San Benito High School’s ‘Baler Education Foundation is hoping
to build a solid foundation for the school and its students one
brick at a time.
Hollister – San Benito High School’s ‘Baler Education Foundation is hoping to build a solid foundation for the school and its students one brick at a time.
The Foundation, which is comprised of San Benito County community members, hopes to raise $1 million over the next five years in order to establish a school endowment – a pool of money that is invested to generate additional funds each year from interest.
The Foundation plans to sell 1,000 “Baler Bricks” for $1,000 each, Foundation President Ray Rodriguez said Monday. The decorative bricks will be permanently displayed on the high school campus and will include each donor’s name. They will form a walkway in front of the administration building at the main entrance to the campus.
“The goal is to serve the entire population while they are in school,” he said. “And to enhance their educational experience.”
The non-profit organization wants to sell 200 bricks each year in order to meet its goal. Rodriguez hopes that, once established, the principle amount will generate about $50,000 in interest each year for the school. The money will be used to help teachers create new educational programs, pay for field trips and purchase school supplies that state funds cannot cover, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez sees the Foundation as a way for San Benito County residents to establish a permanent gift for the school, which, unlike scholarships, will benefit all students.
“We’re hoping to build a sizable endowment for the school,” he said. “The money will stay there forever and continue to give to the school for many life times.”
The Foundation will use the interest to supply $1,000 grants to individual teachers and programs. The 15 members of the Foundation’s board will decide how the money will be spent.
The Foundation was established two years ago, but is only now beginning to aggressively seek donations, Rodriguez said. Establishing a large endowment will take time, but teachers are already reaping the benefits. This year, the Baler Education Foundation awarded two $1,000 grants. One will be used to purchase Spanish literature for the high school’s library and the other will be used to purchase weight scales, pH scales and other science equipment. In the future, Rodriguez hopes to use the money generated from the endowment’s interest to offer 25 to 30 such grants every year.
“I think it will help the programs by helping the teachers think out of the box,” he said.
Rodriguez believes the money will help teachers come up with new and exciting programs every year in order to keep students interested.
Funds from the endowment will benefit teachers and students alike, said Chuck Schallhorn, president of the San Benito High School California Teachers Association.
“I think it’s a tremendous idea. This is a way to supplement the academic programs,” he said. “Any time teachers can get their hands on better materials it will benefit them because they will be able to offer more to their students.”
In addition to funding academic programs, interest from the endowment could also be used to help the high school’s athletic programs, Rodriguez said.
Principal Debbie Padilla is looking forward to working with the Foundation to make sure the needs of all students are met. She believes the programs will be “invaluable” to the district, especially in times of declining enrollment or budget cuts.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for the school,” she said. “It helps (teachers) look at their current curriculum and think about new strategies and lesson plans that they can incorporate into their classrooms. It helps them focus on being creative and reaching more students.”
To buy a brick contact Ray Rodriguez at 636-9520 or
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.
Brett Rowland covers education for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or
br******@fr***********.com
.
