Why Fundraising is Necessary

Orinda schools receive among the lowest levels of funding in California from the state.

Yet Orinda’s elementary schools are among the highest performing schools in our region and the State because of the high level of parent involvement in our schools and the additional teachers, specialists and class offerings funded through generous donations that supplement local public funding for our schools. Maximizing fundraising and making efficient use of every dollar will be essential for preserving the outstanding education for our children that we have come to expect.

Why are we underfunded? 

Orinda USD is funded through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), legislation enacted in 2013-2014 at the state level that determines how all public schools in the state are funded. In short, this formula means that school districts like Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette, and Piedmont receive less money from the state than districts such as Oakland with higher proportions of students who are in higher need according to the formula (specifically low income, English learners, foster youth). 

For more information on the Local Control Funding Formula or LCFF, learn more here from the California Department of Education page and the Public Policy Institute of California (https://www.ppic.org/publication/financing-californias-public-schools/ is a great summary). 

Our schools receive and rely on local support from parcel taxes, bond measures and donations to cover the remaining 30% of the cost of providing high quality education - more details can be found here from Orinda Network for Education (ONE). 

How can I help Del Rey? 

Your donation to ONE Del Rey helps fill this gap specifically at Del Rey Elementary School, paying for teachers, instructional resources, and programs that would otherwise not be provided and managed by the Del Rey Parents Club. Donations made to ONE-Del Rey are used to pay current school year expenses including:

With costs rising and reduced public funding for local schools, fundraising is essential for preventing deep and devastating cuts.  We risk these benefits and other school cuts when we cannot meet our fundraising goals.  The programming supported by local fundraising is the difference between our schools being good and our schools being great.