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Golf Tourney To Aid Cypress Elementary

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: October 11, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Because of recent statewide and national economic belt tightening, Cypress Elementary School is looking for a little extra help in educating its children.

School districts and individual locations are getting creative in ways they before haven't in order to provide students with the supplemental tools to enhance their learning experience.

To compensate, Cypress and its Parent Teacher Organization have decided to take the issue of dealing with shaved-down budgets to the tees.

The new, and hopefully biggest, fundraising initiative of the school year will now be a golf tournament held Jan. 10 at Timber Greens Country Club, in New Port Richey. Funds and donations will go toward the purchase of technological classroom advances.

Dana Kistler, Cypress PTO president, said the organization is hoping to rise from $10,000 to $15,000 with the standard, four-man, and best-ball tournament. The PTO has an overall fundraising goal for the year of $25,000.

The money will be spent on computers and other education-related electronic equipment.

"The technology is wonderful," Kistler said of the items and services PTO members have on the wish list. "Unfortunately, it's just not cheap."

For example, two Apple Dual Core network file server computers to replace the school's overloaded single unit will cost a total of $7,200. That is just one line-item on a seven point list for the school.

Cypress's computer lab is outdated as well, Kistler said, with all its units at least eight years old. Twenty-five of the new units to refurbish the lab would soak up the entire $25,000 goal from fundraising.

Part of the problem deals with a shrinking budget. According to school figures, Cypress has lost 20 percent in per-teacher revenue from School District funding, down to $480 per teacher from $601.

The school is also working with 50 percent less revenue from state lottery funding. What brought in $10 per child last year now only brings in $5.

Another problem facing Cypress is one in which many middle class families can relate. Title I, a federal initiative to help provide needier schools with funding, is not awarded to Cypress Elementary - despite 41 percent of students being on free or reduced lunch programs.

Basically, Kistler explained, the area from which the school draws its students is considered too affluent to warrant the federal assistance. In reality, most Cypress families don't have disposable income to give the school.

"We don't have enough families to donate the monies we need to realistically buy this technology that the school needs," she said.

"Yet we don't qualify for Title I funding?" she said.

As a result, Cypress is ranked third from last of all Pasco County schools in technological capabilities.

Kistler and the PTO are hopeful the inaugural Cypress Golf Tournament will be a success. They believe it can involve the community much more than other events. She expressed the sentiment felt by many families today, though, by describing where the school currently stands.

"We are really just stuck in the middle right now," she said.

Any willing golfer is encouraged to sign up and the PTO is still looking for sponsorships.

Fees to play are $75 per player and the registration deadline is now set for Dec. 5.

Contact the Cypress Elementary PTO at 727-774-4500 for more information on the tournament.

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