By John Verduin
Ballard High School (BHS) is a dynamic learning institution with a solid core of programs offering many unique opportunities to our community’s students. As you have undoubtedly seen, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) continues to face budget cuts as our state government faces lower revenues—in the last five years alone the SPS has had to cut over $120 million from their budget. BHS, like most schools, has adapted, becoming lean and efficient with our allocated funding. But being lean does come at an expense—BHS departments basically have no money set aside for materials.
BHS’s PTSA is running a Direct Appeal program to help raise funds for the school. The theme for this year’s Direct Appeal program is Keep the Momentum! Ballard has a lot of momentum right now:
- BHS is the only comprehensive SPS High School to earn the highest District ranking the last two years
- BHS has the highest SPS state test scores in biology and geometry
- BHS has the highest graduation rate in the District
- BHS’s video production department has won numerous local, regional and national awards including eight students winning Regional Emmy Awards
- BHS’s Jazz Band won the Northwest Jazz Festival
- BHS’s school newspaper (Talisman) had a reporter named one of six Superiors in the nation at the National Journalism Conference
- BHS’s drama department participated in the International Fringe Festival in Edinburg, Scotland this past summer
- BHS’s Men’s Quartet won first in state!
If we want BHS to continue to offer our students a complete education to prepare them for their future, we need to step up and help our staff and teachers. The direct appeal program is simple and straightforward. The PTSA uses the money received to fund grants submitted by BHS teachers and staff. The goal for the Keep the Momentum! fundraiser this year is $30,000. Let’s reach this goal!
Your money goes directly to supporting BHS teachers and staff. Here are a few examples illustrating how your money has been spent in the past:
- Purchased microphones for various vocal groups
- Purchased telescopes, microscopes, centrifuges, hot plates, electric scales, vacuum pumps, dissecting scopes, skeletons, fish tanks, complete an electric car (to list a few items) for the science programs
- Purchase composition books for a new college-level language arts class
- Sent foreign language teachers as well as special education teachers to continuing education classes
Please consider donating to the Keep the Momentum! Direct Appeal program this year to help your community’s high school. Click here to learn more and to donate.
