Rose Gilbert, the teaching dynamo who has been the inspiration and financial force behind the $4.6-million Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center at Palisades Charter High School, has gained yet another honor: Citizen of the Year. This award has been presented by the Palisadian-Post since 1947. ‘Rose was teaching English when I went through PaliHi in the late 1960s,’ said Post Publisher Roberta Donohue, ‘and she was still teaching when my daughter Jenny was a student just a few years ago. So it’s a pleasure to now be in a position to honor ‘Mama G.’ with this award.’ Gilbert, 91, joined the Palisades High faculty when the school opened in 1961, and she continues to teach a full load: four AP English courses. After her daughter Maggie (a former Junior Olympics swimmer) died of an embolism in 2004 at age 54, Gilbert launched the campaign to build a pool on campus’beginning with a $1 million donation. She has since contributed an additional $1.1 million, while also giving the school a $750,000 loan to help complete construction by early summer. ‘Rose deserves this prestigious award for her vision and her generosity in making this aquatic center a reality,’ said Jeanne Goldsmith (chair of the pool’s fundraising committee) in her nominating letter.   ’This recreational facility will not only ensure that each student that graduates from Palisades High is water safe, but it will give our community a place to gather, to teach our children to swim, watch swim meets and water polo matches, to exercise and enjoy the benefits of aquatic recreation.’ Ann Davenport, director of academic planning at PaliHi, noted that ‘without Mrs. Gilbert’s donations and support, we would not have been able to afford a swimming complex. [She has also] been recognized on television, in the newspapers and magazines as being an outstanding, long serving and dedicated educator.’   Gilbert, who inherited millions from her late husband Sam and lives up above the Getty Villa, has always made it clear to her students that she has plenty of money and doesn’t need to work, but that she simply loves teaching. ‘I had her as a teacher and she was very tough,’ recalled past ‘Citizen’ Randy Young, a 1971 graduate, and a member of the Post’s Citizen of the Year committee. ‘She had a huge impact on all her students.’ He also appreciates ‘her amazing spirit and wonderful sense of humor,’ recalling the day they were studying Freud and ‘she came into the classroom wearing Mickey Mouse ears and a slip over her dress that she called her Freudian slip.’ Wrote Interim Principal Marcia Haskin in her nomination letter: ‘Walk by Room A204 any day of the week and you will see ‘Mama G. on fire,’ standing at her podium, reciting poetry or explicating text from assigned reading. The students are rapt with attention and truly comprehend that they are being taught by a veritable ‘celebrity’ in the world of education.’ The Citizen of the Year banquet, also featuring the Golden Sparkplug awards presented by the Community Council, will be held on Thursday evening, April 22, at the American Legion hall on La Cruz Drive. Ticket information will be provided in next week’s issue.

In the midst’s of the state’s ongoing financial crisis, Palisades Charter High School administrators are anticipating a potential $1.1 million budget shortfall in the 2010-11 school year.   Meanwhile, the school could lose nearly half of its student population if LAUSD follows through on its proposal to eliminate busing service (‘LAUSD Proposes Ending PaliHi Buses,’ published February 18), resulting in additional lost revenue.   ’If busing is cut, it would have a huge impact,’ PaliHi’s Executive Director Amy Dresser-Held told the Palisadian-Post.   The Los Angeles Unified School District, facing a $640-million deficit, has proposed eliminating transportation for 1,180 PaliHi students for an annual savings of $2 million.   Since the late 1970s, LAUSD has paid to transport students to the school through two integration programs that are mandated under the Crawford v. Board of Education of Los Angeles lawsuit, which was filed in 1963 to end segregation in the district. Students are also bused to PaliHi through Public School Choice, a No Child Left Behind mandate, and through another district program that is meant to alleviate overcrowded schools.   