Businesses help fund school's activities and programs

WEBUTUCK — There’s little doubt that if school districts throughout New York waited for funding to come from the state before they initiated any new or even revived any existing programs, they would be waiting a long time. That’s why one parent brainstormed with one teacher recently, who also talked with a past principal and a local businessman, until an idea began to take shape. That idea? To have local businesses help underwrite activities for the Webutuck Central School District that otherwise would be canceled due to lack of funding.

"We started talking because basically the schools are getting squeezed for their funding, especially in a small district limited in what they can offer," said parent, businesswoman and Harlem Valley Chamber of Commerce Vice President Jeanne Rebillard. "It makes sense if businesses are willing to partner and support programs."

Case in point: a series of trips that students from Webutuck High School have been and still are taking to visit college campuses throughout the Tri-state region. The visits had been planned, the students signed up, but there was no money available for transportation. Until, that was, Silo Ridge Country Club stepped up to the plate and offered a $3,000 grant.

"We wanted to see some kind of program get started with the school that would snowball and get other businesses involved and grow over time and really benefit over the long term," Silo Ridge General Manager Rob Caeners said. "It’s great making donations, but that’s it. To start a program that other businesses get excited about and to help over the long term I think is important. Hopefully other businesses will see that and get involved and the concept will grow over time."

Webutuck guidance counselor Julie Taft said that kind of philosophy is mutually beneficial.

"I always feel that a school is part of the community, so when our school works with local businesses, they’re working for the benefit of our students, which is for the benefit of the community," she said. "And obviously, any money is helpful. Budget concerns always come into play."

Especially for public schools, which don’t have the same type of funding resources that private schools often do.

"I wouldn’t think twice about private schools, with their big endowments," Caeners said. "But public schools are at a big disadvantage and can really use the help."

Rebillard said it’s no different, really, then when one donates to an alumni association.

"I think it’s really not a new mind-set. We all donate back to our colleges, and if we went to a private high school, back to that," she said. "Public schools just can’t sustain themselves on real property tax alone. I think we just have to look at our schools differently in that they just need more out of the state and the tax dollar."

In the meantime, Webutuck teacher John Roccanova, who came up with the idea for tapping businesses to work with the district in the first place, said he’s had great success doing so in his shop class on a fairly regular basis.

"I’ve always gotten very positive responses from businesses," he said. "Silo Ridge has stepped up even before [the budget] got very tight. Westchester Modular Homes, Four Corners Woodworking, local contractors, Jamie LaLiberte’s furniture restoration, Herrington’s — they’ve all helped out."

Roccanova said Silo Ridge’s recent grant was a great example to set for future business-community grants that could be equally beneficial to the district. He also said that the campus visits, in particular, have been especially helpful to students because they provide empirical data as to what can be expected in college. He also credited the relationship created among Webutuck and local businesses as being productive, all around.

"They need a good workforce, so the better education the students have the more likelihood they’ll be able to get good employees," he said, adding that the trips are open to all high school students and many area colleges. "And it’s good publicity. Everybody wants to look good in the community."

As far as the timing goes, the $3,000 couldn’t have arrived at a better moment.

"This one especially has come in at an important time with the possibility of severe budget cuts by the state," Roccanova said.

"That’s it. It’s this economy. People are cutting — teachers, programs — and not just in Webutuck," Caeners said. "We always try to identify who really needs the help the most and where it’s really important, and the school is obviously really important."

"Is it a trend?" repeated Roccanova when asked about the concept of businesses underwriting school programs and activities. "Well, I hope so."