SOS: Students Rally Behind School District's Plea for Fund-raising

If it takes a village to raise a child, then Castro Valley's children are going to be well raised, or so it seems if attendance at Thursday night's school board meeting is any indication.

Half the town (OK, not really, but it felt that way) crowded the school board meeting to honor a parent volunteer and a top student at Jensen Elementary School (more on them later), and a flock of essay writers, whose names we hope to publish tomorrow.

Writers from elementary, middle and high schools shook hands with board members as they were honored for award-winning essays on why '"School Matters."

The essays were part of a fund-raising effort by Save Our Schools Castro Valley!, a community group raising money to offset unprecedented cuts in state funding.