South San Francisco, CA October 26, 2020 Submitted by Peter Feng, SSFUSD
South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) will receive a $250,000 donation from the South San Francisco Rotary Club Foundation to support the opening of learning hubs in November at Los Cerritos and Sunshine Gardens Elementary Schools, the district’s two high schools, and the Paradise Valley clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County.
According to SSFUSD Superintendent Dr. Shawnterra Moore, the rotary club donation will help fund staffing and operational costs and allow the district to enroll families, who have suffered economic hardship due to the ongoing pandemic, at low or no cost.
“We prioritized the need, the Boys & Girls Club stepped in to fill the need, and the Rotary Club stepped up to fund the need,” said Dr. Moore. “With this money, our strong desire to help subsidize the cost for our families really may become a reality. We are so grateful and thankful for the partnerships of our community.”
Dr. Moore said the learning hubs will provide targeted academic support to small groups of students but are not part of a district-wide transition to hybrid learning.
Instead, they are designed to help students struggling with distance learning who have had difficulty with technology, attendance, or completing work on time.
The learning hubs will operate from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM and begin service on or about November 2.
The Los Cerritos and Sunshine Gardens locations will serve students enrolled at those schools as well as at Martin and Spruce Elementary Schools. The Paradise Valley clubhouse will also serve students from Martin and Spruce Elementary.
Meanwhile, the El Camino and South San Francisco High School hubs are open to select high schoolers and elementary and middle school students from throughout SSFUSD who meet eligibility criteria.
“We simply cannot thank the Rotary Club of South San Francisco enough for this impact investment,” said Aubrey Merriman, chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County. “This partnership between schools and community-based organizations and the South San Francisco Rotary Club Foundation is really indicative of what can happen when we put students and equity first.”