honor of retiring teacher Boni Calder, who served the district for 39 years. And last year's fifth-grade graduating class pooled funds to build circular benches around two trees near the fifth-grade classrooms.

Fundraising was also achieved through sales of memorial bricks, installed in front of the administration building, that provided $14,725 and a schoolwide "Read-to-Seed" reading program in spring 2004 that raised $13,700, for a total of $28,425 accumulated for landscaping purposes.

The landscaping undertaking is a continuing effort, Waite said. Future projects include the installation of a 6-foot-wide walking and jogging path around the perimeter of the upper fields, the addition of shrubs and trees between the school wings, and procurement of trees for the campus interior.

Those interested in becoming volunteers or donors can contact Pat Vogel at Foothill Elementary School by calling 408.867.4036.