Redwood City tiene una población muy diversa. Esto conlleva desafíos como atender diversas necesidades y abordar la desigualdad en las escuelas del Distrito Escolar de Redwood City (RCSD).

Las escuelas comunitarias como Hoover, Garfield y Taft promueven el éxito de los estudiantes al centrarse en el amplio contexto comunitario en el que se produce la educación y el aprendizaje. La creencia fundamental que guía este enfoque es que las escuelas, las familias y las comunidades pueden trabajar juntas por el bien común.

La mayoría de las escuelas de RCSD tienen organizaciones de padres y maestros (PTO) sólidas, lo que beneficia enormemente a esas escuelas por varias razones:

• Construye relaciones sólidas: las organizaciones de Padres y Maestros pueden ayudar a construir relaciones sólidas entre padres y maestros. Esta asociación puede conducir a una mejor comunicación, comprensión y cooperación entre maestros y padres, beneficiando en última instancia a los estudiantes.

• Mayor participación: cuando los padres participan en la educación de sus hijos, es más probable que el niño tenga un mejor desempeño académico. Los PTO aumentan la participación de los padres al permitirles ser voluntarios y participar en eventos escolares.

• Recaudación de fondos: las PTO ayudan a recaudar fondos colectivos para apoyar varios programas escolares, incluidas excursiones, útiles escolares y actividades extracurriculares. Estos fondos pueden ayudar a mejorar la experiencia educativa general de los estudiantes.

• Construcción de comunidad: las PTO pueden ayudar a construir una comunidad entre padres, maestros y estudiantes. Al organizar eventos y actividades que unen a las familias, las PTO crean un ambiente acogedor y de apoyo para todos en la comunidad escolar.

• Abogacía: Las PTO abogan por los estudiantes y la educación a nivel local y estatal. Al trabajar con los formuladores de políticas y otras partes interesadas, las PTO pueden ayudar a dar forma a la política educativa y garantizar que se satisfagan las necesidades de los estudiantes.

Piensa en tu propia experiencia con tus hijos. ¿Qué hace cuando necesitan apoyo para su salud física o mental, tienen un interés creciente en un deporte, quieren dedicarse a una nueva pasión (arte, música, etc.) o necesitan asistencia adicional en un área específica? Muchos de nosotros tenemos los recursos para buscar ayuda y enriquecimiento especializados y personalizados.

En las escuelas financiadas por RCEF, las familias y los cuidadores tienen entre 2 y 3 empleos y necesitan más recursos financieros para hacerlo. Lo que sí tienen es una comunidad fuerte y unida. Las escuelas están en el corazón de estas comunidades. Es por eso que RCEF se asocia con las escuelas comunitarias para impulsar el desarrollo juvenil y construir juntos oportunidades vecinales.

Crear acceso puede ser un poderoso ecualizador:

• Acceso logístico: hacer accesibles las oportunidades sin necesidad de transporte ubicándolas en su escuela.

• Acceso lingüístico: garantizar que los recursos, el personal y el centro familiar puedan apoyar a los hablantes monolingües de otros idiomas.

• Acceso económico: hacer que los programas académicos, socioemocionales y de enriquecimiento sean accesibles a bajo costo.

Si bien puede parecer que las escuelas comunitarias y las escuelas financiadas por RCEF tienen muchos recursos, es solo porque el acceso se está creando en espacios colectivos visibles. Los estudiantes de barrios ricos todavía están expuestos a más ayuda y apoyo, pero ocurre en entornos privados.

Local property taxes primarily funded California schools. School districts could set their tax rates, and the revenue from these taxes was used to support local schools. The state also provided some school funding, but this was a relatively small percentage of overall school funding.

This system of local property tax funding for schools led to significant disparities in funding between wealthy and poor districts. Wealthy districts with high property values could generate more school revenue, while more impoverished communities needed help to fund basic educational programs.

La Proposición 13 de California, aprobada en 1978, tuvo un impacto significativo en la educación en California. La Proposición 13 puso un límite a las tasas de impuestos a la propiedad, reduciendo significativamente los ingresos por impuestos a la propiedad de los gobiernos locales y los distritos escolares.

La reducción de los ingresos por impuestos a la propiedad causada por la Propuesta 13 también condujo a recortes significativos en la financiación escolar, lo que resultó en clases más grandes, tiempo de instrucción reducido y menos programas extracurriculares.

Además, la Proposición 13 limitó la capacidad de los distritos escolares para recaudar ingresos a través de impuestos locales, lo que dificultó que las comunidades satisficieran las necesidades de sus estudiantes. El sistema de educación financiera de California pasó de ser uno de los mejores del país a uno de los sistemas de financiación escolar peor clasificados.

