Eugene School District 4J was formed by the State of Oregon in 1856, and has long since maintained a tradition of excellent public education. Yet if we want to supply more than the basics now affordable with state support we must find additional resources. Eugene's state school funding was cut dramatically in 1993-94, and since then it has not kept pace with inflation. Our children are only young once, and now is the time we must provide for an education that will make them knowledgeable, caring adults. Once a child's curiosity is sparked, a lifetime of learning begins.
Schools use additional resources to build upon existing programs, as well as to launch new programs.
Recently, a new traveling choir at Harris Elementary got extra staffing, a new math curriculum at Jefferson Middle School got its first graphing calculators, and biology classes at Churchill High got a new greenhouse to propagate native wetland plants for restoring nearby Willow Creek Reserve. New programs such as these emphasize learning by doing. Yet, hands-on learning requires additional staffing and supplies, at a time when it's increasingly hard for schools to provide them through ordinary means. That's why gifts are so important. Gifts such as yours reach all schools in the district.