Palo Alto Partners in Education Foundation to Raise $3.9 Million for Public Schools

(August 2, 2011) PALO ALTO, CA – Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE), the non-profit foundation benefitting Palo Alto public schools, [pullquote align=”right”]Download a PDF version of this press release.[/pullquote]today launched its 2011-2012 campaign. PiE hopes to raise a record $3.9 million this school year through the generosity of parents, community members, and local businesses. The new annual campaign builds on the foundation’s success in raising private donations to preserve vital staff and programs in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD).

Mitigating the effects of California state budget cuts, PiE grants to PAUSD underwrite dozens of teacher and staff positions each year. This year’s PiE campaign will fund classroom support and science and art specialists in the elementary schools; student counseling, teacher coaches and elective enrichment in the middle schools; and college and career counseling, student guidance and technology education in the high schools.

“Donations to our schools via the PiE education foundation fill many gaps and keep our schools well rounded and competitive,” said Superintendent Dr. Kevin Skelly. “Every student in the district benefits from PiE dollars, which are allocated on a per student basis to provide equitable funding at each school.”

“California is currently ranked 47th out of 50 states in funding per student, so unfortunately, public financing in our state is not sufficient to support high quality education,” said Elaine Hahn, president of PiE. “In this economic environment, the PiE Education Foundation is a necessity – not a luxury – to preserve an outstanding education for our children. We urge parents, community members and local businesses to give to PiE as generously as they can.”

Last year, more than 4,000 donors together contributed $3.4 million to Palo Alto schools via the PiE foundation. Almost 80% of all PiE funds are donated by families in the district who receive a direct appeal letter in their back-to-school packet asking for a donation to PiE. Recently, however, the donor list has expanded to include local philanthropists and businesses who understand the value strong schools contribute to the community.

The PiE annual campaign concludes in January, 2012 and the foundation’s gift will be announced at a PAUSD School Board meeting in March.

About Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE)

Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education foundation dedicated to supporting all Palo Alto public schools. PiE partners with parents, the Palo Alto Unified School District and the community to raise funds to give all students in PAUSD the best education possible. Since PiE’s inception in 2004-05, it has donated more than $15 million to Palo Alto Schools. Parents and community members interested in supporting Palo Alto schools via PiE may visit its website at www.papie.staging.wpengine.com.

Contact

Andrea Fleming, Palo Alto Partners In Education
AndreaFleming@StanfordAlumni.org
650-856-7536