frequently asked questions
1. What is the difference between the La Entrada and Las Lomitas PTAs and The Las Lomitas Education Foundation (The Foundation)?
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The mission of the Las Lomitas Education Foundation is to raise money to contribute to the Las Lomitas School District budget and to close the gap between the increasingly expensive cost of high quality education and declining, unreliable public funds. We are a 55-member volunteer Board, supported by additional parent volunteers. Last year we gifted $1,450,000 to the School District, which represents over 8% of the District’s budget. That money enables the District to spend around $12,500 per student, compared to the state average of around $7,571. Specifically, the $1,450,000 supports: Small class sizes (by funding 12 teachers)
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Both La Entrada (LE) and Las Lomitas (LL) PTAs collaborate with teachers and administration to sponsor, fund and staff over 30 enrichment activities and events throughout the year. We are an organization of parents, teachers and staff. All of our programs are run by parent, staff & teacher volunteers. The annual PTA budget is approximately $40,000/school. Membership fees and donations raise only enough money to cover the costs of the many programs we offer (a few are listed below): School Enrichment School Enrichment
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Enhanced curriculum
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Community Building
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2009-2010 Fund-a-Need
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How the PTA funds the costs of these programs:
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How we raise the money:
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Both the Foundations and the PTAs provide valuable services to the schools but have distinctly different charters. We welcome parents who are interested volunteering to help us drive a variety of fundraising activities listed above or serve on the Foundation Board.
2. How will our funds be invested? What impact have donations to the Foundation made on our children’s education?
In the 2009-2010 school year, 84% of the District’s parents, and many community members and grandparents, donated to the Las Lomitas Education Foundation. As a result of this extraordinary generosity, the Foundation gifted $1.45 million to the school district for the 2010-11 school year which has funded:
- 12 Additional teachers for: - Reduced Las Lomitas avg. class size from 26 to 23
- Reduced La Entrada avg. class size from 32 to 26
- Music & P.E. instruction
- Broad 6th-8th grade curriculum: Geometry, Foreign Language, Art, Drama
- Other Resources and Programs: - Guest Artist Instruction at Las Lomitas
- Counselors at both schools
- Reading Recovery at Las Lomitas
- Textbooks and Instructional Materials
Without the generous donations to the Foundation last year, these levels of staffing, programs and resources would not have existed this year.
3. I pay $15,000 in property tax every year. Isn’t this enough?
Only 21 cents of every property tax dollar goes to the Las Lomitas Elementary School District (Source: County Controller’s Office, May 2007). If local property taxes were the District’s only revenue, we would be spending $8,300 per child instead of the $12,500 required to maintain smaller class sizes and deliver a comprehensive curriculum. Doing the math, when a family with two children purchases an average priced District home for $1.7 million with annual property taxes of $20,400, only $4,284 goes to the District. That translates to $2,142 per child – well below our current level of funding at $12,500 per student.
4. Isn’t publication education supposed to be free?
Proposition 13 in 1978 overhauled the way California property taxes were assessed by basing the tax rate on the property’s purchase price rather than the property’s assessed value. This tax reform dramatically lowered the total amount of money raised by counties and reduced expenditures for public school education in California. In the three decades since, California has moved from the leader in U.S. public education standards to 47th in the nation in per pupil spending. Our District’s funding sources have been insufficient to provide the educational excellence that we parents desire and our children deserve.
This situation is actually getting worse: In the last two years, state funding for our district has dropped 94%. Twenty-six years ago, our predecessors had the foresight to start the Foundation. Our children are the current beneficiaries of the past and present good works of our community to fund education; they attend stellar schools and receive the best elementary education in California.
The old model of free public education doesn’t work in a community like ours which is passionate about quality education and has succeeded in maintaining the high quality of education in the district by bridging the gap OURSELVES.
5. Do other local public schools fundraise too?
All the other school districts in the state (locally there are Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Portola Valley,
Woodside, Los Altos, East Palo Alto/Ravenswood) have an Education Foundation. Woodside
Elementary, for example, asks families to contribute $4,300 per child. The Las Lomitas School
District has consistently earned the highest scores in the state on the Academic Performance Index
[API]. The District’s achievements have also been recognized repeatedly by state, local and federal
agencies including the National Blue Ribbon status for both schools which are granted annually to
only 30 schools in the nation.
Our top academic performance has been driven largely by smaller class sizes along with a rich and diverse set of enrichment programs, which are made possible by your generous contributions.
6. What’s your fundraising goal this year? How do our donations compare to tuition at private schools or preschools?
Our goal is to raise $2,000 per student this year. Below is a comparison with private schools and preschools.
Annual Tuition Additional Average| PerStudent | Donation Per Student | Total | |
| Las Lomitas/La Entrada | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Preschool* | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Private School** | $30,000 + fees | $3,000 | $33,000 |
*Composite of Pre-K programs: Littlest Angels, Bing, Windmill, Ladera Community Church Preschool.
