WHY GIVING MATTERS

Enrollment in our schools has increased by more than 300 students in the last 5 years. But the amount of money the MPCSD receives from the state does not increase when enrollment increases. Instead, the MPCSD relies on local funding, including property taxes, parcel taxes, the MPAEF, and other sources, to fill the budget gap. Contributions from local funding sources like the MPAEF are vital to maintain the quality of educational instruction for every child in our district.

The Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation (or MPAEF) is comprised of a community of friends and neighbors who are committed to ensuring that our children have the best educational start in life here in the Menlo Park City Schools. Through the support of parents and community members like you, MPAEF was able to grant $2 million to the district last June. This is about 7.5% of the district budget and has a huge impact on teacher quality, technology resources and enrichments like music, libraries and elementary science.

Great communities like Menlo Park and Atherton need to support a public education system of the highest quality; its part of the promise we make to our own children and the children who come after them. However, the reality of public school funding in California is that property taxes, even with parcel taxes added in, just are not enough. The best school districts in our country invest about $15,000 per pupil per year. Yet even with the support of MPAEF, we are only investing about $9500 per pupil. We want our children to have every advantage and be competitive with students from across the state, country and across the globe, so we must invest in them and their schools today. Your tax-deductible contribution is pooled with those of hundred of other families in order to maximize our impact across the district.

How much should I give? As a guideline we hope that every family in our district will consider giving at least $1,000 per child in the school system. Please make a gift commensurate with your ability and the value of this investment in your child’s future. Your tax deductible gift goes much further than private school or pre-school tuition and helps build the fabric of our community. For families who may be able to give significantly more, we encourage you to join one of our giving circles and demonstrate your commitment to your child, our schools and our community.

When: We run our Annual Giving campaign in the fall and you’ll see us on Donation Day, a community-wide campaign day this November. In the spring we sponsor one of the biggest and best parties in town, our annual auction. We hope you will be an annual donor and participate in our auction as well!