New school foundation working to grant wishes

June 21, 2007

Reading books, interactive whiteboards and a broadcast studio for Lake Zurich High School are some items on a wish list a new local educational foundation will consider granting.

The independent foundation aims to fund one-time projects beyond the scope of Lake Zurich Unit District 95's funding capabilities and operating expenses.

"We really can't get into funding ongoing programs," said Lori Smith, foundation member and president of Lake Zurich Middle School North parent-teacher organization. "If you start getting too many of those, that drains all of your foundation dollars. We want to fund something that's also not going to present a burden down the road for the district."

Leaders recently kicked off a donor campaign targeting area businesses, banks and individuals with the goal of raising $160,000 by August. The money would be used to fund district technology projects next school year.

The foundation initially plans to focus on three projects from the wish list compiled with input from principals and teachers. Those are a new broadcast journalism center for the high school, videoconferencing equipment that could be used at any school and a student data management program, known as eSchool Plus, for home use.

"It would enable parents to access a lot of student information from their home computer," Smith said. "That's something that every single student in the district could utilize."

Superintendent Brian Knutson said District 95 is hopeful the broadcast studio and e-School Plus program become a reality.

The estimated cost for all three projects is slightly more than $100,000.

So far, the foundation has raised roughly $30,000, of which it awarded $6,500 this spring in teacher innovation grants for classroom projects. More than 50 teachers applied, and six received grants for mostly technology-related ideas. foundation leaders hope to award teacher grants every spring and fall.