School Budget Fundraiser
A group of concerned citizens from the Keota area has been following the financial situation at the Keota School District. They have attended the public meetings, talked to members of the Board of Education, the school administration, and the members of the Keota Education Foundation. We would like to share with you in a general way what we know and ask you to consider what you can do.
The students of the Keota district can use your help. The situation at the District is becoming serious, but solutions are possible to keep it intact. The students can still get a quality, local education – perhaps as you did – but there are immediate and longer-term funding problems.
First, there are some immediate concerns. You may be aware from news reports of several problems/ mistakes that have occurred recently. Some had a local component, but most were caused externally. (See the Fact sheet.) The school is getting by, but replacing these funds would make a big difference.
Second, there is the problem of our past decline in student enrollment. We are not alone in this; it is happening all over the state. We are fortunate, and it is no accident, that the Keota district is blessed with good facilities. Still, there is a need for ongoing budget enhancement.
For the 2011-12 school year, consultant Larry Sigel recommends that the district find ways to lower expenses by $250,000. Our superintendent feels that he can make cuts of $100,000 and still maintain our quality standards. Therefore, we need to raise the difference. Again, this is an ongoing issue, and we will likely need to fund-raise yearly (the amount dependent on the initial response). The Foundation believes every avenue should be explored so that the school board can make timely decisions for our future. We are already sharing where we can with other districts, and will continue to look for workable options.
Can you help? Please read the enclosed information. (See the Fact sheet.) Seek information yourself. A good avenue to resolve the problem in a way that may be tax-deductible for you is to donate to the Keota Education Foundation. The Foundation constantly seeks money to fund student scholarships. They will continue to do so, but are also setting up a new account for the above purpose. Farmers Savings Bank, Keota, has initialized this account with a $10,000 donation. Our thanks to them!
Download a Donation Form, print, select donation method and return to the Foundation. Or, you can use the "Donate" button at the top of this page. (The Foundation does incur a modest cost to use this method, so checks are preferred, if possible.)
Thank You in advance for your consideration.
The fund-raising volunteers include: Anne Chalupa, Rod Hill, Rita Sheetz, Mike Williams.
The Keota Education Foundation Board President is Nick Beinhart.
For questions: Superintendent Mark Schneider, phone 319.936.8601