Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 25, 1994 TAG: 9411250028
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Not Fishburn Park Elementary School in Southwest Roanoke, near Virginia Western Community College.
Fishburn Park was the city's first magnet school in 1976, but it has not received federal funds for computers and other instructional technology. It is ineligible for federal funds because it's in a predominantly white, middle-class neighborhood. Most of the city's 10 magnet schools are in predominantly black neighborhoods.
That left two options for Principal Thomas Dunleavy and the children's parents. They could resign themselves to having few computers or they could try to raise part of the money.
They chose the latter.
The parents have set out to raise $20,000 by selling doughnuts to help finance a $185,000 technology plan.
That's a lot of doughnuts, but the parents are confident they can sell that many. They receive $2 of the $3.25 price for each box.
"It's a good program. A school can raise a good amount of money," said Larry Deal, a supervisor with Krispy Kreme Doughnut Co.
Each child will try to sell five boxes of doughnuts each month - to the same customers each month, they hope.
Many community and civic organizations sell doughnuts to raise money, but this is believed to be the first time in the Roanoke Valley that a school has sold them to buy computers.
Deal said Krispy Kreme is working with 12 schools in an educational partnership program to raise funds for a variety of other projects.
The school system will provide $20,000 in matching funds if the parents reach their goal.
Dunleavy said the school will seek grants and funds from other sources for the rest of the money. The school has succeeded in the past in obtaining grants from several sources, including state agencies.
Now the school averages about 11/2 computers per classroom. The goal is five per room - 85 for the 17-room school. Some magnet schools already have five computers in each room.
The magnet schools offer innovative educational programs that are designed to attract students from other areas to reduce racial isolation.
In the past year, Roanoke has received several million dollars in federal grants for magnet schools. Included was a $3.5million grant in this year for William Fleming High School and Ruffner Junior High.
Dunleavy said the computers will help integrate technology with Fishburn Park's environmental curriculum and facilities.
The school's program is built around the themes of the whole child, environment and basic skills - reading, writing, mathematics and science.
by CNB