Hello, my name is David Imboden, I am the President of the McPherson Education Foundation. We are an independent 501c3 Non-Profit that supports McPherson Magnet School, an Orange Unified K-8 Science, Math and Technology focused public school here in Orange. Unfortunately, I cannot be at the City Council meeting tonight as I'm supporting an OUSD District Advisory Meeting, my son is playing in the South Sunrise Little League playoffs and the Foundation also has our monthly Board meeting tonight.
I am disappointed in the City's inconsistency in determining "Qualified Organizations", specifically singling us out as an Affiliated Organization with the McPherson Magnet Parent, Teacher and Student Association (PTSA). Although it is true that we both support McPherson Magnet School, we are not "affiliated" in any way, we are completely independent of each other. While the list of Meanwhile, the list of Qualified Organizations have two organizations that are formally affiliated with the Orange Masonic Temple and another organization which is formally affiliated with the Orange Elks Lodge, which is also listed as a Qualified Organization, but these organizations are allowed to enter the lottery separately and were not forced to combine their application. Additionally, two Lutheran Schools and Churches, which are official Associated Members of Orange Lutheran High School, an organization that received an automatic booth, are also allowed to apply and separately. Clearly they are all affiliated.
In the list of qualified applications it states "These applicants would have been independently considered Qualified Organizations if not for multiple affiliate status and were therefore given the opportunity to combine their applications in lieu of having their applications disregarded. Each of these applying organizations accepted the offer to have their applications combined." Read it closely, we accepted the offer to have our applications combined because we were told both of our applications would be disqualified if we didn't. Not much of a "choice". The city even admits here that we are independently Qualified Organizations, but does not consistently apply the "multiple affiliate status" across the other Qualified Organizations.
These booths have an opportunity to raises tens of thousands of dollars for these non-profits. Mayor Slater emailed me back when I gave my concerns and he said "Obviously, this is our “first time at bat” in a long time regarding this issue and it may take a few swings to get it right. " So before the lottery takes place, our Mayor has already stated that this doesn't sound right, but is not suggesting any steps to repair the inequality that the City has given some organizations over others.
I strongly feel that if the City is going to allow these other affiliated organizations to be considered separate qualified organizations for the lottery, that McPherson Magnet PTSA and McPherson Education Foundation should get the same opportunity to enter the lottery separately as these other organizations have. If we are treated differently, it seems to look like the City is giving preferential treatment to private membership organizations and large religious organizations over public school organizations.
Hello, my name is David Imboden, I am the President of the McPherson Education Foundation. We are an independent 501c3 Non-Profit that supports McPherson Magnet School, an Orange Unified K-8 Science, Math and Technology focused public school here in Orange. Unfortunately, I cannot be at the City Council meeting tonight as I'm supporting an OUSD District Advisory Meeting, my son is playing in the South Sunrise Little League playoffs and the Foundation also has our monthly Board meeting tonight.
I am disappointed in the City's inconsistency in determining "Qualified Organizations", specifically singling us out as an Affiliated Organization with the McPherson Magnet Parent, Teacher and Student Association (PTSA). Although it is true that we both support McPherson Magnet School, we are not "affiliated" in any way, we are completely independent of each other. While the list of Meanwhile, the list of Qualified Organizations have two organizations that are formally affiliated with the Orange Masonic Temple and another organization which is formally affiliated with the Orange Elks Lodge, which is also listed as a Qualified Organization, but these organizations are allowed to enter the lottery separately and were not forced to combine their application. Additionally, two Lutheran Schools and Churches, which are official Associated Members of Orange Lutheran High School, an organization that received an automatic booth, are also allowed to apply and separately. Clearly they are all affiliated.
In the list of qualified applications it states "These applicants would have been independently considered Qualified Organizations if not for multiple affiliate status and were therefore given the opportunity to combine their applications in lieu of having their applications disregarded. Each of these applying organizations accepted the offer to have their applications combined." Read it closely, we accepted the offer to have our applications combined because we were told both of our applications would be disqualified if we didn't. Not much of a "choice". The city even admits here that we are independently Qualified Organizations, but does not consistently apply the "multiple affiliate status" across the other Qualified Organizations.
These booths have an opportunity to raises tens of thousands of dollars for these non-profits. Mayor Slater emailed me back when I gave my concerns and he said "Obviously, this is our “first time at bat” in a long time regarding this issue and it may take a few swings to get it right. " So before the lottery takes place, our Mayor has already stated that this doesn't sound right, but is not suggesting any steps to repair the inequality that the City has given some organizations over others.
I strongly feel that if the City is going to allow these other affiliated organizations to be considered separate qualified organizations for the lottery, that McPherson Magnet PTSA and McPherson Education Foundation should get the same opportunity to enter the lottery separately as these other organizations have. If we are treated differently, it seems to look like the City is giving preferential treatment to private membership organizations and large religious organizations over public school organizations.