“Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing, but then I know it’s growing strong,” sang Neil Diamond in his epic song Sweet Caroline. Unlike the famous singer, those responsible for forming the Oracle School Foundation knew exactly where it began…and indeed, it is still growing strong. The Foundation actually began as two separate entities united to accomplish a common mission: to provide financial and related support to ensure that every Oracle student has unlimited opportunity to succeed.
The initial impetus for the Foundation started with Linda Lyon who gathered a team together of visionary women in December 2013. She called the effort, “Vision 2020” and the mission is reflected in the present mission of the Foundation. In January 2014, the group met with Superintendent Dennis Blauser for guidance about district needs. At the same time that Linda and her group were forging ahead, Alan and Betsy Levenson were on a similar path. Alan had begun tutoring first graders in the Oracle district and he vividly recalls how he felt as he passed the trailer park where most of his students lived. He wondered if these kids would ever have a chance to succeed given that most were impoverished and had limited language skills because Spanish was their first language. Alan’s motivation for doing something for Oracle students was based on empathy. His spouse Betsy was also motivated to make a difference, but her drive came from altruism and the importance of “giving back” to the community. Betsy was also frustrated with the prevailing attitude among some SaddleBrooke residents who believed that they had raised their own kids and didn’t need to support education for others. This belief was born out when the bond issue that would provide much needed support for the Oracle Schools failed to pass in 2011.
Linda’s group and Alan and Betsy joined forces early in 2014 upon Superintendent Blauser’s suggestion. In March and April of 2014, they held several planning sessions and began to research how to establish a Foundation.
The group asked Ed Hartman, an Oracle resident and retired university professor, to be their first president. Other board members included Alan Levenson as vice president, Richard Borland as treasurer, Maria Menconi as secretary, Elizabeth Tilley representing OSD parents, Linda Lyon as the OSD board representative, and non-voting member and school superintendent Dennis Blauser. Betsy Levenson, a former teacher with a passion for education and a background in leadership training and non-profit management, led the group in a series of strategic planning sessions. As a result of these sessions, the group decided that they would focus on preschool. In Betsy’s words, “early childhood education offers the biggest bang for the buck.”
Thanks to the hard work of board members and Betsy’s leadership with strategic planning, the Foundation received their Certificate of Good Standing with the Arizona Corporation Commission in February 2015, their Employer Identification Number from the IRS in April 2015, and approval as a 501c3.
Today, the Foundation continues to grow, raising money through grants and an annual Gala fundraiser, which this year had to be postponed due to COVID-19. However, many SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents responded to our “ask” for money so that we could honor our commitment to the preschool program, and we are very appreciative of that generosity. Hopefully we will be able to have a successful Gala next October when COVID-19 will hopefully be in our past.
In 2019, Arizona was 48th in the nation in terms of per pupil spending, so it is imperative that we continue to do what we can to help all children in the OSD have opportunities to succeed. If you believe that education is critical to a child’s success in life, please become a Champion of the Oracle School Foundation. Visit www.OracleSchoolsFoundation.com. “With your help, WE succeed so that THEY can succeed.”
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