School board set to discuss sixth-grade camp funding
The Newport-Mesa Unified school board is slated to discuss the funding methods for sixth-grade camp after a board member advocated making it a district expense.
Board member Katrina Foley made a motion last month to discuss, and possibly take action on, the district taking money out of the administrative budget to cover the cost of sixth-grade camp.
Assistant Supt. of Elementary Education Susan Astarita will give a report Tuesday on outdoor science camp at the board’s regular 7 p.m. meeting at the District Education Center, 2985 Bear St., Costa Mesa.
The issue came out up when four of the Costa Mesa elementary schools — California, Adams, Pomona and Wilson — were struggling to raise the funds for students to attend camp this year.
District officials have said all schools will have an outdoor experience, but it might not be the one they had planned on.
“California School will be able to raise the funds necessary to make the trip,” according to the staff report. “The other three schools have worked with the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Program and will attend camp in June.”
According to the staff report, each school site chooses the camp — with prices being between $65 per student to $415 per student — and its duration, which ranges from overnight to four nights, five days.
The schools also pay for camp through a mixture of fundraising, donations and parents. Some schools, like Andersen and Harbor View in Newport Beach, can pay for the trip solely with parent payments.
According to the staff report, Kaiser is $285 short, Killybrooke $220, Lincoln $660, Whittier $160, and Newport Elementary $3,080.
It is unclear how much Paularino and Sonora elementary schools have raised.
Twitter: @britneyjbarnes