By Beatrice Esteban, Courier Editor-in-Chief
A hole in the district budget has prompted Logan students and the New Haven community to raise money for co-curricular and extracurricular activities threatened by the statewide budget deficit.
In a staff email sent last Thursday, Principal Amy McNamara said that the New Haven Boosters Association and New Have Schools Foundation has teamed up to help raise funds for the district.
The Schools Foundation is currently accepting tax-deductible donations and has agreed to give all money raised in the next two months to co-curricular programs at Logan and the rest of the district.
According to McNamara, the community has already raised $5,000.
Volunteers came by students’ second period classes to speak about the fundraising on a lower level.
The school-wide campaign, known as the “10-10-10 campaign,” urges students and staff to get 10 people to donate $10 each and give it to their second period teacher by June 10.
“I refuse to accept that we now have a high school that has no library, music, forensic, or athletic programs,” said McNamara in her email, “I can't be in a school that has no prom or senior ball or powder puff because there is no activities director - and I refuse to have pale versions of those programs, too.”
The campaign comes as a result of the failure of Measure B, a failed parcel tax that would have raised funds for stipends for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
“All of the emotions we are feeling right now… stunned shock, anger, disillusionment and even despair are natural,” said New Haven Superintendent Kari McVeigh in an email sent to the district after Measure B’s failure, “But what is also natural is for our staff and community, no matter what the end results determine…to come together, to shake off our anger and disappointment and find ways to create new opportunities and solutions to our very real problems. I am counting on all of us to become the solutions we seek.”
In addition to this campaign, the New Haven Boosters Association is hosting a fun run on June 11 at Cesar Chavez Middle School.
The fun run, called the Race to Save Student Activities, will feature both a 5k and 10k run/walk.
“Logan is great because of what happens in our classrooms and because of how students apply that learning and decision making in their co-curricular activities,” said McNamara. “No one else has what we have - and I am proud of that fact. It makes me feel I am a part of something special.”
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