High school seeking $25,000 donations

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- Forget the bake sales and tile walls. Money raisers at

Newport Harbor High School are looking for the big bucks these days.

Tired of losing students to the Sage Hills, Santa Margaritas and

various other private schools popping up in Orange County, Newport Harbor

Foundation members are asking affluent families to commit to donating

$5,000 a year for the next five years.

Leading the effort is parent Rusty Turner, who said the goal is to

find 20 families to step up to the plate for a school foundation members

consider one of the top high schools in California.

“We have tried to focus our attention on some prominent families in

Newport Beach that can give larger donations and we are really having

great success,” Turner said. “Once people get the message about Newport

Harbor they realize, a: it’s a great school; b: with more money it can be

even better; and c: they are realizing that they don’t need to pay a lot

of money and drive great distances when one of the best schools in

California is right under their noses. So they will pay to help Newport

Harbor further its cause.”

After three months of dinner parties, cocktail parties and other

social gatherings where Turner has beat the bush, he has got commitments

from 12 families, he said.

Already more then half way to his goal of $500,000, Turner is

confident it can be done.

“We’re just trying to raise the bar a bit,” he said. “I’m asking

certain families in Harbor, and many families are stepping up. You don’t

want to make people uncomfortable. It’s whatever they can give. If they

can give at that level that’s great, if not, it’s not a high-pressure

thing.”

When giving his pitch to families, Turner is more than happy to

expound on the many good things going on at the school.

He developed a quick list of 10 great things about Newport Harbor that

touches on everything from the academies to sports and the arts.

These funds will be used to help beef up a variety of programs at the

school.

“What it means to Harbor is we are able to have our priorities met in

terms of the strategic plan,” said Michael Vossen, principal at Newport

Harbor. “For instance, expanding our tutoring program to reach all

students at all levels.”

The foundation currently funds a tutoring program in the evenings for

math and science that, with this influx of cash, could be expanded to all

departments, Vossen said.

“We’re also trying to expand instructional aids -- not hire more

teachers -- but trying to expand instructional aids in math department,”

Vossen said. “Then there’s a lot of other programs that the foundation is

currently funding that we’re trying to enhance.”