Lakeside School Receives Education Grant From Barona Tribe

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - June 11, 2009) - Today, staff and students of Riverview Elementary School located in Lakeside, Calif. accepted a $5,000 grant from members of the Barona Tribal Council on behalf of the Barona Band of Mission Indians.

As schools across the state wrestle with the reality of budget cuts, the Barona Band of Mission Indians has quietly been helping lessen the blow with its Barona Education Grant Program. Since 2006, Barona has awarded more than $680,000 to over 135 schools statewide.

"Our goal is to help ease the burden of budget cuts to schools in our backyard, such as the Riverview Elementary School and across California," said Edwin "Thorpe" Romero, Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. "We are honored to help schools and educators with crucial funding through our education grant program."

The school was selected as a recipient based on an application process and endorsement by Assemblyman Joel Anderson. Riverview Elementary will use the grant money to purchase Spanish test books for its Spanish immersion program.

The Barona Education Grant Program is the first of its kind in California created and administered by a Tribal Government. The goal of the program is to create strong educational opportunities for the children of California building upon the success of the Barona Indian Charter School, which operates under a continuous improvement model.

Schools throughout California can apply for educational grants from Barona to purchase much-needed supplies and materials that promote academic improvement. Each grant awarded by the Barona Education Grant Program is $5,000. Applications can be downloaded at http://barona-nsn.gov/education/education.html

The Barona Band of Mission Indians has lived in Southern California for over 5,000 years and the Barona Indian Reservation since 1932. The Tribe was once a semi-nomadic band that traveled across Southern California in tune with the seasons and what nature provided. It is now a sovereign government operating Barona Resort & Casino, San Diego's premier luxury resort and casino.

Contact Information: CONTACT: Sheilla Alvarez 619-402-0182 Kelly Jacobs Speer 619-933-5013