Dresser-Held is hopeful the school can reach an agreement with LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines to keep the busing program. She and PaliHi’s Operations Manager Maisha-Cole Perri have submitted a proposal to the district, suggesting that PaliHi’s and Paul Revere Middle School’s buses be consolidated for a savings of $1.2 million and PaliHi’s afternoon pick-up buses be reduced to save another $500,000.   On February 11, PaliHi hosted a meeting to inform parents and students about the potential cuts and talk about solutions. This month, administrators will send out surveys to the students and their families, asking if they can still attend if transportation is cut, Dresser-Held said. They collected about 200 surveys at the February meeting, but the sampling size was not large enough to make any determinations.   Administrators are also preparing for a drop in enrollment by extending the fall 2010 application deadline for all grade levels until April 15 in hopes of receiving more applications. The lottery will be held April 29.   ’I am doing community outreach, so we have enough kids to be fiscally solvent,’ PaliHi’s Director of Student Services Monica Iannessa said. PaliHi, with a student population of about 2,800 and a $22-million operating budget, received $5,831 per student from the state this school year. Seventy-five percent of the high school’s total revenue comes from state funding sources.   Iannessa is reaching out to middle schools and community organizations, especially in ethnically diverse areas, to let them know that there could be openings.   ’Our goal is to maintain a similar student body,’ Dresser-Held said. ‘Diversity is an integral part of the identity of this school.’   So far, Iannessa has received about 1,200 applications from students all over Los Angeles and 80 percent are from incoming freshmen. The Palisadian-Post reported on April 9, 2009 that the school had received 1,475 applications for 950 openings for this school year.   ’It’s hard to plan for admissions and build a budget, when the ground is moving beneath us,’ Dresser-Held said.   Right now, administrators are looking at ways to reduce the budget by $1.1 million. Teachers’ salaries and benefits make up 80 percent of the budget, while the remainder is spent on food service, facilities, textbooks and other operating expenses.   ’Union negotiations are happening on a parallel track [to the budget process],’ Dresser-Held said. ‘Since 80 percent of our budget is personnel, there may end up being some negotiable items.’   Dresser-Held said that PaliHi did not have to lay off teachers this school year, and she hopes to keep the staff intact this fall.   ’We will do everything possible,’ Dresser-Held said. ‘The busing situation is a huge X factor. If you don’t have enough kids, it impacts viability.’   Some California schools are reducing their number of instructional days to save money, but PaliHi’s Chief Business Officer Greg Wood said this is not an option. PaliHi is already operating at 175 days, the minimum amount required by the state.   School leaders have already decided to suspend traditional summer school for a savings of about $60,000. Summer school will be available only for those students with Individual Education Plans, meaning students with delayed skills or other disabilities. To save money in the current fiscal year, the PaliHi board of directors voted unanimously on February 16 to freeze textbook spending, except for the library, for the remainder of the spring semester, which could result in a savings of about $100,000. Teachers had until February 28 to submit requests for textbooks. School leaders are also exploring ways to generate more revenue through fundraising and grants. This school year, PaliHi raised $80,000 from the annual giving campaign, but paid $20,000 for mailings and the fundraising consultant. ‘We need to be raising a whole lot more,’ Dresser-Held said. Wood said that PaliHi might also be eligible for money from President Barack Obama’s Race to the Top program. PaliHi leaders are seeking input on what should be the school’s overarching goals and priorities as they make these tough budget decisions. Stakeholders are encouraged to fill out a survey on the school’s Web site: palihigh.enschool.org. Click on State of the Budget’We Want Your Input. Suggestions can also be dropped off in the school’s main office. The board of directors will approve the new budget in June. Information: (310) 230-6623.

