Invitation and survey

Explorer Parents,

As the year draws to a close, we’d like to invite you to celebrate another year of great teaching and learning at the annual Explorer End-of-Year Dessert Potluck, Sunday, June 6, 7-8 p.m. in the Garrison cafeteria. Please bring a dessert (and serving utensil) to share. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Explorer Parent Organization is looking for your input and suggestions as we look to next year and the future of our group. The EPO’s mission to date has been three-fold: 1) to advocate for gifted education at the local level 2) to support and enrich the experience of Explorer students and their parents with educational and social events, and 3) to provide funding for field trips and augment classroom materials for Explorer teachers. The district supports field trips with transportation costs only and district support for classroom materials has been limited due to budget cuts.

Due to changes in state gifted education organizations, our EPO needs to apply for 501c-3 nonprofit status in order to qualify for grants to continue funding Explorer programs at the current level. The EPO Board of Directors would like your feedback before we proceed.

If we apply for 501c-3 status, we will:

• Need new/additional parent volunteers to assist with the application and ongoing tax paperwork. (Legal and/or CPA experience especially helpful.)

• Need volunteer(s) for grant writing, as well as volunteers for the EPO Board to conduct official business on a routine basis following non-profit guidelines.

• Continue funding field trips and providing teachers with funds for technology, books, and other resource materials for classrooms.

If we DO NOT apply for 501c-3 status, we will:

• No longer fund field trips or provide funds for Explorer teachers.

• No longer provide fiscal oversight for Walla Walla Valley Math Competition.

• Disband the EPO as it currently exists, perhaps replacing it with an Explorer parent advisory group without financial obligations.

What would you like to see happen? Please share your opinions with us below, and bring this form to the dessert function on June 6, or e-mail responses to Megan Blair-Cabasco, EPO Secretary, at: mbcabasco@gmail.com.