Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE) Gives $5.5 Million to Palo Alto Public Schools
Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE) Gives $5.5 Million to Palo Alto Public Schools
Gift Affirms Community Commitment to Educational Excellence for Palo Alto Students
(March 7, 2017) PALO ALTO, CA – Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE) is proud to present a check for $5.5 million to the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) for use in the 2017-18 school year. This gift will help ensure every student in PAUSD experiences an enriched educational experience supported by the many PiE-funded staff at their school site.
PiE funds are allocated to all 18 PAUSD school locations for principals to apply as discretionary funding for programs and staff that enhance the education of PAUSD students far beyond what is possible with public funding alone. PiE funds support arts and music education, STEM electives, social emotional education, classroom aids at the elementary level and vital counseling services in the middle and high schools.
“I’m so very proud of our parent volunteers, donors and entire community for their hard work and support of staff that make a difference in the educational experience of every student, every school day,” said Colleen Gormley, PiE Board President, “This was an extraordinary effort by our community to ensure the continuation of the many wonderful PiE-supported programs and people.”
In order to reach a gift level on par with last year, PAUSD and PiE leadership and volunteers sent extra emails and made additional phone calls to rally support for a supplemental Challenge Grant. A difficult decision was also made to redirect some funds from the popular Teacher Grant program in order to keep the gift level as consistent as possible.
“This was a unique year and a difficult climate for local fundraising. While we did not quite reach our goal, we are proud to be able to give $5.5 million to our local schools,” said Linda Lyon, PiE Executive Director, “Looking ahead, we plan to inspire even more families to join us so that— together—we can reach a gift level that will support more staff time and spark new innovations and important programs in Palo Alto public schools.”
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. Through PiE’s partnership with parents, the school district, community members and businesses, PiE raises funds that give all students in PAUSD an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. Since PiE’s inception in 2004-05, it has donated over $45 million to Palo Alto schools. Learn more about PiE by visiting the Palo Alto Partners in Education website: https://papie.org.
Contact:
Rebecca Thompson, Communications Chair
650-269-7178
email: info@papie.org