Preschoolers in a community north of Tucson have found an unlikely ally in a group of SaddleBrooke retirees on the quest for affordable, quality early education.
Thanks to the Oracle Schools Foundation, more than a dozen 3 and 4 year olds in the Oracle School District have been able to attend preschool free of charge this school year.
The feat was made possible through the creation of a non-profit organization in May 2015 to support preschool scholarships for children who will eventually attend Mountain Vista School in the community of Oracle.
More than 60 percent of students in the Oracle School District qualify for free or reduced lunch, an indicator of poverty.
Understanding the benefits of early-childhood education and the fact that the quality programming is often out of reach for families in poverty, Linda Lyon, who also serves on the school districtβs governing board, set out to close that gap.
βIβm a huge public education advocate, Iβm also a school board member and Iβm the treasurer for the Arizona School Boards Association, and Iβve learned a lot over the last few years about whatβs important in education," Lyon said. "Of course everything is important, but what can have the biggest impact is a good start and so thatβs why we decided to focus on preschool.β
The foundation has worked to get the word out about their cause through e-mail communications, HOA newsletters, and community publications. They collect individual donations and also host an annual gala that supports the majority of the 16 scholarships that have been awarded to families to cover the annual $1,500 preschool tuition.Β
While it may be surprising to some that a community made up largely of retirees would be willing to support education, Betsy Levenson, a foundation volunteer feels that has to do with the model it has adopted β one that assists children without raising taxes.
Added Lyon: "Most people realize if we want a good quality of life as we go into our senior years, besides it being the right thing to do, these kids are going to be the ones leading things. They are going to be our lawmakers, our firemen, our policemen, our teachers, and we need them to be able to do that well.
βItβs both a moral imperative and a practical one.β
How can we do this too?
Step 1: Decide up front what the goals of your foundation will be and get people on board who are committed to the cause.
Step 2: Establish a tax-exempt foundation β appealing to supporters because donations are then tax deductible. Register with the Arizona Corporation Commission as a non profit and then file for tax-exempt status through the IRS. The process was not too lengthy or overly complicated, Lyon said.
Pro tip:Β Some school districts already have foundations supporting them, make sure they arenβt already doing this work before starting a foundation of your own. If they are, find out how you can support the work.
