August 2020
Dear La Cañada school families and community members,
Thanks to your generosity during the 2019-20 school year, I’m happy to share that the La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation (LCFEF) — with a generous boost of $380,000 from the Endowment Fund — will contribute more than $2.3 million to the La Cañada Unified School District this fall. That’s the Power of Community, and it’s a ray of inspiration in an otherwise gloomy fiscal and emotionally taxing year. As we return to learning, LCFEF remains dedicated to preserving the high-quality education we expect for our children. This is a resilient community; we came together during the 2008 Recession to meet the call for increased donations in support of our schools. We rallied, and our kids didn’t fall behind.
The value of an exceptional public school education is critically apparent now. Our children’s learning experiences may look different, but that doesn’t make them less rigorous than what we’ve grown used to. We need your support regardless of when our children eventually return to campuses, or if they learn solely via distance or in a hybrid model. In partnership with the LCUSD and our community, I’m confident that we’ll come together to provide the best possible education for every child.
At this time, it is uncertain whether we will be able to hold our spring gala or other fundraisers this year. By giving or pledging now, you can help LCUSD retain some of the best teachers in the state, and ensure we continue to build equity and stronger programs across disciplines. The chart below shows how much the Foundation depends on annual events for contributions, and underlines the importance of giving or pledging now when we likely won’t be able to bring people together as we usually do.
With your continued support, we will emerge stronger in spite of predictions of dire funding needs in coming years. We will pivot, adapt, and move forward with educating our kids.
This fall’s LCFEF gift to LCUSD will fund many of the District’s needs for personal protective equipment to promote a healthy and safe environment when our kids return to campuses. Some of these include digital “thermoscan” temperature technology, hand sanitizer, masks, face shields, cleaning supplies, and more. Your donations also are going toward technology infrastructure, Chromebooks, Wi-Fi hot spots, and tech support for seamless learning. This is in addition to funding high school counselors, elementary fine arts and Spanish programs, LCHS 7/8 STEM offerings, and more.
As a mom with two daughters in our schools, I strive to raise them to be resilient; to never give up when it gets difficult. Even in the most challenging of times, we will persevere with the Power of Community.
Sincerely,
Leslie Chang
LCFEF president
2020-21
