Alternative Funding for our Schools

By Lisa Cohen

We can and must investigate outside sources of funding for education.

Our educational goals do not have to be compromised by the lack of readily available government funding. True, times are tough, and corporations are not as free with contributions for education as they once were. Materials are available for donation, however. We just have to locate what it is our district needs and make our applications. Many non-profits are still distributing grant monies to institutions creating and supporting sustainability agendas just like the Croton-Harmon District implemented this year.

The Hendrick Hudson School District has a Citizen Grant Writing Committee. The Croton-Harmon School District needs one as well. I have no doubt there are skilled grant writers who have talent (and time) to spare to donate to our schools. It's a challenge to find grants our district would qualify for, but that should not prevent us from taking on the task of locating them.

We are fortunate to be receiving some stimulus money this year. I hope the money is we receive is spent on projects that can be sustainably funded in the years to come. As school district members and as voters, we have maximum impact on state and federal officials when we all participate in campaigns to call for reductions on the unfunded mandates our district is forced to implement. A politically savvy District Advocacy Committee should be able to combine information about the issues facing our schools with the means to contact government officials.

By keeping open contact with area districts, our Board may discover ways to fund programs by working together and sharing solutions. As a small district it is almost impossible to pay for a truly diverse educational experience. There are a limited amount of taxpayer dollars here, but there is no limit to the ways our community members can help our schools move forward.