FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Foundation Hands Out Grants to 5 Schools

The Fountain Valley Educational Foundation has again given local education a boost by awarding about $10,000 in grant money to schools.

This year, teachers from Kazuo Masuda Middle School, Samuel E. Talbert Middle School, Robert Gisler School, James H. Cox School and Hisamatsu Tamura School received grants.

The awards, which ranged from $89 to $3,500, will be used to purchase computer software, materials for science, math and health classes, and an audio-video program for history and social studies classes.

The grants were awarded in late April.

Laurann Cook, a city councilwoman and president of the Educational Foundation, said the purpose of the group over the years has been to enhance school programs as the school district coped with tighter budgets.

“There are so many needs of children that can’t be met because of the limitation of funds,” Cook said. “So I feel the foundation has enhanced the Fountain Valley School District by offering additional funds to the teachers that have an impact on the children.”

Over the past 12 years, the foundation has raised more than $210,000 for the Fountain Valley School District through weekly bingo games at a school district facility.

But Cook said the foundation is looking for fund-raising alternatives because a federal law prohibiting smoking on school grounds goes into effect June 30.

Bingo games are now at Lighthouse Lane, a surplus district property, at no charge to the foundation. Cook said the foundation can’t afford to lease another site.

“A lot of people who do participate in bingo do smoke,” Cook said. “If they can’t smoke on a school campus, then we can’t draw a sufficient crowd to make bingo profitable.”

Cook said the foundation hopes to attract corporate sponsors to underwrite grants or provide donations.