Private donors are stepping up to fill in some of the gaps left by shrinking public funds for schools.

Thanks to an anonymous gift, the San Leandro Education Foundation (SLED) is providing the initial funding to hire a supervisor for the new theater at San Leandro High School. The supervisor will manage outside bookings (the theater will be available for non-school use), and operate and maintain lights, sound, rigging and all other theater equipment and operations.  

At a special meeting Tuesday evening of the San Leandro Unified School District Board of Education, trustees learned more about preparations the district and SLED are undertaking to get the theater ready for its debut.

Robin Michel, Communications Specialist for Bond Measures and Projects, presented draft policies on general house rules and safety, rental fees and related costs and concessions.

The 552-seat theater will serve as a space for student performances as well as community and corporate events to generate revenue for its operation. It is part of the larger Arts Education Center, which also includes dedicated spaces for the drama department and multimedia academy at the high school.

At the Tuesday meeting, the board approved a memorandum of understanding between the school district, SLED, and the foundation's special fundraising subcommittee Friends of  the Theater, to collaborate on the theater’s operations and staffing needs, including the hiring of a theater supervisor. 

The supervisor will be a school district employee and the district will hire and set the new supervisor's salary. The job description for the position was approved at the board’s March 1 meeting and will be advertised on education jobs sites.

Jeni Engler, a San Leandro teacher with years of experience volunteering with local schools, is heading up Friends of the Theater. She said as the group began researching the knowledge and skills required to run a theater, it became clear that the job couldn't be done by just anyone.

"We need someone who has that expertise," she said.

Under the MOU, Friends of the Theater will focus on continual fundraising for the theater, in collaboration with the district, and help develop guidelines for volunteers.

"I think we've only really scratched the surface of the potential of this facility, so it's really exciting," Michel, the district communications specialist, told the board.

Residents will get their first chance to visit San Leandro High School’s new theater in April, when the San Leandro Education Foundation will host a “sneak peak” fundraising event.

Officials hope the center will finish construction in time for the high school's spring production of "Once Upon a Mattress," which will debut April 28.