I would hope that every household in Simi Valley could find a way to contribute $100 to the Simi Valley Unified School District (SVUSD).

Even if they do not have children in the schools, supporting the employees of SVUSD would help anyone living in the community continue to enjoy low crime rates and revenues feeding our businesses, city resources, etc.

With hundreds of school district employees contributing to local efforts, asking for a minimal donation of $100 per household in Simi Valley doesn't seem like much to ask.

As a former business owner in Simi for 15 years, I would have welcomed the opportunity to donate funds from my business to help maintain the culture that I have enjoyed in this great community.

Furthermore, as a father of three children raised in our schools, I realize that if I were willing to contribute an additional $20 per child it would be a small contribution considering what they have gained from our schools.

This is a temporary, but critical, situation. These are not contributions that should be needed forever, but they are needed now.

Such donations would directly help to retain the public teachers and their support staff, which in turn would help the future of our children. If these contributions are not awarded to SVUSD, the district will be forced to face serious budget cuts.

I'm not one to raise taxes. I believe that people should have the opportunity to donate funds that will directly benefit our schools in times of need.

We have a responsibility to save our schools. Our students are our future.

I understand that there may be legal reasons why public support of the school district may be difficult; however, there must be ways to make this opportunity available for those that wish to contribute.

When does it all end? Education is the future of our society. Educators are not typically the highest paid positions compared to the private sector, and their support teams are equally underpaid.

Let's help our students by supporting their teachers and support teams.

Educating our children and helping them grow into solid citizens is not just a dream; it is our responsibility as parents, citizens and as human beings. Jim Jarrard Simi Valley Jarrard is an employee with the Simi Valley Unified School District.