California ranks near the bottom in the nation in per-student funding for education and LCMSD schools receive among the lowest levels of per-student funding in California. The makeup of California’s funding formula has created a funding shortfall; what we receive from the state is significantly less than the actual cost of educating students in LCMSD.

Despite this funding shortfall, LCMSD’s three schools, The Cove School, Neil Cummins Elementary, and Hall Middle School are among the highest-performing schools in our region and the state due to the signature educational programs and services that are funded through generous donations that supplement public funding for our schools.

While our parcel tax revenue is used toward attracting and maintaining quality TK-8 teachers and bond measures are reserved for repairing and upgrading our aging school buildings to keep them modern and safe, SPARK raises the funds required to advance the academic experience beyond what is possible with public dollars alone. Donations to SPARK impact every LCMSD student by providing every student with access to Music, Art, Science, Technology/Engineering and Wellness/Counseling at all three schools, plus Spanish and Leadership at Hall Middle School.

With continued budget cuts from the state, maximizing fundraising and making efficient use of every dollar will be essential for preventing deep and devastating cuts to our programs and staff, enhancing the daily educational experience for every public school student. We risk these benefits and other school cuts if we are unable to meet our fundraising goals. The programming supported by community fundraising is the difference between our schools being good and our schools being great.