What We Do
SCHOOL FUNDING
Prior to 1972 and Prop 13, school districts were largely dependent upon property taxes, which furnished about 2/3 of public education revenues. Local Districts could simply raise property taxes when more funds were required. Around the same time as Prop 13 came the Serrano vs Priest lawsuit, which challenged the fairness of the funding inequities that resulted from widely disparate property values and tax bases. The combined effect of Prop 13 and Serrano shifted public school support from local property taxes to state general funds, thereby transferring control from local authorities to the State.
With the State controlling funding, Districts receive a base amount for each student enrolled. Additional funds are typically granted to Districts in the form of “categorical spending,” or funds designated for specific programs tied to District demographic factors (e.g. socioeconomic). LCUSD does not qualify for these programs, and therefore receives a lower amount than most Districts. To make matters worse, although the District’s operating costs rise each year (even before addressing staff salaries), the State can decline to implement a cost-of-living adjustment, depending on its own finances. Thus, when costs like utilities or health benefits go up, the District has to find the money to fund the increases. These costs are in addition to any negotiated salary increases for teachers or other staff. Since most of the District budget is salary, the only way to fund the increases is to eliminate positions.
LCF residents have high expectations of their schools, as they should. But while free public education is possible, it doesn’t meet the standard we would all like to see.
We want a GREAT public education for our kids, which unfortunately, is not free…
You can learn more about California school funding here.
We Support Excellence
LCFEF supports excellence in La Cañada schools with donations from parents, community members and businesses who are determined to advance the caliber of our local school system. Financial support from the community is an integral part of the La Cañada difference.
On a per-pupil basis, La Cañada Unified School District receives a base grant from the State, along with parcel tax revenue and voluntary donations raised by LCFEF. But all these sources combined don’t get the District on par with neighboring Glendale Unified School District’s base grant from the State. Compared to other local high performing public school districts like San Marino that receive more per-pupil funding than La Cañada, our District has been doing more with less.
LCFEF Raises Money Year-Round
One hundred percent of the funds raised goes to the District at the start of every school year to fill the gap between state funding and what our kids need to thrive.
LCFEF Pays for What Matters Most for Our Kids’ Success
Smaller Class Sizes
School Counselors
Comprehensive Technology
Music & Arts Education
LCFEF is the only fund-raising organization that pays for salaries in our District; a portion of the funds goes directly to teacher salaries.
THE FOUNDATION RAISES FUNDS THROUGH THE FOLLOWING CAMPAIGNS & SPECIAL EVENTS
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Back-to-School Night (Aug/Sept)
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Jog-A-Thon (Nov)
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Spring Gala (Mar)
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Spring Calling & Yardsign Campaign (Apr/May)
Our biggest and most popular event is our annual Spring Gala.
Where the Money Goes
The District makes a formal allocation request to the LCFEF Board each year for funds raised.
Total LCFEF Donation to LCUSD: $2.3M (Raised in 2022-23)
Per-Pupil Funding Chart
(2019-2020)
FINANCIAL RECORDS
How We're Different (From PTA)
La Cañada schools have a number of fundraising organizations - Spartan Boosters, PTA, Choir PTA, etc. and allocating donations can be confusing for parents. As your child gets older and focuses on specific activities, there is a natural focus on supporting those activities. But consider this: the programs that the Foundation funds support ALL students in the District, and it’s vital that everyone helps share the burden. And again, the Foundation is the only fundraising organization that funds salaries for the District.