PUBLIC PLUS PARENTS; FUND-RAISING EFFORTS PAY FOR SCHOOLS' EXTRAS.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

Wilbur Avenue School in Tarzana has all the hallmarks of a good school: hard-working teachers, enthusiastic parents and engaged students. It has a computer lab instructor, art and science programs, and a weekly gardener - all paid for by parents.

At Carpenter Avenue School in Studio City, parents pay for a school nurse and a physical education teacher. They also secured a grant to create a media arts lab, where students can learn about animation, graphic arts and desktop publishing. Next year, the school plans to offer French lessons during its after-school enrichment program - also financed by parents.

Sound like private schools? They're not.

Wilbur and Carpenter are part of the nation's second-largest public school system, the Los Angeles Unified School District. They are products of committed teachers and parents who raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to pay for everything from air-conditioning units to earthquake kits for every classroom.

They highlight the plight and challenges that face the school district as its enrollment rises to record levels, with unprecedented numbers of parents shifting their children from private campuses to public classrooms. At the same time, these schools underscore the contrasts between public schools in relatively affluent neighborhoods and those in areas with less money.

Shelley LaFleur's son attends fifth grade at Carpenter, where parents raised about $150,000 last year. ``That's how we make the school an excellent school,'' she said.

Without financial support from parents, ``we wouldn't have computers in the classroom, we wouldn't have a PE coach, and the teachers would be doing PE on their own,'' LaFleur said.

A question of affluence

While parents in relatively affluent San Fernando Valley neighborhoods raise funds for teachers, programs and school repairs, campuses in less-affluent communities struggle just to pay for basic supplies.

Education experts and officials worry that such lucrative fund raising can lead to the creation of publicly funded private academies, while poor schools grow even poorer.

``It leaves them further up the creek without a paddle. It just intensifies the disparities that exist,'' said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Rita Walters, a former school board member who fought to limit the amount of gifts and money parents could bestow on schools.

Fund raising, always a part of education, became critical after voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978. The measure rolled back property taxes, taking much-needed local taxes from schools and leaving them even more dependent on state funding and the whims of voters.

In April, Los Angeles voters approved Proposition BB, a $2.4 billion bond measure that covers repairs, construction and modernization projects in the LAUSD. Yet California continues to spend less on pupils than most other states.

According to the state Department of Education, California ranked 39th in per-pupil spending nationwide, behind Missouri and South Carolina.

In 1996-97, California spent $5,327 on each student compared to Alaska, the No. 1-ranked state, which spent $10,393 on each student.

Austerity education

Schools in neighborhoods deemed low-income by the federal government are eligible for grants aimed at minimizing the gap between rich and poor. But school administrators note that they are restricted to using the money for certain programs.

``You can't use it for air conditioners. You can't use it for camping,'' said Yvonne Chan, principal of Vaughn Next Century Learning Center, a Pacoima charter school that receives $670,000 in state and federal funds. ``We have it, but we can't use it (outside of certain programs). That's where the inequity comes from.''

Walters has called for the creation of a foundation that could benefit students throughout the district.

``If more affluent parents want to contribute to an overall pot of money that would be equitably distributed, that would be quite another thing,'' Walters said. ``If they are of a mind to make an extra effort, let's do it in a way that doesn't disadvantage youngsters further.''

At Wilbur Avenue School, the booster club raised about $150,000 last year to pay for a full-time computer instructor, a part-time librarian, classroom air-conditioning units and computer equipment.

Parents also equipped each of the school's 34 classrooms with earthquake kits, and they pay for weekly gardening and lawn services.

``Technology is a priority,'' said computer instructor Sue Canada, whose $18,000 salary is paid for by the booster club.

The club organizes several fund-raisers each year and solicits $200 donations from parents to pay for all the goodies.

``Our motto is: `Expect to pay, expect to donate,' '' said Michael Williamson, whose three children attend Wilbur Avenue. ``If you give with joy and kindness, it's almost like giving your own child books and toys.''

Parents make the difference

Despite the lucrative fund-raisers, Williamson said parents struggle to pull off programs at Wilbur.

``It's not affluence, but commitment by parents that a little bit goes a long way,'' Williamson said. ``Is it worth $100, $200 to educate your children? Yes, it is.''

That's the sentiment of parents at neighboring Portola Middle School in Tarzana.

The 2,000-student school, which includes a highly gifted magnet, has an active parent organization that raises more than $30,000 a year, said Principal Stephen Lawler.

The money helps pay for the school's award-winning performing arts program and badly needed classroom items such as computer supplies.

``I've found everything I've needed in the PTA,'' said Paul Richardson, Portola's drama teacher. ``They ask what you need and they come up with it.''

Lawler said caring teachers and strong parent involvement is key to good schools - not necessarily money.

``This is a special school, no doubt about it,'' Lawler said. ``We have dedicated staff, and we have tremendous parent support. These are people for whom the arts are important. They support them. They donate money and they donate their time.''

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PHOTO Computer instructor Sue Canada, whose salary is paid for through parent fund raising, helps second-graders at Wilbur Avenue School.

Tina Gerson/Daily News