A local family has committed $50,000 to the Davis Schools Foundation to kick off a campaign that aims to raise at least $500,000 by July 4 for Davis public schools.

“This generous family has young children and is coming forward in the hopes of inspiring others to give to this DSF campaign in order to help maintain the excellent educational programs that we all want for our children,” Maria Ungermann, foundation president, announced.

“Contributions to this campaign will give us the opportunity to make a huge difference before school starts in August.”

All funds raised by July 4 will pay for:

* Instructional aides at the elementary schools to offset larger class sizes next year;

* Increased campus safety (vice principals) at the junior high schools; and

* Counselors at the high schools.

These priorities for funding have been identified in coordination with PTAs, Site Councils, school district officials and donors, Ungermann said.

The foundation’s goal of placing instructional aides in classrooms to help teachers give individualized attention to students is validated by Scott Stanowicz, a fifth-grade teacher at Pioneer Elementary.

“Aides give students a way of getting the help they need so they can spend the entire class time learning,” Stanowicz said in a news release. “We are grateful to the Davis Schools Foundation for the chance to hold on to such an important part of our overall program in supporting students.”

At the junior high level, donations provide funding for a vice principal at each campus to ensure the safety of students.

“The vice principals provide an essential release valve for students and teachers,” said Carrie Pilon, a teacher at Harper Junior High. “As teachers, we need back-up when a situation arises that we cannot handle. As parents, we need to know that students will have support, and our students need to know that adults are looking out for them.”

At the high school level, contributions will bring back counselors who have been pink-slipped. Davis High School Principal Jacqui Moore said more counselors are a top priority because they “are pivotal to helping students reach their academic and career goals.”

Moore also noted that counselors are “an invaluable source of emotional support for students.”

Ungermann said although “the goal for this campaign is to raise at least $500,000 by July 4, we hope to far exceed that goal with  donations of a dollar a day, or $365, for every child in our district, which would equal $3 million for our schools.

“The more funds we raise, the more successful we will be in positively impacting class size ratios, safety concerns and counseling support for our students,” she continued. “If we all contribute a gift, of any amount, our entire community will benefit.”

The Davis Schools Foundation has placed a donation box shaped like a red schoolhouse in each school office and at Davis City Councilman Dan Wolk’s booth at the Davis Farmers Market.

Donations also may be made online at http://www.davisschoolsfoundation.org/ or mailed to the Davis Schools Foundation, P.O. Box 1154, Davis, CA 95617.

Math1W

Math specialist Hilary Spence is among the classroom aides who would be funded by donations to a new fundraising campaign launched by the Davis Schools Foundation. Here, she works with fifth-graders in Scott Stanowicz’s class at Pioneer Elementary, Mohammed Mohammed, 10, left, and Rudy Besikof, 10. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise photo

Math2W

Math specliast Hilary Spence and Pioneer fifth-grade teacher Scott Stanowicz give some one-on-one attention to students, clockwise from left, Katie Kilmer, 10; Kara M. Eilander, 11; Mohammed Mohammed, 10; Hunter, Sumner, 11; and Elena Bock, 11. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise photo

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