– WHAT YOUR DONATIONS FUND – 

By donating during the ECC, you can ensure that your child is receiving a balanced education.  

 

Both organizations support delivering a quality educational experience for our children, but they do so in different ways. SchoolForce addresses all the critical people and programs such as school counselors; credentialed science, art, physical education and music teachers; in-class technology; professional development; teacher innovation grants; and social-emotional learning and support at your school. PTA supports site-specific programs such as field trips, assemblies, family nights, classroom supplies, science and book fairs, and more. PTA cannot contribute to salaries whereas SchoolForce does.

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As state funding per student has decreased and costs have increased, SchoolForce has become an even more critical part of our schools’ budgets. As of the 2022/21 school year, SchoolForce represented $2.5M or 5.8% of the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District budget.  $1.8M of the funds raised by SchoolForce goes towards salaries for additional teaching staff during the academic day. The remainder of the funds raised by SchoolForce pay for academic programs such as technology, teacher grants, and curriculum materials. The funds raised by SchoolForce are spent at the site where they are raised even though they are allocated through the district. This provides stable funding for staff that are not funded by the state. PTA funding helps by supporting supplies for teachers’ and students’ needs at each site and creating strong community connections at our neighborhood schools. Talent shows, movie nights and science fairs help us know our neighbors and the families with whom we share our schools.