In the years since Proposition 13 was passed, the state has had to increase its school funding to compensate for the loss of revenue from local property taxes.

Here are some key sources of funding for California schools:

• State funding: California provides funding to schools for basic educational programs. Because state funds come in through income tax, school funding is volatile and can change depending on the economy.

• Federal funding: The federal government program, Title I provides funds to schools with a high percentage of low-income students.

• Local sources: Funds for individual schools come through property and parcel tax measures. Education Foundations were created to fill the gap in the district budget shortfall.

The money each school district gets from the State is tied to the number of students in each grade, student demographics, and student attendance.

Local funding levels can vary widely across school districts in California, with some districts receiving significantly more funding than others. This can be due to property values, affluence, and local tax policies supplementing Per-Pupil Budget.

As a result, some school districts in the Peninsula have nearly twice the resources for public education as the Redwood City School District.

These inequities make it more challenging for our district to retain quality teachers and create the best learning conditions. RCEF works to close the gap between the resources our district receives and the actual cost of educating our students. Yet, Redwood City remains the school district with the lowest level of local support.

All students should have access to the same high-quality education, regardless of their background or socio-economic status. However, in less affluent schools, there are often significant barriers along their education journey that can prevent students from achieving their full potential.

The accompanying graph shows the percentage of Unduplicated Pupil Count (UPC) for students who are eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Meal (FRPM), are English learners (EL), and who are foster youth across various districts.

For perspective, RCEF-funded schools have over 90% of students falling under the UPC category, drastically increasing their educational barriers compared to other students in the Peninsula.

Because of long-standing neighborhood segregation and systemic racism, districts with high UPC percentages serve primarily Black and Latinx students, presenting a severe equity problem.

Una educación adecuada se refiere a un nivel suficiente para satisfacer las necesidades de un estudiante y proporcionarle los conocimientos, habilidades y habilidades necesarios para llevar una vida plena y productiva.

Cuando los recursos de las familias son bajos, aumentan los costos del distrito para compensar las diferencias en los recursos educativos. El estado gasta más en distritos que atienden a porcentajes más altos de estudiantes de bajos ingresos y de estudiantes de inglés, pero se necesita más.

Este gráfico muestra que el Distrito Escolar de Redwood City requiere un 49% más de fondos para brindar una educación adecuada. La creación de un sistema educativo más equitativo implica cambios de políticas a nivel estatal y federal y esfuerzos a nivel comunitario para apoyar a las escuelas y las familias.

RCEF establishes the program goal at the beginning of the school year and raises towards that goal throughout that year. Once the funds are raised, RCEF commits funds to the grantees and disburses in the following fiscal year for programs in the 2022-2023 school year.

A competitive Request For Application process was used to source grant proposals. Grants have been included in the goal based on advancing critical metrics identified in our Theory of Change.

RCEF focuses on serving underserved students. We are beginning our work with the three schools with the highest percentage of low-income students. As RCEF continues to grow its resources, we will consider funding additional schools. This matter is being considered as part of RCEF’s current strategic planning process.

While in-person volunteers are not allowed on school sites due to COVID-19 restrictions, RCEF will have volunteer opportunities available. Additionally, RCEF has several board committees that members of the community are welcome to serve. If you are interested in either of these volunteer roles, please contact RCEF.

You can download a summary of our Annual Fund here.

Think of your own experience with your children. What do you do when they need physical or mental health support, have a growing interest in a sport, or need extra assistance in a specific area? Many of us have the resources to seek specialized help and enrichment. However, families at RCEF-funded schools often work multiple jobs and need more financial resources for these opportunities.

RCEF partners with schools to drive youth development and build opportunities together. We create access in several ways:

• Logistical Access: Placing opportunities at schools to eliminate transportation needs.

• Linguistic Access: Supporting monolingual speakers of other languages.

• Economic Access: Offering low-cost academic, social-emotional, and enrichment programs.

RCEF bridges the gap between state funding and actual student needs, ensuring all students have access to essential resources and opportunities. By investing in our students, we strengthen the entire Redwood City community.

While your school’s Parent-Teacher Organizations/Associations (PTOs/PTAs) or supports specific programs and needs within your school, RCEF addresses broader district-wide challenges and inequities.

Many RCSD schools have strong PTO/PTAs, which build strong relationships between parents and teachers, increase parent involvement, and fundraise to support various school programs, including field trips, school supplies, and extracurricular activities. Thus, these organizations enhance the overall educational experience for students.

