Menlo Park Lyceum comes to an end Menlo Park Lyceum comes to an end (June 29, 2005)

By Marjorie Mader

Almanac Staff Writer

The Menlo Park Lyceum is closing after 29 years of providing enrichment activities -- after-school classes, workshops and family field trips -- to thousands of school-age children in the Menlo Park area.

The shutdown next month can be seen as a sign of the times: Unlike the situation three decades ago, many of the events organized by the Lyceum are now duplicated at other venues.

Created by parents in 1976, the Lyceum filled a huge void when drastic cuts in school funding triggered the reduction or elimination of field trips and art and music programs in local schools.

The idea for establishing the parent-run organization to offer after-school educational-enrichment activities to local kids came from Martha Symonds, then coordinator/administrative assistant in the Menlo Park City School District.

Parents rallied around the idea and volunteered to make the Lyceum happen. They were concerned about the loss of the school district-funded enrichment programs. At that time, there weren't soccer leagues and a plethora of activities geared to the younger set.

But times have changed.

"Children today have a huge variety of after-school activities to choose from, and families' schedules are busier than ever," said Lil Johnson, Lyceum board president.

"Children are over-programmed," she said.

Some who registered and paid for activities in January just didn't show up for the event later, she noted.

Lyceum board members made the decision at their final meeting last month.

"It takes a lot of courage and thought to do what the (Lyceum) board did," said Nancy Parker of Atherton, one of the founding parents. Every board has been struggling with the decision for the past seven years, she added.

"I think it's sad, but there are so many enrichment programs available for children now," said Ms. Parker.

The Lyceum ends its final year with a healthy cash balance; the final accounting will be available in the fall, according to the organization.

The board decided to donate the cash reserves equally to the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation and the Las Lomitas Education Foundation.

Information from the Lyceum's 2005 online brochure has been transferred to a CD that is available to school groups and interested community members. Call the Lyceum hotline at 361-0221 for more information. The Web site will disappear October 1.

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