Together We Are Stronger
We are so glad that our students are back on campus. Parents played a vital role in educating students last year during distance learning and we are grateful for your partnership. Not only did you supervise and guide learning at home, but many of you supported our Parent Resource Team and made generous donations to the San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF). Family participation is key to a successful education and to our mission, and I want to thank you for the many ways you make a difference at San Carlos Charter. This is an amazing community, and we continue to thrive because of your support and engagement.
As you may know, the biggest threat to our school’s future is the challenges with California public school funding. We are funded through the LCFF calculation plus some additional federal and state funds. The total amount provided by the state and limited federal funds covers only about 73% of our annual operating costs. Additionally, our current spending excludes items that are important to our long-term success such as competitive educator salaries, much-needed support staff, improvements to our grounds, and more.
To meet these funding challenges, we rely on generous donations from San Carlos families and organizations. We are partnering with SCEF to create our “Together We Are Stronger” campaign. SCEF brings fundraising expertise and economies of scale to help SCC access the necessary financial support for our school, especially with relation to corporate donations. Our partnership with SCEF is critical to our mission.
Our SCEF grant dollars support many of our most valued programs, and the people that make them so wonderful: Library (Emma), Spanish (Elena and Elia), and K-5 Physical Education (Marty). They also fund our K-8 seminars that bring a unique and robust learning opportunity across the school. Finally, if 2020 taught us anything, it is the need for strong technology. Our SCEF grant helps fund much-needed equipment and technology upgrades.
Please consider donating to SCEF so we can continue to provide the best possible educational experience for our learners. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated and make a difference. On Wednesday, November 10th we will be celebrating SCEF Day—wear green, make a donation and celebrate living in a community that supports their public schools each year. The generous support provided by parents, community members, and business partners continues to play a large role in our ability to provide an engaging and innovative experience for all of our learners. Together we can make an even better San Carlos Charter. Together, we are stronger!
Jennifer Pellegrine, Executive Director
November 8, 2021
