SANTA ANA : Schools to Celebrate Partners in Business

Seven years ago, Fremont Elementary School Principal Helen Romeo walked into a Bank of America branch in Santa Ana and hesitantly asked the bank manager if her institution would be interested in “adopting” the school.

After visiting the students, the once-reluctant bank official was won over and agreed to start a partnership with Fremont, with the goal of teaching the students about money and banking and providing them with positive, professional role models.

“I really thought it would be a wonderful idea to involve businesses with education because our children are going to be working someday,” said Romeo, who is now principal at Hoover Elementary School. “We needed something that could provide the kids with a vision of what is possible.”

On Friday, the Santa Ana Unified School District celebrated the growth of what has become its well-established School/Business Partnership Program at a special breakfast at the Saddleback Inn. The event, which featured Assemblyman Tom Umberg (D-Garden Grove) as the guest speaker, honored local businesses for their participation in the program.

“The program not only helps kids, it helps businesses too,” said Mike Metzler, president of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, which helps administer the program. “It opens up their eyes as to what’s out there and lets them know that they can do some good.”

Since that initial partnership was formed at Fremont, the district has joined forces with 120 businesses throughout Orange County. The businesses provide classroom speakers, tours of their work sites, after-school tutoring, scholarships, academic and attendance incentives and a range of other support for students.

The level of support varies with each partnership. Among the most active participants is Plaza Savings & Loan in Tustin, which is partners with nearby Sierra Intermediate School.

Last year, Plaza officials began a “Super Achievers” program in which 25 students identified as being “at risk” of dropping out of school were awarded educational trust funds.

The students will receive $100 for each year of school they complete, with additional money awarded for each completed year of college, trade school or the military, said Sierra Vice Principal Cathy Gach.

“They’ve made quite a commitment, and we’re just overwhelmed,” Gach said. “At this age level, you have many kids with no focus who don’t give education much thought. Programs like this make such a tremendous difference.”

The W.R. Grace Co., which has offices in Santa Ana, encourages school attendance by awarding a bicycle each year to two Washington Elementary School students with perfect attendance. All students at the school with perfect attendance are eligible to win the bikes.

One of the more popular partners among the students is a Santa Ana McDonald’s that, as part of a field trip, gives students a tour of its restaurant, allows them to take orders and provides them with a snack. The restaurant also awards gift certificates for good grades.

Romeo said she is pleased that the program she initiated in 1984 has grown to become such an integral part of the district.

“Something like this needed to happen,” she said. “The students see a cross section of jobs and get a realistic view of what the possibilities are. They learn that if they stay in school and pursue higher education, they can be anything they want to be regardless of their background.”