The Santa Clarita Valley Facilities Foundation presented a generous donation of $100,000 to the WiSH Education Foundation at the Hart School District board meeting on Wednesday evening. The gift gives the WiSH Education Foundation a great start toward supporting programs in the 23,000-student district that serves 7th – 12th graders. Hart District board members recognized the contribution and board members from both the SCV Facilities Foundation and WiSH were on hand for the presentation.

The WiSH Education Foundation was established last year as a fundraising arm of the William S. Hart Union High School District and is planning an official launch in the next few months. The WiSH Education Foundation has a 15-member Board of Directors that includes local community leaders, public education advocates and educators. The board plans to raise funds through corporate sponsor opportunities, grant writing, donor campaigns and special events. The WiSH Education Foundation is dedicated to supporting student programs including academic, extracurricular including performing arts and athletics and enrichment programs.

Many school districts throughout the state have established foundations to help fill in the gap where budget cuts have impacted school programs. The WiSH Education Foundation has joined the California Consortium of Education Foundations that provides tremendous resources to district foundations.

“This gift to WiSH will have a significant impact on supporting important programs in the Hart School District,” Hart District Superintendent Rob Challinor said.  “This is a tremendous benefit to the entire Santa Clarita community. We have a high performing district that benefits everyone, whether they have students or not.” Challinor explained that high performing school districts increase property values and drive the local economy with staff that lives and shops locally, supporting the local economy.

The Santa Clarita Valley Facilities Foundation has helped the Hart School District locate, acquire and develop school sites, which included Golden Valley High School built in 2004. With the slowing of housing development that generates the need for additional schools, the focus has turned to supporting student program, which led to the creation of the WiSH Education Foundation.

“I appreciate all of the efforts made by everyone here tonight and all the advisory boards for contributing to the ongoing success of the Hart School District,” Richard A. Patterson, president of the SCV Facilities Foundation said. “We formed the Facilities Foundation 14 years ago for the sole benefit of the Hart District to acquire and develop properties for top quality schools. We are proud to have accomplished that mission and the district now has the capacity to accommodate growth for future generations.”

WiSH board members are very excited about the generous donation and that both foundations and the Hart District board have the common goal of maintaining top quality programs and facilities in the district for the benefit of all students and the Santa Clarita community.