Eagan Barnes & Noble Fundraiser Aids Early Learners in District 197

For many people, April 15 might have been a day to line up at the post office with tax returns in hand, but for District 197, this year it's a time to celebrate the district's Early Learning programs.

The West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Early Learning Advisory Council is putting together a fundraiser Friday April 15 at the Barnes & Noble in Eagan. The event will benefit ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education), School Readiness, Community Preschool and Screening programs, and the bookstore is donating part of that day's profits to the effort. Use code 10440006 to direct your proceeds to early learning at checkout.

Special events from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. include story time with various teachers from the district, a special reading by local children's author Gordon Frederickson, face painting, raffle drawings, a scavenger hunt (sorry, parents, it's kids only) and a performance by Henry Sibley High School Fiddles and Friends.

Although the advisory council puts on several fundraisers every year, this one is a departure from the norm, said the council's president, Kerry Appleton. Because the event will feature artwork from students and different activities, it turned into a much bigger project than the council had envisioned. "We were so happy to see the level of community involvement that we did," she said. "We have teachers reading, and Mendota (Heights) Fire Department firefighters reading, and local artists showing work. We're excited to see it all come together."

Appleton's personal objective during her presidency this year is to generate more events and keep the programs going. She said, "With more exposure, we can bring people out, and get more focus on the kids and the school district."

The fundraising efforts help to boost more support for the Early Learning programs, which aren't under the same threat from state budget cuts to education as k-12 programming from the district's general fund. Joyce Beaird, the district's Early Learning Coordinator, said that ECFE, School Readiness and Screening are all state-funded programs, but that no cuts are expected this year. Community Preschool at the district is a self-supporting fee-based program, so any district cuts don't affect that programming directly.

Beaird adds that the preschool program has grown in recent years, and had 110 children this past year, compared to 77 children in the 2008-2009 school year. Because of that increase, the district is seeing more need for scholarships, and is considering changing to a sliding-fee scale for the program.

"We want to respond to community requests, and make sure we provide programming for any child who needs it," she said, adding that one potential change might be centralization of the programs, so that the district could offer a "one-stop shop" for Early Learning programming support. Currently, the district is putting committees together to discuss that venture and other strategic planning.

In the meantime, fundraisers like the one in Eagan are vital for helping the district to pay for more programming, boost advocacy and marketing, and reach out to those who need scholarship assistance.

And for those who worry they might not be able to file their taxes on that day and still get to the fundraiser? Don't fret: The IRS extended this year's deadline to April 18.

Editor's Note: A fundraiser through the Barnes & Noble in Eagan to benefit Henry Sibley's media center was held April 12. The library fundraiser continues online through April 17. Shop online at www.barnesandnoble.com and enter code 10451995 at checkout.