Superintendent Vern Moore Approved Appleseed Partnership in June 2004

Flashback to the Beginning
Privately Financed Lion Heart Center Sought
For U. City High School Alumni and Students
UNIVERSITY CITY, MO, November 19, 2003 Project Appleseed President and National Director, Kevin Walker, is promoting a new plan to raise an estimated $5 million in private funds over the next three years to build the Lion Heart Alumni Center at University City High School. Mr. Walker wants to raise the funds from high school alumni and community members to design, construct, and endow a meeting facility, replacement of the outdated Natatorium with a new indoor community pool, replacement of two water damaged gyms and additional upgrades in the school's weight and looker rooms. Lion Heart is envisioned for use by alumni, their families, and University City residents as part of a center membership. University City students would have access to the center as part their regular supervised curricular and co-curricular activities.

Lion Heart's meeting facility would be called the 'Lion's Den'. The Den is envisioned to be part multi-media community meeting room, part sports facility sky box. The Lion's Den would include food and beverage service, seating for 200-300 people and sky box styled seating complete with commanding views of the school's outdoor football & track stadium, indoor basketball gym and new indoor pool--all in one space. The Den's walls will chronicle the rich 75 year history of University City High School with an eclectic mix of memorabilia in a 'Blueberry Hill motif'.

"We have the support of Superintendent Vern Moore. I am gratified by his encouragement and (Principal) Beth Bender's enthusiasm. This project will have to make financial sense before we can move forward because the facility will have to pay for itself. I think it can-- but we have homework to do. I have begun meeting with alumni and community members who have expertise in construction, sports facilities, and capital fund raising campaigns. University City has the intellectual and financial capital to get a project like this done," said Mr. Walker.

The graduates of University City High School are some of the most successful people in America. Their generosity and leadership in philanthropy is well known in St. Louis and beyond. To ensure the improvement of U. City schools, the significant financial resources of University City High School graduates must be tapped for the purpose of securing needed revenue to build this facility and renovate the community's schools.

In addition to hosting traditional student clubs and activities, many schools across United States are open from morning to night hosting daycare, prekindergarten, adult, and senior learning programs as well as communitywide educational, health, social, cultural, religious, and recreational services and events. Schools used for these purposes can be referred to as a full-service school or community learning centers. Research demonstrates that building the Alumni Center at the high school can lead to the involvement of alumni and the community in the high school and school district while providing students and graduates with a first class facility.

Public school districts in the United States use billions of dollars in bond money in the hopes of meeting needed revenue for building repair and construction. "But what if schools could get the funding they need for capital expenditures at no cost to taxpayers? It's worth a very serious try. University City High School has been very important to the success of my children and the 10's of thousands of children who have graduated from this wonderful school during the last century," said Mr. Walker.

Kevin Walker is the father of Olivia Walker, a freshman at University High School. He is also the father of three University City High School graduates. Justin Walker, Class of 99, is graduating in December from the University of Missouri, Columbia, with a degree in Business Management. Austin Walker, Class of 01, is a junior -- on the Dean List-- studying Political Science at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Kate Walker, UCHS Class of 03, is a freshman majoring in elementary education at St. Louis University.

HELP WANTED: City Council Members Who Support U. City Schools

The idea to explore a privately financed Lion Heart Center came after a 5-1 vote to build a new facility in Heman Park rather than considering University City High School. Councilwoman Shelley Welsch voted alone against the Heman Facility and in favor of studying the U. City High School location. Mayor Joe Adams and University City Council members Larry Liberman, Wayne Munkel, Arthur Sharpe, and Bob Wagner, voted for a new Heman Park facility and against a recommended study into locating the City's new recreation center at University City High School (September 15, 2003). Councilwoman Sandi Colquilt was absent. Proposition K community surveys of students and citizens named a new indoor pool as the number one priority of the community. Instead the City will build a new limited facility in Heman Park recommended by City Manager Frank Ollendorff, in Heman Park, containing a fitness center, two basketball courts and an elevated track.

Persons interested in filing for the following positions of the City Council of University City (one position for 4 yr. term) may pick up a Petition and Information for Filing in the City Clerk's office, Room 4, second floor of City Hall, 6801 Delmar Boulevard or from downloading from the City's website at www.ucitymo.org: Council member - 3rd Ward, Incumbent Arthur Sharpe, Jr., Councilmember - 2nd Ward, Incumbent Wayne Munkel, Councilmember - 1st Ward, Incumbent Larry Lieberman.

Project Appleseed, a national organization since 1994, was established in University City in October of 1991, as Parents for Public Schools. The group formed when the University City Board of Education's Strategic Plan called for the establishment of an 'independent self-perpetuating group interested in the overall welfare of District schools, that will maximize community involvement, develop fund-raising activities, monitor District progress, and perform studies and make recommendations to the District.' Today Project Appleseed's national award winning parental involvement program is required by federal law in half of the public schools in the United States as part of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1994 and No Child Left Behind of 2002.
    

    