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Why are Your Donations Needed for Public Schools?

SCEF Funds Innovation

California funding for education ranks 30th in the nation and provides only a basic education for our children.

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SCEF raises essential funds from parents and the community to help bridge the gap between what the state provides and what is needed for a well-rounded public education for all students.

Funding for the San Carlos School District

Bridging the Funding Gap

While school funding from the state has increased in recent years, the costs of operating schools has also increased.  Community support helps supplement state funding and allows our school district to retain teachers and offer enrichment programs that would not be possible with state funding alone. Local support for our public schools (your donations to SCEF, local parcel taxes, grants from the Sequoia Health Care district and other local sources) make up nearly 20% of the district’s annual budget.

More Information about School Funding

  • State Funding FAQ - Read the FAQ’s for an understanding of how local public schools are funded and how your donations are put to work for every student, every day, in every classroom.

  • California Education Finance Videos -​

    • Watch our video to learn more about how San Carlos School District schools are funded and how the SCEF helps bridge the gap to ensure a well-rounded education for all students.

    • Former School District Trustee Seth Rosenblatt explains how California Public School Funding and how it impacts the San Carlos School District. Watch Video

Local Districts Revenue per Student

Source: Ed Data 2020–2021

Chart Local Districts revenue per Student showing lack of funding for San Carlos schools compared to others in area

San Carlos remains near the bottom in per student spending compared to surrounding School Districts due to the impact of Proposition 13.

Fund-the-Future

Every year, the San Carlos Education Foundation identifies a particular need in our schools that would benefit from extra attention and focused funding. During our annual live auction, participants make restricted donations to support this need. The Fund-the-Future challenge is supported by families and business who fund a matching pool and our auctioneer seeks donations to match (or surpass) the fund. In the past, the Fund-the-Future has raised between $150,000 and $230,000 for our schools.

Child in Science class

The Fund-the-Future Campaign in the 2023-24 school year will raise funds continue our investment in STEM education. Your donations will support innovative STEM and forward-thinking teaching and learning by providing funds to allow the schools to enhance and expand hands-on learning, tech literacy, coding, robotics and more.

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