Foundation Contributes Record Donation to Glendora Schools

The Foundation for Glendora Unified Schools, the non-profit benefit corporation serving the Glendora Unified School District, has announced a very generous donation of $445,000.

The latest donation outdoes last year's gift, which totaled $438,000.

Founded in 2003, the goal of the Foundation for Glendora Unified Schools is to enhance the education of Glendora's students by providing financial support for all the district's schools and to maintain and enhance academic excellence.

The Foundation's donations help fund the arts, grants, scholarships, educational programs and technology.

Since its inception, the Foundation has contributed nearly $1.2 million to Glendora Unified.

"We have or have had kids in schools throughout Glendora," said Mike Beckman, president of the Foundation. "In my mind, we need to represent the community. Ultimately, we need to think about them [the students]."

The money raised in 2011-2012 will be targeted for programs in the next school year.

"This is a group ... has built an organization into being a phenomenal support for the students and staff of the district," said Superintendent Robert Voors.

This time around, to better understand the needs of each school, the 18-member board for the Foundation asked parents this year to give them some perspective in areas they are interested in donating, according to Beckman.

One thing the Foundation is also trying to establish is to have a board member to serve as a liaison for each of the schools to arrive to a better awareness as to the issues of each school, which programs might be cut, or to see what programs they can add to, so they can help cultivate the learning of each child in that program.

"What we're trying to do is not just maintain, but enhance the education for our kids," Beckman said.