Wednesday, March 10, 2010

No taxpayer dollars were needed for Goddard School District to join the Schools for Fair Funding litigation when the Board of Education voted to join on March 8 - because USD 265 staff members had personally donated $10,950, enough to cover the cost of joining the litigation for 2 years.

Goddard staff members recently completed a fundraising campaign known as Jeans 4 Kids to raise the money needed for the district to join the SFF litigation without using taxpayer funds. The fundraiser allowed staff members to wear jeans to work for a month by donating $25 to the Jeans 4 Kids campaign. The Goddard Education Association President Keith Gable made hundreds of buttons for staff members to wear while participating in the jeans-wearing project.

The idea for the fundraiser came from the district's Professional Advisory Council. Concerned by the effect of budget cuts on the district, teachers discussed how to raise awareness about the ramifications of the cuts on education, both now and for several years into the future. The staff was concerned about taking dollars from the already-reduced budget to pay to join the Schools for Fair Funding litigation, and decided they would help raise the funds necessary to join. Various ideas were considered. Consensus was reached when they hit upon the idea of the Jeans 4 Kids campaign.

At the March 8 Goddard BOE Meeting, Superintendent Charles Edmonds announced that $10,950 was raised by the staff, and recommended that the funds be used to pay about $5,000 to join the Schools for Fair Funding litigation for this year, and hold the remaining amount for next year's joining fee. The board unanimously agreed to the recommendation.

Teacher Jean Marie Noller said she joined the cause because she feels passionate about the kids she teaches. She believes it was important to raise the money herself so she wouldn't waste taxpayer money.