PEF presents Piedmont Unified School District with $2.7 million check

At the August 21,2018 Piedmont Unified School District Board meeting, Piedmont Education Foundation (PEF) presented a grant of $2,708,421 to the Piedmont Unified School District. PEF, parents and the community worked together to raise these funds – which represent the net sum of all fundraising efforts for the year. These efforts include the annual Giving Campaign, the PEF Endowment, Spring Fling, Harvest Festival, Business Partner programs, and more. The grant was presented by PEF Board Chair, Eileen Kwei and PEF Executive Director, Heather Frank.

“I am particularly optimistic of our future,” states Kwei. ” While the needs of our school district is growing due to ongoing state budget challenges, I am comforted by the fact that we have a solid foundation to meet those increased needs. I’m confident that by working together, we will continue to make a positive impact on our students and our schools.”

“Parents realize that State and local funding will not support our schools and are willing to step-in and make up the difference. We appreciate their dedication to programs like The Giving Campaign.” says PEF Executive Director, Heather Frank.

PEF Fills a Funding Gap

The PEF donation helps to fill the gap between what’s provided by Federal funding and local tax dollars and what’s needed to provide a Piedmont student with an excellent education. The funds contributed by PEF join donations made by Parents Clubs, Support Groups, and other local contributions to make up 8% of the District’s budget. A committee of PEF Board Members, parents, and other community members worked with PUSD representatives last year to delineate the use of grant funds. The grant is primarily restricted to keeping class size small and ensuring that aides, electives, arts and intervention specialists remain strong components of the district makeup. The grant was approved by the PEF Board in May, 2018. 

This year, The Giving Campaign will be led parents, Cortney Allen and Nicki Gilbert and will kick-off on September 25th. The fundraising goal for this year is $2.5 million. To learn more about The Giving Campaign and other fundraising efforts, please visit PiedmontEdFoundation.org/donate.