President's Welcome Message - 2009-10

Past Presidents List

Spiro Chaconas CSF Board President 2009-10

Spiro Chaconas, a retired orthodontist, Professor Emeritus of the University of California, Los Angeles and local restaurateur, took the helm as Foundation President as of July 1st.  He is in his 2nd year of his 2nd term on the Foundation Board and he and his wife Nancy have two children at the Coronado Middle School.

Dear Friends,

Coronado’s public schools are a source of great pride for our community.  According to local realtors, our excellent school system is the primary reason why people chose to move to Coronado.  The five schools that comprise the Coronado Unified School District – Coronado High School, Palm Academy, Coronado Middle School, Silver Strand Elementary and Village Elementary – consistently score among the highest, statewide, on standard API test scores.  The primary funding source for our academically acclaimed public schools is the financially bankrupt state of California.  It slashed $3 million from the Coronado Unified School District through 2011.  With inflation, public funding is now back at the 1995 levels with 2010 expenses.

Unfortunately, a state budget crisis of unprecedented proportions is putting our schools and the education of our children at risk.  Recently, state lawmakers passed a budget that includes an additional $6 billion in cuts for K – 12 education statewide.  And, public schools are likely to face even greater shortfalls in future years.  Although Coronado continues to enjoy high real estate values, our local property tax revenues do not directly benefit our schools.  As a result of Proposition 13, California property taxes collected for public school support are sent to Sacramento and then redistributed statewide under a goal of equalization.  Our School District relies on our nonprofit fundraising arm, the Coronado Schools Foundation, to provide our 3,100 public-school children with an education that rivals the county’s finest private-school programs.  Our schools need your help!

While the administrators and teachers in the Coronado Unified School District have worked tirelessly to minimize the impact of the aforementioned cutbacks in the classroom, there is still a large unmet need for funding.  That is where the Coronado Schools Foundation comes in.  As a tax-exempt educational foundation supported entirely by your generous contributions, CSF bridges the gap between available public funding and what is needed to maintain the highest standards of educational excellence.  Since its founding in 1982, CSF has returned more than $3.9 million in net revenues to our schools. We ask each family to give $200/child, payable over six months.  Compared to the cost of private school education in San Diego which would cost my family over $20,000 for each of my two children, $200 is a real value for the top rated public comprehensive K-12 school district in the County. 

Last year, CSF welcomed our Superintendent of the Coronado Unified School District, Dr. Jeff Felix.  Dr. Felix brought solid credentials and proven leadership skills to the job, and he is supported by a talented and highly dedicated group of professionals, including Assistant Superintendents Lorraine Boyle and Randie Allen, Principal Karl Mueller and Assistant Principal Jenny Moore at CHS, Principal Jay Marquand and Assistant Principal Karen Mellina at CMS, Principal Bill Cass at Silver Strand, Principal Deeba Zaher and Lead Teacher Claudia Gallant at Village, and Principal Kevin Nicolls at Palm.  These people, and the wonderful educators who work with them, are the reason why your children enjoy a quality of education comparable to the finest private schools in the county, at a fraction of the cost of private school tuition.

Coronado School Foundation’s first major fundraising event of the 2009 – 10 school year is our annual Dinner Auction, to be held Saturday, November 7th at the Hotel Del Coronado.  This year’s party will have a new twist, starting at 6 pm with a VIP reception for our Diamond Level guests from 5 – 6 pm.  The attire will be “Island Elegant” so everyone can enjoy themselves and focus on supporting our schools.  Visit www.csfkids.org to reserve your tickets, or request an invitation by calling the CSF office at (619) 437-8059.  Mark your calendars for the 22nd Annual Telethon presented by Time Warner Cable on March 24, 2010, live from the Coronado High School Theatre.

Please help us support a world-class education for our students by attending these events and giving generously to YOUR Coronado Schools Foundation.  Your investment today will pay rich dividends in the future.

Sincerely,

Spiro J. Chaconas, D.D.S., M.S.

President

Coronado Schools Foundation