Little more than a year ago the Camp Casey program offered for fifth grade students in the Tahoma School District was on the chopping block.
Faced with a $3.6 million gap in the budget, the district’s board of directors chose to cut funding for Camp Casey — about $58,000, according to preliminary budget documents — with the hope that parents and school leaders could find other ways to pay for the two-day environmental science experience for district fifth graders.
That hope has been fulfilled.
Support for the program has come out of a grass roots effort by elementary school PTA organizations, individuals, Maple Valley Rotary and the Tahoma Foundation, according to Radie Haytack, who serves as building manager at Rock Creek and Glacier Park. Haytack is responsible for coordinating the trip.
“This year we will have 558 fifth grade students participating in the camp program,” Haytack said via e-mail. “We divide the students up so half go March 29-31 and the other half March 31-April 2. They are supported by 90 high school juniors and seniors as counselors and 30 staff members.”
Fundraising in the community generated nearly half of the $41,000 needed to send fifth-graders to the Whidbey Island outdoor education camp.
The rest will be covered, surprisingly, by the district.
The Tahoma School District will provide $22,000 toward camp expenses with the money coming from the district’s reserve fund.
This money is available due to funds that were left unspent from last school year’s budget and it can now be used to cover the cost because the books are now closed on last year’s budget.
In years past, funding for Camp Casey came from three sources: parents, PTA and the school district.
Fundraising began last summer which included a donation from Maple Valley Rotary, sales of Java! Java!, Camp Casey coffee as well as a $10,000 donation from Eric Knudsen, who has been selling fence panels at Johnson’s Home and Garden in Maple Valley.
“The community has been very supportive in trying to find ways to raise the needed funds,” Haytack said. “The PTSAs have sponsored additional fundraisers and the parents have positively responded. The Java Java coffee fundraiser alone raised $10,000. The Tahoma Foundation has also taken the lead in securing community donations, which were led by the Eric Knudsen family and the Maple Valley Rotary Club. The main problem was that the gap was significant and the deadline was looming near.”
Parents also have been asked to contribute beyond the required $100 per student.
“Since this program has been a part of the Tahoma School District for over 30 years, it has become a tradition as many parents are sending their fifth grader to camp remembering what a great experience they had,” Haytack said. “Parents don’t want to see their child missing out on this opportunity. I think Maple Valley breathed a collective sigh of relief on Friday when the news was released that the district would pick up the remaining deficit.”
School district officials are glad to see the program funded through partnerships in the community.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts that are being made to raise money for our students,” said District Superintendent Mike Maryanski in a statement. “Fortunately, the school district now finds itself in a position to provide the balance of funds necessary to make Camp Casey available to our fifth-grade students this year. Now we must find a permanent solution for next year and beyond.”
