CHIMACUM — Chimacum High School is asking for donations to pay for student athletic fees and buy new outfits for the choir.
The fundraising is separate from the construction bond the district will place on the April 26 special election ballot.
The $29.1 million bond would fund an addition to Chimacum Creek Primary School that would allow the school to become a full-fledged elementary school that houses preschool through fifth grade.
The high school endeavor is a smaller, more personal fundraising activity to support immediate needs.
“The bond structures the facilities and builds permanent places for schools to happen,” said Whitney Meissner, Chimacum High School principal.
“But there are still things above and beyond that we have to find ways to fundraise for.”
The high school is seeking funding sources to support athletic fees and new performance attire for the school’s choir.
“With 40 percent of our kids on free and reduced[-cost] lunches, a lot of them can’t afford to pay the sports fee,” Meissner said.
“This becomes an equity issue. I don’t want a kid to not be able to play sports because they can’t afford it.”
Most who participate in team sports are assessed $75 per year. Football team members pay $125.
Outstanding sports fees are at about $7,000.
Students in arrears will be required to pay the fee before graduating.
Collecting in this way is less than ideal, Meissner said.
“As far as running the school as a place to do business, it’s a tough way to run an organization,” she said.
“We’d rather have the money come in in order to support the programs as they are happening.”
The school choir, which Meissner said is expanding and improving, once was able to purchase 30 costumes at about $100 each, but since it has expanded to 40 members, it has fallen short.
Meissner doesn’t know the age of the tattered choir robes but estimated they have been in use since the 1950s or ’60s.
The worn-out costumes have been replaced by tuxedos for the boys and long blue dresses for the girls, which teacher Laura Lorentzen said motivates them to turn in a better performance.
“It makes them feel proud,” she said.
“It makes them look as great as they sound, and it creates unity as a group.”
Individual donations
The fundraising effort is informal and depends solely on individual donations rather than mounting a campaign or establishing a crowdfunding page.
When it started, Meissner set a goal of $2,000 per activity.
She then determined that twice that amount is needed.
“When we send someone to a state competition, it can cost $500 per student for transportation and hotels,” she said.
“Our music costs have gone up. They are now charging us by the student instead of by the piece.”
She said she is grateful for any size contribution from anyone.
“We’ve had very generous donations from many of our non-parent residents in the community,” Meissner said.
“There are three reasons people should contribute: It helps our kids in need, it’s tax-deductible and it could be matched [by InvestEd, which provides program funding to eligible schools] so it can go further.”
Contributions can be delivered to the school, 91 West Valley Road, or mailed to the Chimacum High School Sports & Music Donation, P.O. Box 278, Chimacum, WA 98325.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