**Composite: Phillips Brooks School, St. Joseph’s School, Woodside Priory, Castilleja, Menlo.
7. Why does the Foundation ask for an average of $2,000 per student? Why should I donate when I couldn’t possibly meet that goal?
- The gap between available revenue and the cost of valued programs is growing. The best estimates indicate that the gap for 2011-12 will be $2,600,000. With 1300 students in the district, we need to raise an average of $2000 per student. If we don't achieve this goal, important programs will be cut and class sizes will continue to grow.
- Some families can and do contribute more. For other families, this amount is higher than they can afford. The Foundation asks that each family contribute an amount that is meaningful and significant for them.
- Many of the donors who make large gifts are willing to do so knowing that other families will contribute whatever they can even though some may not be able to participate at the levels they would like. Having broad community support is important as a signal to large donors: they are making a very valuable contribution to an effort that is viewed as extremely important by the whole community – everyone is on board and everyone contributes what they can.
8. How does The Foundation impact the School District’s budget?
- The projected 2010-11 District budget is approximately $16.5 million.
- The Foundation has gifted $1.45 million to the district for the 2010-11 school year – approximately 8.2% of the budget.
9. How do I know what and when to contribute?
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The Foundation raises funds through a variety of programs including
- Annual Giving Campaign (i.e., we ask parents, grandparents and community members to donate money)
- Auction (May 14, 2011)
- eScrip (register your cards!)
- Business Donors
- Corporate Matching
- Fund-A-Need
The Annual Giving Campaign is the largest revenue source for The Foundation. The campaign kicks off in September with the mailing of the Community Report and concludes at the end of the calendar year. Around 84% of the District’s families participated in the Annual Giving Campaign last year by donating cash or stock to The Foundation. This year’s goal is $2000 per student with 100% family participation.
The Spring Auction Event is another major fundraising program for the Foundation – This fun and accessible spring event raises money through the purchase of live and silent auction items and a specifically identified annual Fund-A-Need item. We are grateful for those who donate auction items, as well as for those who bid on items. It takes both to make the Spring Auction successful. We are proud that we have developed an event that is cost effective and enjoyable (especially when compared to neighboring schools and Districts). The Spring Auction is an important community-building event.
10. Does The Foundation have any influence on District issues such as staff hiring or allocation of money for specific needs (e.g. special education or accelerated learning programs, etc.)?
The Foundation’s mission is to raise funds from parents and the community at large for the school district. It is a parent volunteer organization and not an elected body, therefore it does not play a direct role in deciding how the funds are spent with the exception of the Fund-A-Need money raised at the annual auction. Instead, elected school board officials make specific decisions on how monies are spent. In general terms, money raised from the Foundation goes towards smaller class sizes and enhanced curricula.
This has been agreed upon by Joint Committee on Priorities (JCOP) which develops principles and recommendations pertaining to the allocation of funds raised each year by the Foundation. Pending endorsement by the Foundation Board, the recommendations are submitted to the District’s Governing Board for approval. JCOP committee members include: The Foundation President and Vice President, Two Ex-Officio Foundation Board Members from the District’s Governing Board and the District Superintendent.
11. How efficiently is The Foundation being run? How much of my money goes directly to the student population and how does this compare to other non- profits?
The Foundation has a lower expense ratio than most non-profits, enabling more money to go to our schools. The median non-profit has 90% of the money raised going to the cause, with 10% used on expenses. The Foundation falls below this ratio. This is because the Foundation is entirely staffed by parent volunteers, with no paid staff. In addition, to minimize expenses, the Foundation actively seeks donations from the community to provide services such as food and drink for fund-raising events."
12. How can I donate?
There are several ways to contribute to the Foundation. Please choose the method that is most convenient for you. You can visit www.llef.org for further instructions or additional information on any of the following options:
- One Time Money Donations: The Foundation accepts checks, credit cards and online PayPal payments. Mail checks to The Las Lomitas Education Foundation at PO Box 7282, Menlo Park, CA 94026 or visit www.llef.org for online credit card payments.
- Installment Donations: You can arrange to make an automatic monthly payment. A $200 per month donation for each of your students, beginning in September, will meet the goal by June! It’s easy to set up if you don’t already have one. Just visit www.llef.org for instructions.
- Employer Matching Gifts: Inquire about your employer's matching gift program to increase your donation. A list of companies who have previously matched donations can be seen in the Corporate Match Donor roll. Our Matching Gifts Coordinator at matchinggifts@llef.org can help you find out if your company will match your tax-deductible contribution.
- Stock and Security Gifts: Gifts of appreciated, marketable securities can offer considerable tax advantages. Securities can be easily transferred from the donor's account to the Foundation's local brokerage account.
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A donation of any amount meaningful and significant to you will make a difference in the lives of the children in our school district
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