By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- J.W. Leary Junior High’s principal is researching what it would take for the district to employ a dedicated fundraiser.

Burton Peck gave the Board of Education a brief presentation Thursday night as an avenue to alleviate budget woes.

“It’s a painless way to solve some of our financial problems,” Peck said.

He said although there isn’t much of a precedent among New York public schools, he said they should do what colleges and private school do – Hire someone to organize annual fundraiser and cultivate relationships with potential businesses and alumni.

“Who are your three wealthiest alumni? I bet you don’t know who they are. I don’t know who they are,” Peck said. “Donations don’t just fall from the sky.”

He said although some say public and private money can’t be mixed, it already happens at Massena Central. He pointed to the Coca-Cola scoreboard at Mike Nichols field, and programs at the junior high financed by Seacomm.

He said some of the funds could come in through the Northern New York Community Foundation, which already has an account to which private donors can give to the school.

After board members voiced concern about the cost, Peck suggested the fundraiser position could pay for itself.

“If you had someone you were paying $100,000 a year and they were bringing in $2.5 million, would you squeak?” he said.

“I don’t think anyone here is opposed to the theory of what you’re saying,” Board President John Boyce said. “Something to give us to look at would be, what would it take to implement it?”

Trustee Pat Serguson, a former Massena Village Police officer, warned the board to not contract for the service with an outside for-profit company.

“We dealt with this down at the PD … If you don’t get a respectable company to work with, you’re going to wind up paying 70 cents on the dollar,” Serguson said.