Governor’s School increases fundraising efforts to stay open

The state’s Governor’s School program has set its sights on raising at least $550,000 by Nov. 1 in efforts to keep at least one of its two campuses open next summer.

After losing all of its funding from the state this summer, Governor’s School, a residential summer program for rising high school seniors, has placed a renewed focus on fundraising in an attempt to keep its doors open.

Jim Hart, president of the Governor’s School Alumni Association, said the program has already demonstrated its fundraising abilities by clearing an initial hurdle of $100,000 recommended by the state.

“In two weeks we raised about $175,000,” he said.

Hart said a majority of the donations have come from alumni. The Governor’s School Foundation also announced a gift of $20,000 from BB&T at a meeting earlier this month.

Anna Diemer, an alumna of the program, said she has been fighting to keep Governor’s School’s state resources intact.

“I’m unemployed right now, so it wasn’t much, but every bit is important,” she said. “It all helps.”

After the program met its initial fundraising goals, the State Board of Education put together a task force to look at possibilities for Governor’s School next year.

Michael McElreath, a member of the task force and director of Governor’s School East at Meredith College, said task force members were unanimous in their support for operating the program next year.

The group met last week and recommended the program raise at least $550,000 to keep either its Raleigh or Winston-Salem campus open next summer, he said.

Keeping one campus open allows spots for 300 students, who would continue to pay a $500 tuition charge that has been in place since 2010, he said.

“We are disappointed that it is only one campus, with only 300 or 400 students,” Hart said. “That’s the same number of students we had in 1977.”

Since the fundraising began in the summer, alumni donations have been decreasing, Hart said.

Because of this decrease advocates of the program are looking into new strategies.

McElreath said the program is considering a fundraising event specifically involved with UNC next month in efforts to reach out to the program’s large network of alumni in the Triangle area.

“We don’t know what shape it will take, but we will be talking to some Governor’s School alums at UNC about what would be effective,” he said.

Hart said the program’s long-term goal is to restore state funding.

“I believe that state funding is what Governor’s School should be running on,” he said. “It is valuable enough to the state that it should be paid for.”

Contact the State & National Editor at state@dailytarheel.com.