ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : ‘One Stop’ for School Aid

The creation of a countywide education foundation is a wonderful idea that deserves support and encouragement. The notion of a regional approach to enlisting corporations in the support of public schools has been out there for a while. Several existing school district fund-raising groups have been motivated by the bankruptcy to create one $50-million endowment fund, called the Orange County Public Schools Fund, to serve the entire county.

The time is especially right. The problem in Orange County always has been that with 28 school districts, it is harder for corporations to know where to give their money than, say, in Los Angeles or San Francisco, where contributors can give with “one stop.” In fact, employees of many corporations have children in schools all over the county.

Already, 12 of the county’s 15 educational foundations have signed on. The knowledge that there will be an umbrella organization may serve as an inspiration for districts that do not have their own foundations to establish them. As the evidence from districts like Irvine shows, such foundations encourage parental involvement and can make the difference for some programs.

A consolidated fund is more attractive for corporations that understandably might have been unwilling to single out one particular school district for largess. With so many people focusing now on the preservation of educational resources, the new foundation is as timely as can be.