The schools RCEF supports—Hoover, Garfield, and Taft—lack PTO/PTAs, leading to unequal financial resources. Donating to RCEF ensures that each school can provide quality education and necessary resources.

Funds are distributed based on a thorough assessment of needs across the district to ensure equitable support.

The Thriving Schools Fund funds schools with higher needs and no Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTOs) so that under-resourced schools can become thriving. The Bridging the Gap Grants support underserved students in all RCSD schools, ensuring they have equal opportunities and access to resources as their peers. To increase the academic performance of students, our focus areas include:

• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)

• Literacy & Math Support

• Mental Health Services & Wellness

• Enrichment

• Essential Needs

• Family Partnerships

All our programs target under-resourced students and communities, providing the necessary support to overcome barriers and ensure every child has access to a quality education.

While your school’s PTO/PTA supports specific programs and needs within your school, RCEF addresses broader district-wide challenges and inequities. By giving to both, you help ensure that all schools in Redwood City, particularly those under-resourced, can provide quality education and essential resources. Moreover, your donation to RCEF may qualify for a match from your employer to help double your impact!

This year, we aim to raise $821,000 for a literacy and reading specialist, math support, tutors, mental health counselors, a behavioral specialist, and enrichment opportunities for students and families.

While neighboring education foundations ask between $1,500 - 3,300 per student, our average donation is $450. We encourage donors to give at a level that is meaningful to them.

Every donation makes a significant difference, no matter how big or small. Whether it's a one-time gift or a recurring donation, your support helps us continue our mission of providing equitable educational opportunities for all students in Redwood City.

Yes, RCEF undergoes independent audits every two years to ensure transparency and accountability in our financial practices. This process helps maintain the trust of our donors and the community by demonstrating that funds are managed responsibly and effectively.

The Redwood City School District relies on state funding, federal grants, and local property taxes, but these sources often fall short.

While public education is free, quality education comes at a cost that state funding alone cannot cover. Factors like historical funding limitations and Proposition 13 have left gaps in funding that must be filled to provide necessary resources and programs.

It takes a collective effort from the community to ensure every child receives a comprehensive and equitable education. Your donations help bridge this gap, funding essential programs and resources that enhance student learning and well-being.

California Proposition 13, passed in 1978, significantly impacted education in California. Proposition 13 placed a cap on property tax rates, significantly reducing local governments' and school districts' property tax revenue.

The reduction in property tax revenue caused by Proposition 13 also led to significant cuts in school funding, resulting in larger class sizes, reduced instructional time, and fewer extracurricular programs.

In addition, Proposition 13 limited the ability of school districts to raise revenue through local taxes, making it difficult for communities to meet the needs of their students. California's financial education system went from one of the best in the country to one of the lowest-ranked school funding systems.

Property taxes do contribute to school funding, but due to Proposition 13, the revenue generated is insufficient to meet all educational needs. Donations to RCEF help supplement these funds, allowing us to support programs and initiatives not fully covered by state funding.

Yes, many neighboring school districts, such as Menlo Park-Atherton, Palo Alto, Woodside, and Portola Valley, also raise significant funds to support their schools. These districts often have 2x more resources and can spend thousands more per student than Redwood City. Community donations to RCEF help level the playing field, ensuring our students can access similar opportunities and support.

Please mail your check to:

Redwood City Education Foundation

P.O. Box 3046

Redwood City, CA 94063

Many employers offer a Matching Gifts Program that can double or even triple your gift to RCEF. Some employee matching programs require submitting proof of a donation through a company portal, and then the company will provide match gifts. Other programs allow employees to donate through a company portal and have their donations matched automatically.

Don't know if your employer has a Matching Gift Program? Follow the steps and increase your gift to RCEF!

• Step 1: Find out if your company has a matching gift policy — talk to your employer or human resources department to get the matching gift form.​

• Step 2: Once you have the matching gift form, fill in the required fields. Here’s some information you might need:

  • Organization Name: Redwood City Education Foundation

  • Organization Mailing Address: PO Box 3046, Redwood City, CA 94063

  • Organization Website: www.rcef.org

  • Tax ID: 94–2903141

If you choose to donate stock or other assets that have increased in value, you can enjoy a double benefit in terms of tax savings. Firstly, as a donor, you will not be required to pay capital gains tax on the appreciated property. Secondly, you can claim an income tax deduction for the entire market value of the gift when it was made. The process of transferring securities is also hassle-free. If you decide to make a stock donation, kindly inform us at treasurer@rcef.org, and we will provide you with the necessary brokerage details.