As of Friday evening we have raised over $87,000! Our thanks to each donor – we are honored to stand with you to support our teachers! While our goal remains each district family raise or donate $500, we understand these are difficult times and we welcome any donation, large or small!

The SCORE rally will be held at the Catalina Foothills High School on 17 May from 3-7 PM – come out and support your favorite club, team and show solidarity with our teachers!

Arizona Daily Star
Catalina Foothills enrollment and funding increase
By Brian J. Pedersen
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

The Catalina Foothills School District’s gloomy budget outlook for the 2009-10 school year brightened a bit this week with news of improved funding and enrollment figures, as well as strong early results from a grass-roots fundraising campaign.

A budget update posted Thursday on the district’s Web site says officials expect to recall five of the 15 certified teaching positions the governing board voted to eliminate April 14.

Those positions were able to be restored because the district got word it would receive $220,000 more in special-education funding than it had expected, Superintendent Mary Kamerzell wrote.

Kamerzell also said the district has surpassed its 2009-10 enrollment goal and will be able to adjust some of its proposed class-size scenarios. The district has 4,854 students enrolled for next year, 22 more than in the 2007-08 school year.

Meanwhile, the non-profit Catalina Foothills School District Foundation had raised $65,000 in donations as of Friday for its “30/60 Challenge,” foundation President Mark Kipphut said.

The fundraising campaign was launched two weeks ago with the goal of preserving as many as 30 teaching positions in 60 days by asking each district family to donate $500.

Kipphut said the effort also was expected to benefit from the proceeds of a golf tournament held Friday, as well as what he described as “a couple of inbound large checks” that could bump the collection to more than $80,000.

“I’m sort of hopeful by the end of today we’ll have two teacher positions fully funded,” Kipphut said Friday.

Any positions funded through the 30/60 Challenge would be independent of the 5.6 full-time-equivalent positions the foundation annually funds through a $250,000 endowment to the school district, Kipphut said.

There are three ways to donate — on our FaceBook Cause page! On line using our PayPal account either at the 30/60 Challenge web site or CFSD Foundation web site. Or send us a check to the Foundation P.O. Box.

Web:
- CFSD Foundation web site: http://www.cfsdfoundation.org/
- 30/60 Challenge web site: http://3060challenge.com/
- Facebook Cause Page: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/265190/23609740

Mail:
CFSD Foundation
P.O. Box 65150
Tucson, AZ
85728-5150

We challenge our supporters to spread the word to our alumni, friends and those committed to public schools! Let’s keep the Catalina Foothills School District the best in the State of Arizona!

Friday April 24th Update

We have now received over $65,000 with promises for much more! Please join us today by making a donation to save the quality of education in District #16 and preserve the promise of tomorrow for thousands of children.

Our thanks to the many in Arizona and across the globe who have donated. We have several donations from supporters and alumni in several states and from Europe.

Please save the date – on May 17th we will hold a rally at the Catalina Foothills High School from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM

The rally — SCORE!! (Schools and Community Opportunity to Rally for Education) – is collaboration between the Catalina Foothills School District Foundation, FFOs and Booster Clubs to show support for our children and their teachers. You will be able to demonstrate your support, including making donations to support academics via the “30/60 Challenge” and our extracurricular activities by using Arizona Tax Credits.

Date: Sunday, May 17 – 3-7 PM
Location: Plaza and sports fields of CFHS

 Booster groups and clubs will have booths to collect tax credit and other donations
 Performances by school’s music and theatre groups
 Take the 30/60 Challenge
 Food will be available with proceeds to booster groups and clubs
 “Walk a Mile in a Teacher’s Shoes” – organized by the Foundation with support from students and parents
 Also invited will be our elected local and state officials

More details to follow – please plan to join us!

KVOA News Report
April 22, 2009
Rebecca Taylor reports
Grassroots effort to save teachers

Looming education cuts could force teachers out of their classrooms. But schools in the Foothills are taking action to raise funds themselves.

Catalina Foothills prides itself on small class size, a 25 to one student to teacher ratio.

“The personal attention the teachers give to these kids is just fabulous,” says parent Mimi Cross.

But take away 2.7 million in state funding, 30 teachers could get pink slips next school year. That’s not sitting well with parents.

“We did move here 12 years ago to for this school district and my husband commutes one hour twenty minutes each day so that my children can be in this district,” says Michelle Capin.

Not willing to stand by and watch 30 teachers lose their jobs, The Catalina Foothills School District Foundation launched “The 30/60 Challenge” to save 30 teaching jobs in 60 days.

“So we’ve gone out to each district family, asked them to donate and raise $500 and pull money to back-fill 30 positions,” says Mark Kipphut, with the Catalina Foothills District Foundation.

The goal is to raise $1.3 million by June 15th.

Hoping to spread the word like a virus, the campaign’s gone viral. Families can visit www.3060challenge.com or donate on Facebook,
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/265190/23609740

“Because of the power of the internet, we’ve had donations come from across the country from Maine and New Jersey,” says Kipphut.

“You’ve really got to take the bull by the horns yourself and do what you can do - it’s your kids,” adds Kross.

So far 100 families have donated, 100 others are promising their support.

KGUN Video:
http://www.kgun9.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3663530&h1=Catalina%20Foothills%20School%20District%20asking%20for%20donations&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=14567&LaunchPageAdTag=Search%20Results&activePane=info&rnd=25970692