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KINGSTON —Wyoming Valley West became the latest Luzerne County school district to launch an education foundation after getting federal non-profit status for the venture, which will seek donations for education equipment and program support.

Foundation president and WVW class of ‘74 alumnus Michael Plaksin said that, for him, the idea has been two decades in the making.

“About 20 years ago I started a program with my former teacher Mary Jean Tarantini,” Plaksin, who works near Los Angeles in marketing, recounted Tuesday. “I felt like the district needed to have some personal computers.”

Working with Boscov’s department store and Packard Bell, his employer at the time, he scrounged up about 25 computers to give the district high school its first PC Lab, later named after him.

Ever since then, Plaksin said, he’s wanted to bring more support to the district. “It’s taken two decades, but I am so pleased.”

A previous effort at a what was known as the “Spartan Foundation” never took off, Plaksin said, and about a year ago when work began in earnest to revive the idea, he found the paperwork was not complete and up to date, so a new foundation was created. Plaksin also said those involved decided on a new name to make the purpose of the foundation clear.

The foundation will set up a website within the next 45 days at wvweducationalfoundation.com, Plaksin said, with a “donate” button as a prominent feature. The foundation intends to post the projects available for funding, as well as the applications teachers submitted in seeking money.

Plaksin chuckles when telling of his appointment as foundation president.

“They nominated me and voted for me and I said, ‘I’m from California’,” a notion that didn’t phase the 15-member board. “They said, ‘run it remotely’.”

Which, he added, can be a good thing. While the foundation is specifically set up to help the Kingston-based district, alumni are everywhere. “I want this not just to be local. Money is going to come in on a national level.”

How much? Plaksin called the goal for the first year “modest,” hoping to raise about $40,000 to $50,000.

Like educational foundations set up in other area school districts, this one solicits requests and ideas from district teachers and staff. The foundation board will decide which ones to support, but Plaksin said a primary goal is to support one project each in the high school, middle school and elementary schools.

While the non-profit status makes donations tax deductible, the foundation also is working to become an “Educational Improvement Tax Credit”entity, which would mean businesses could get up to 90 percent of their donations in state tax credits.

The first batch of requests have been technology heavy, Plaksin said, but they included ideas for art and music education, and for field trips. “One teacher wants to take the students to a museum.”

There’s no need to wait until the website is up if you’re eager to contribute, Plaksin added. If you want to help, contact Beth Dal Santo at 570-498-9138 or by email at dalsantomarketing@gmail.com

Michael Plaskin president of the Wyoming Valley West Educational Foundation Board, talks about plans for the money the foundations plans to raise.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_TTL071515wvwfoindation.jpgMichael Plaskin president of the Wyoming Valley West Educational Foundation Board, talks about plans for the money the foundations plans to raise. Clark Van Orden | Times Leader

By Mark Guydish

mguydish@www.timesleader.com

Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish