School district to get a breakfast boost

Published 9:44 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

Second-grader Carlos wants to be a policeman. Riley, also in the second grade, wants to be a scientist, artist or author. Eighth-grader Chanel wants to be a wildlife veterinarian or, maybe, president. Andrew, a freshman, wants to be a politician.

All are students in the Snoqualmie Valley School District. Their career aspirations are captured in a documentary made by Mount Si High School freshman Marika Loudenback and senior Emily King that will be shown Friday, March 30, at the Snoqual-

mie Valley Schools Foundation’s annual fundraising breakfast.

The idea, Loudenback said, is to encourage people to donate money to help the Valley’s students achieve their dreams.

The breakfast is responsible for bringing in about 70 percent of the foundation’s annual revenue. Last year, the breakfast earned a little more than $60,000. Carolyn Day, foundation president, said she hopes to at least match that this year.

“We want our kids to be competent and competitive,” Day said.

However, that task has been made more difficult by school district taxing limits that place the Snoqualmie Valley School District 282nd out of 296 districts in the state in per pupil spending, she said.

“Private funds are required to supplement state funds,” Day said. “It’s sad, but true.”

Though the district has a “scrappy” school board and staff that know how to stretch budget dollars, more is needed to provide the kind of education many expect, Day said.

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