BEVERLY HILLS (AP) — An ambitious $1 million-in-a-week fundraiser for Beverly Hills schools fell short of its goal, but donations reached $540,000 and it’s enough to cancel 11 layoffs.
The rich idea to raise the money in a week for the city’s 4,700-student school district was designed to avoid layoffs and maintain small class sizes and arts programs in the Beverly Hills Unified School District.
The campaign ended Sunday with $540,000 raised. The total has risen since to $600,000.
The Los Angeles Times says the tally was enough to persuade the school board on Monday to save all 11 targeted positions, including counselors, teachers and custodians.
The district has four kindergarten-through-eighth grade schools and Beverly Hills High School, where graduates include Albert Brooks, Richard Dreyfuss, Rob Reiner, Carrie Fisher and David Schwimmer.
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