Novato Foundation For Public Education

Advisory Committee Meeting August 14, 2003, Governance and Operations

In Attendance: Diane Gibbs– Hamilton, , Richard Blanchette, Martina Austin – Olive, Regina Bianucci Rus– Pleasant Valley, Charmaine Stevenson – Rancho, Danny Kao – San Ramon, Sonya Perez – Sinaloa, Sandy Agajan – Marin Oaks High School, Jim Stanek – NOVA, Blair Thornton – Senior Rep., Martha Leopardo – Novato High School Teacher, Dr. Jan la Torre-Derby – Superintendent, Perry Newman – School Board, Jeff Belingheri – NFPE Interim Board, Joyce McCarron – NFPE Interim Board, Susan Mathews – NFPE Interim Board, Sheila McGrath – NFPE Support Group, Carole Hollander – NFPE Support Group, Sue Halstead – minute taker, and Tom Conneely – Special speaker.

The meeting began at 7:05 p.m.

1. Jeff Belingheri opened the meeting and asked for comments about the minutes from the July 10^th Advisory Committee Meeting. None were offered.

2. Introduction by Jeff Belingheri of the meeting outline and expectations.

3. Jeff introduced Tom Conneely (see bio information below) from the Larkspur Schools Foundation to speak on his experience in that venue.

4. Every year the Larkspur Foundation produces a Student Directory, has a Family Giving Donation Drive, runs E-Scrip which raised $65,000 last year and does a spring event that includes and auction and dance. The Larkspur foundation has a Chairperson for each campaign that resides on the Board of Directors. The work is time consuming and it is important no to burn out your directors. If possible, Tom recommends that you have a paid permanent administrator to free up Board members for recruiting and fundraising. It is important to attract people with high skill sets.

5. Open for questions to our speaker.

Q. Does the Fund fund personnel only?

A. The focus is on non-physical items. The PTA’s focus more on this aspect. They do provide one-time purchases for programs, such as in the Dramatic Arts.

Q. Are there paid staff?

A. No, but starting this year they will hire someone to work 20-25 hours a week.

Q. Do you have any programs that have long-term feedback?

A. The main goal of the program is the maintenance and support of ongoing programs. Grants just help with curriculum. Luckily, they have a close-working relationship with the schools.

Q. Can you create a program without a paid person?

A. Yes, but it is easier to get all the pieces done and you can only get to the next level when the Board is made up with people who have business and financial skills. You must remember that this is a business.

Q. How do you work with the PTA’s?

A. PTA’s are campus-focused. The smaller school community makes this easier. The elementary schools are more costly. The curriculum is less arbitrary at the middle school level, more state-dictated. So the vast percentage of money goes to the elementary schools. They work well with the PTA’s. They use a liaison between the two organizations. They also have separate campaign times. The Fund continually struggles with defining the self. Their focus is on bodies not buildings.

Q. You’re not just providing seed money?

A. We have a commitment to fund at least another year.

Q. The foundation has evolved from a luxury to a necessity?

A. Yes, they are becoming a major piece of the district budgets. The more successful you become, the more likely that burnout will occur. You need to have focus, how is the money to be spent? You should have a true mission statement.

Q. How much is your parcel tax?

A. Our parcel tax is $220 a parcel, which was raised in order to reduce class size. In March an additional $75 parcel tax was levied in response to the massive cuts by the state. Parcel tax is good because it is good to involve the whole community.

Q. Has the economy impacted your fundraising ability?

A. A little bit but more on an education basis.

Q. Do you have an inflated parcel tax or a supplemental parcel tax focus?

A. No. We had an Interim Superintendent last year.

Superintendent Jan Derby cited the County Community studies in which you would make three districts one. There was no interest in. Perry Newman, School Board member stated that the voters wouldn’t vote for it. They want their own district. Look at Dixie. There is a total of a $600 parcel tax in Corte Madera because the high school tax is inter-community.

Q. How are you perceived?

A. We are perceived very well. Sixty-five percent of the families contribute. We have a strong relationship with the School Board and the individual campuses. We haven’t tested the 4,000 people who have no children. Schools add to the real estate values.

Q. How do you involve the seniors?

A. Not great. We spoke at a Lion’s Club meeting in which we got good support from but this is one of our goals.

Q. Do you reach the Latin community?

A. It’s not a very large community. For what we do have, the response is average. The outside community participates very little except in regards to the parcel tax.

Q. Did you receive any resistance to hiring a paid person?

A. We received some. We used to allocate 13% of our income to expenses but the justification is that the increase of $25,000 will increase our fundraising ability by at least that much.

President Jeff Belingheri thanked Tom and continued the meeting.

6. Jeff Belingheri reviewed the documents distributed via email before the meeting, “Establishing the NFPE’s Initial Organization for Governance and Operations” and the “Organizational Charts.” Jeff Belingheri stated that NFPE has to look and run like a business, like a machine. The Board of Directors will comprise from 5 to 11 members. Will the focus be on day-to-day matters or long term planning? The first three years the Board will be staggered so the whole Board is not new every year. For the operation we need a two to three day part time person which will be funded through a grant writing or by asking for a small group of businesses to fund specifically for that purposes (See Organizational Chart). A Board member chairs each committee

Jeff requested feedback about the paid Foundation Manager position.

The response was that it was a positive move.

Superintendent, Jan Derby suggested that the position could be run through the district to avoid benefit costs to the NFPE. Jeff stated that we have somebody willing to do it without benefits. School Board Member, Perry Newman stated that the NFPE should have its own integrity and be separate from the district. It was felt that the Foundation should make it very clear to the community how the paid position will be funded. The district has about 7600 students. There is no stronger business community than in Novato. It was felt that we should publicize what other districts are doing and where the money is going. Many people do not know how education is funded.

Jan cited that NUSD ADA lost 1.3 million dollars due to student absences. The figures for Novato attendance are between 94 and 96 percent while the rest of the county is at 97%.

Jeff stated that in regards to the new Board only 2 to 3 board members would continue on. The need for new board members is advertised on the web site and an application can be found there as well. The Board Search Committee is actively recruiting candidates; the committee will recommend candidates to the Interim Board based on each candidate’s skill set (the hope here is to have a Board made up of individuals with very diverse skill sets).

The next meeting is on the 26^th of August and will discuss bylaws.

Susan Mathews, our resident attorney, will file for tax-exempt status after the bylaws and a budget are in place. We need to begin exploring an annual event to raise money for the 2004/2005 educational year.

Jan emphasized the need for a projection before the March budget deadline. Sixty-one Classified positions were bumped recently.

7. Other Business

It was stated that Chuck Bennett is working with the EEF and local businesses to encourage more giving from the local businesses to the EEF for use in filling up the gaps in the 2003-2004 NUSD budget. Pacheco Plaza donated $5,000 and this effort will continue through the year. The NFPE will continue to work with Chuck Bennett and the Novato Chamber of Commerce to build the NFPE’s Business Partnership program, which will help fund the 2004-2005 (and all future) NUSD budgets.

Sonya Perez will be holding a “Purse Party” on August 21 to raise funds for the EEF. Participants come from the realtor and mortgage community.

Joyce McCarron, Susan Mathews, Victoria Crawley, Ed Sangster and Jan Derby presented at the Chamber breakfast on July 18. Chuck Bennett had arranged for this to introduce Jan, the EEF and the NFPE to the local business community, and to encourage the local business community to get involved in supporting the public school system in Novato.

The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.