Conejo Schools Foundation gets a hefty donation from Power family
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

A nonprofit dedicated to providing a funding source for the Conejo Valley Unified School District received a $100,000 check recently in memory of a well-known teacher, mother and community volunteer.

The J.D. Power family wrote the check to the Conejo Schools Foundation in memory of Julie P. Power, who died in 2002 of multiple sclerosis.

Power was an involved parent of four children who all grew up in the district. She volunteered at Westlake Hills Elementary School and believed in the importance of academics and extracurricular programs like athletics, art, music and vocational studies.

Power, along with her husband J. David Power III, founded J.D. Power and Associates in 1968 at the family's kitchen table in Calabasas, said Cindy Goldberg of the Conejo Schools Foundation. Today the company is headquartered in Westlake Village. The family sold the business to the McGrawHill Companies in 2005.

A portion of the donation is earmarked for three programs: a high school geosciences program, a middle school honors physical science program and the Parents Making a Difference program, which is dedicated to empowering parents of English-language learners.

"The Parents Making a Difference program is really a great program for ELL families," Goldberg said. "It gives them the tools to get involved in their child's education. Whether they don't know the language or they didn't complete their education, the program really lets them know they can make a difference."

The remainder of the donation will go to the foundation's endowment, which provides a steady annual income for the district.