November 5th, 2009
KAPS fund raising includes stuffed bus and Java Jive

Katherine Anne Porter School has been selected by Broadway Bank’s “Stuff the Bus” campaign to benefit from the collection of some essential supplies. Left to right: Yoga instructor Meredith Parsons, junior Brenna Ross, freshman Amber Garcia, Marsha Cooper of Broadway Bank, parent Alisin Genfin and freshman McCoy Genfin.

STAFF REPORT

Broadway Bank of Wimberley has pledged to help collect much-needed school supplies in a “Stuff the Bus” campaign for the Katherine Anne Porter School (KAPS), a free, accredited, public charter high school serving the communities of San Marcos, Wimberley, Blanco, Canyon Lake, Dripping Springs, Kyle, Buda, and  Austin.

The “Stuff the Bus” Bus is making scheduled stops to collect donations of pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, crayons, rulers, backpacks, glue, scissors, and other necessary school supplies. Friday, donation drop-off locations in San Marcos will be visited by the bus including Tuttle Lumber, 228 South Guadalupe Street at 10 a.m. The bus will be at National Tire Outlet at 10: 30 a.m., then on to Bradzoil, 515 FM 2325, at 11 a.m. and Education Station, 941 South Interstate-35, at 11:30 a.m.

“Java Jive,” KAPS annual fundraising event will be on Sunday, from 2-8 p.m. at the Wimberley Lions Club Market Days Pavilion on FM 2325.

The event starts out with music from Wasted Youth at 2 p.m. Other musical guests include blues artist Doyle Bramhall, Sr., the popular Terry Hendrix and Lloyd Maines, Van Wilks with Josh Smith, Kings Queens and Lovers and the effervescent zydeco of Ponty Bone and the Squeezetones.

There will be a silent auction, gourmet coffee, gardening workshops and kids activities. The mouthwatering food offerings will include roast pig, slow smoked brisket, red chili marinated smoked chicken, country smoked sausage, sausage on a stick, turkey legs, Italian sausage and peppers sandwiches, pork ribs, pork shoulder and chopped beef and chopped pork sandwiches.

Scott Wade, the Dirty Car Artist, will also be in attendance, creating a unique image in dust on the back window of one of KAPS’ school vans. Commemorative personal portraits with the artwork will be available for a $5 donation to the school.

Tickets are $8  for students and $10 for adults.  They can be purchased at the school, 515 FM 2325, and at the door of the pavilion.

KAPS has recently been designated “ineligible” to receive both stimulus and regular entitlement funds due to a formula that does not use the charter school population as a denominator, but uses the student population of the school district which KAPS students chose to leave. The federal funds are given to those larger schools that the students left, instead of following the students to KAPS. After applying for all the stimulus funds possible, KAPS federal funding has plunged lower than it was three years ago. As a result, many classroom necessities have become luxuries and the school must rely more heavily on local donations.

For more information about KAPS visit www.kapschool.org  All donations are tax deductible.