Continuing its annual tradition of bequeathing money to support local causes, the Pacific Palisades Junior Women’s Club (PPJWC) awarded $74,350 to 38 local schools and organizations at the Woman’s Club on Tuesday night. ‘We wouldn’t have this money if we didn’t have the support of the community coming to our main fundraiser,’ said PPJWC President Alyssa MacMiller, referring to the November Home Tour and Boutique. ‘We faced economic challenges, as so many people have, but it was a successful home tour, and we want to thank our sponsors: Michael Edlen, Designer Rug Resource, W.I. Simonson and Structure Homes.’ On Monday, MacMiller learned that Edlen had donated an additional $4,098 for the club to give away. The local Coldwell Banker realtor is now donating a portion of his home sales or purchase commissions involving Junior Women’s Club members, their family and friends. MacMiller called Tuesday’s gathering her favorite meeting of the year because after all the hard work is done to raise money, ‘we see how excited and grateful the recipients are, and it reminds us that this is why we do everything we do.’ More than 60 organizations applied for grants, but according to a Junior Women tradition, only those based in or serving the Palisades were awarded money. In deciding whom to fund, each member votes on whether to give money to the applicant, and then what percentage to award. Some of this year’s recipients, like Movies in the Park, have been supported by PPJWC grants for the past six years. ‘The Junior Women’s Club was an early supporter. They shared our vision,’ said co-founder Brad Lusk. ‘Their ongoing support in these challenging economic times is all the more impressive. David [Williams], John [Wirth], Andy [Frew] and I are so appreciative of their generosity.’ Nine groups were first-time recipients, including Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera, Will Rogers Ranch Foundation, Palisades Village Book Friends, Pali Blues Soccer Club, AARP, Safe Westside, La Senora Research Institute de Rancho Boca de Santa Monica, Young Angels of America and Every 15 Minutes Program. The latter program is a two-day driving education safety program, which will be held for the first time at Palisades High this spring. ‘We’re so grateful to the Junior Women for supporting teen driving safety in our community,’ said spokesperson Cindy Freedland. ‘With the LA Sol [professional women’s soccer] folding, all grants and donations are important in keeping the Pali Blues in existence,’ Blues General Manager Jason Lemire said. His players plan to visit local schools and make presentations on the value of hard work and teamwork, on and off the field. The 38 recipients were divided into four categories: beautification; education; arts and recreation; and community and charitable groups. PPJWC distributed $7,000 for beautification to Palisades Beautiful to purchase parkway trees, Palisades Garden Club to work on a project at Fire Station 23, the Village Green Committee to renovate the lawn and repair the sprinkler system, Sunset Beach Association for the triangle at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and PCH, and the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association to preserve and improve the historic eucalyptus grove. For education, $18,000 was given to five schools. Palisades Charter High received money to help fund a SAT prep course and senior awards night, Paul Revere Middle School to finish the outdoor learning center, Palisades Elementary for a kindergarten handball court, Marquez for specialists (librarian and art teacher) and Canyon Booster Club for a new part-time office position. Eleven groups received a total of $24,260 for various arts and recreation purposes. They include Palisades-Malibu YMCA to help replace items stolen from a storage shed on its property in December, Movies in the Park for a new projector, Chamber Music Palisades to sponsor its fall concert, Palisades Symphony Orchestra for stipends for the conductors and soloists, Calvary School for a field scoreboard screen, Palisades OomPaPa Band for maintenance and repair of instruments, Camp Josepho for two fire-fighting stations, ‘Field of Dreams’ to install shades over the bleachers at the Recreation Center, Pacific Palisades Art Association for various shows as well as supporting a venue in a vacant store for art to be hung, Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center to help finish the pool, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera in order to subsidize local performances and keep them affordable, Will Rogers Ranch Foundation to improve the visitor center and Palisades Village Book Friends to help fund author evenings. Community and charitable groups received $25,090 and include the Palisades Woman’s Club for building maintenance, Palisades Americanism Parade Association for costs involving bands and equestrian teams, Chamber of Commerce for its Chrysalis street cleanup, Disaster Preparedness to update the town’s survival guide, Fire Station 23 for beautifying the station area, Meals on Wheels West to sponsor meals for one senior for a year and Palisades Cares to provide bike racks (which will allow them to sponsor a car-free day in the Palisades). Aldersgate Retreat Center received money to improve its entryway, the Palisades AARP Chapter to fund publishing its monthly newsletter, SafeWestside to pay for private training of security officers who are handling radar surveillance on Palisades Drive, local Girls Scouts for a STEM program (which focuses on piquing girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math), La Senora Research Institute to improve the historic grave site and Young Angels of America to support dances for teens in underprivileged areas. Other activities undertaken by Junior Women members include the Love Walk, delivering Meals on Wheels to Palisades residents, sponsoring the Halloween window-painting contest and hosting an annual birthday luncheon for residents who are 90 years and older. The club is currently looking for new members, and there is no age requirement. Applicants must live in the Palisades or the vicinity. ‘We welcome every woman in the community who’s interested,’ MacMiller said. Visit: www.PPJWC.com