By now, most of you have read that the BridgeView Academy Board of Trustees terminated their effort to open an interfaith Episcopal school in Foster City. The Board handled this decision with dignity and concern for Foster City?s interests. The City set a March 2003 date for their decision. However, the Board concluded that there was no point in delaying a decision, and that this was in the best interest of the City and the Board.
In a letter to ?Friends of BridgeView Academy,? the Board wrote ?Our decision, simply, is based on our inability to raise in a timely manner the sums needed to get BridgeView launched.? They also wrote, ?We hope that the seeds which have been created will find fertile soil and sustenance in the future. The BridgeView Board will continue to work with the Diocese to see that the plans developed for the Academy will be preserved for possible future application. There is no question that a real need exists for such a school on the Peninsula.?
Is there a future for BridgeView in Foster City? I, for one, will work in the next few months to see if there is any way that BridgeView can be resurrected through a different fund raising plan. At least $40 million must be found in the next few months. The funding must be more widespread than the Episcopal Diocese of California. A cooperative effort with private K-5 feeder schools may provide a student stream that should give confidence to donors and investors.
The Episcopal school is an integral element in the Foster City Civic Center Plan. Situated between the Northern Peninsula Jewish Community Center and the Foster City Municipal Center, BridgeView provides the final facilities required to meet our public needs. BridgeView plans include the swimming pool, gym, and additional playing field that cannot be supported by the City alone. BridgeView design plans include on-campus housing for their teachers, and buildings that are compatible with the architectural standards of the Civic Center.
Episcopal interfaith schools have a well-earned reputation for academic excellence. The dedicated individuals who brought BridgeView Academy this far deserve our appreciation, and a second chance to bring this school to fruition. Let?s hope this second effort will make BridgeView Academy a reality in Foster City.
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