ENOUGH WITH THE CUTS to our school budget - CUTS that target our kids - CUTS that will deprive our most hard pressed students access to the kind of education that could radically improve the direction of their lives. The folks making these decisions haven't completely grasped this simple equation:

(Education - $)  +  Students Today  =  Dummies Tomorrow

We have lost approximately $500 per Title One student a year. The overall loss each year is close to $500,000. Please consider sponsoring a child for $500 - or whatever you can give - no donation is too small or too big!

If you haven't heard about our school, you should! SOCES, Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies is a highly successful, diverse integrated public magnet school that teaches children from all over Los Angeles County. Over 24 different languages are spoken, and over 17 different nationalities work, socialize and learn together. SOCES is the largest public magnet in LAUSD with 2,100 students in grades 4-12. The student body by court order is integrated with a 60% combined minority and 40% Anglo student population. It has an API score of 879, one of the highest in all of LA. 99% graduate, and 98% attend college - colleges such as Berkley, Harvard, NYU, UCLA, USC, and MIT. Many have received partial and even full scholarships to these schools.

For 30 years SOCES has broken the barriers of poverty and done an exceptional job of helping all students bridge the academic gap that correlates with low income. But now SOCES is going to lose its Title One funds - $250,000 this year, jumping to approximately $500,000 in funds every year thereafter that are federally mandated to help students who live in poverty. Over a thousand kids who choose to come to our school in search of something better are from economically disadvantaged homes. Starting Sept. 2012 these kids will be denied the kind of educational help that Title One funds support. Please help us continue making a difference in their academic and personal success.

Whether or not you have a child at SOCES, please consider donating $500 or whatever you can give - no donation is too small or too big!

If you make a $500 donation through your business, SOCES will add your business' hyperlink to our school's website, linking whomever visits our site and clicks on your link to your business' website. To easily get us your business' link please call 323-363-1147 or email alexwald@sbcglobal.net.  All donations are tax deductible.

Thank you from the 2,100 students at SOCES!