Dear Maple Village Community,

As most of you already know, our Board is pursuing the purchase of a commercial building and site that we envision as an ideal long-term home for Maple Village Waldorf School. We are very excited about this possibility and hope that you are as well! We are pleased to be able to now provide you with some additional details about the site and our next steps.

Realizing this dream will require the help and participation of many community members. As you read through this email, please consider how you and your family could join in the effort to establish a permanent home for Maple Village. If you feel that you can help in any of the following aspects of this purchase, please reach out to any of our Board Members. We have information to share in regard to the site, the process with the city, and planned fundraising.


The site we have identified is located less than one mile from our current location, on a quiet street in a residential neighborhood. It offers ample green outdoor space, enough classroom space to accommodate our school at full capacity, and even a large common room for gatherings with an adjacent full commercial kitchen. As the property is in good condition, it would require minimal reconfiguration to be ready for our use. Although it is not yet officially listed for sale, the owners have responded positively to our Letter of Intent and given us a preliminary value assessment of $2.6 million.


We have already begun the necessary steps with the city to be able to operate as an elementary school at this site. Larry Rich, Lisa McCarthy and Chip McCarthy had a productive meeting with 5th district Councilman Daryl Supernaw on May 22, at which the councilman provided insight on some of the political issues with the property as well as some guidance on how to proceed. We will have to attain a zoning change, or the equivalent, from the City to operate a school out of the site. Among other issues, that will require solutions to parking and traffic flow at pick up and drop off.


The Board and Site Committee are committed to moving forward if we have sound financial footing. We are also aware that many of our enrolled families already stretch to their limits to afford tuition. For these reasons, we plan to seek funding broadly and creatively. We are finalizing a financial model that will outline the donations and financing necessary to buy the building while also remaining fiscally responsible and prepared for the future. The following are some fundraising options that we are considering:

• A Capital Campaign to secure charitable donations;
• And / or a feasibility study, conducted with the support of a development consultant, to determine the fundraising capacity of our community.
• Securing loans from our school community as well as the broader community through the innovative and proven fundraising platform offered by Semble. This unique company would allow supporters to loan MVWS money at a fixed interest rate from their own savings or even their own IRA accounts, allowing the community to invest in a worthy endeavor while earning a modest interest on their money. Semble has a successful history of helping non-profit organizations including other Waldorf schools secure funds in this way. You can read more on the Semble website.

Please contact us if you have any questions or ideas about how you might be able to help. With your help and a little luck we hope to soon have a permanent home for Maple Village Waldorf School and be further on our way to becoming a flourishing and permanent fixture in Long Beach.

Sincerely,
Christina Sbarra
On behalf of
The Board of Trustees
Maple Village Waldorf School