Foster City Islander Article - 03-28-2007
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Charter Public |
Phyllis Moore, President, Foster City High School Foundation |
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Critical Crossroads
To successfully establish a high quality public high school in Foster City, the Foundation requires the active, wholehearted, vocal and unified support of the City Council. We need this support in order to successfully address several critical and urgent issues.
These issues include our ongoing efforts to secure a new charter operator, our negotiations with San Mateo Union High School District, the inclusion of a sound and reliable bond financing strategy in our Business Plan, and our future fundraising efforts.
The Foundation has asked the City Council to:
- Approve a resolution, a strong public statement declaring the City Council’s unanimous and steadfast support for the public high school in Foster City in the 15-acre site,
- Work proactively and aggressively to make the school a reality and empower the City staff to use all possible resources, including bonds, to make a public high school in Foster City a reality,
- Back a bond, if necessary, for construction of the school which will be a public facility located on public land for public benefit, and therefore appropriately financed with public money, and jointly sponsor, together with the Foundation, a city-wide survey to access the probable success of such a bond,
- Approve a long-term lease for the land at $1 per year and waive the Foster City/Estero Municipal Improvement District fees, just as the City does for any public building,
- Urge the SMUHSD to work cooperatively with the City and the Foundation to establish a public high school in Foster City and to help secure proposition 1D funds, and
- Extend the deadline for submitting a revised business plan for a public high school on the 15-acre site.
With the assertive, cooperative efforts of the City Council, the Foundation and city residents; together we can build a priceless community asset that serves a broad range of Foster City residents, offers a new and needed educational choice for our high school students, enhances Foster City’s image, boosts property values for every homeowner, and provides an essential part of the solution to our nation’s and our state’s acute educational crisis.
In the words of a City Councilmember from a recent Foster City Council Corner column, “All things are possible for people willing to try.”
