League of Women Voters of Mountain Lakes
Alternative Funding for Education Consensus
1998
The League membership voted to study and take action on Alternative Funding for our Education System. A two year study followed which involved more than twenty members, extensive research, many interviews and two presentations to the League membership. This is the consensus of the League membership:
Mountain Lakes Education Foundation
The League supports the concept of the Mountain Lakes Educational Foundation as a source of alternative funding for our education system. The League encourages the Foundation to clarify to the community its organizational structure, its goals and its work.
The League believes the majority of the funds raised each year should go toward an endowment fund with a small percentage going toward a specific, well advertised project as a public relations action. The League supports community-wide fund raisers that serve to capture the residents' imagination and make them feel involved.
The League recognizes the benefits of donations to the Foundation through wills and gifts of stock.
The League encourages using Foundation funds for a variety of cultural arts and enrichment programs for students of all ages. Projects to consider could include, but not be limited to: musical instruments, interactive television (ITV) and clubs such as science, mathematics and language.
Board of Education
The League supports the Board of Education in its continuing effort to obtain federal, state and other grants. We recommend the Board of Education appoint a subcommittee to investigate the hiring of a grant writer, possibly to work on a commission basis. In addition, we recommend the Board evaluate the grants for their educational value.
The League recognizes the benefits of school-business partnerships that are monitored by our teaching staff for their relevance to the curriculum and do not take away from the students' academic day. School-business partnerships could be coordinated with the work of the grant writer. The League does not support endorsement of companies' products.
The League opposes the concept (and the phrase) of "Pay for Play". The League believes that the sports and co-curricular activities are an integral part of a well-rounded educational program. The League supports the Board of Education's policy requiring some individual payment of personal equipment and some transportation.