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About Us

Founded in 1983 by concerned parents and community leaders of the South Bay, the El Segundo Education Foundation (Ed!) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) Tax Id: 95-3885992, with the sole mission to provide financial support for the El Segundo Unified School District (ESUSD). As state funding continues to be inadequate to sustain our schools today, Ed!’s annual grant helps bridge that financial gap. Ed! is the only independent organization that can assist ESUSD’s budget shortfalls due to the annualized grant.

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The gap keeps growing.

Our district’s funding from the State of California has been steadily declining since 2007 at an average of $4.5 million dollars annually.  These budget cuts are alarming and cement our position at the bottom of the national ranking for per-student spending.

 

The domino effect.
Continual budget cuts year over year will eventually result in fewer teachers and counselors as well as furlough days or even possibly weeks. This will lead to less individualized attention for our children and compromised academic performance.

 

What is the solution?
By raising money together that we know will stay in our schools and only our schools.

 

We need you.  And you.  And you!
Every parent, grandparent, neighbor, alumni and business can be a hero and step up to save the day.  Together we will protect the quality of our public schools so that we continue to be a part of a strong and flourishing community. 

School Funding

 

Prior to 1978 and Prop 13, school districts were largely dependent upon property taxes, which furnished about 2/3 of public education revenues.  Around the same time Prop 13 became law, the Serrano vs. Priest lawsuit 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 was to shift public school support from local property taxes to State general funds, thereby shifting the control from local authority to the State. Consequently, the State now determines every districts’ per student funding amount.

 

In addition to lacking local control over tax revenue, our state has limited sources of revenue for schools. The passage of Proposition 13 in 1978 reduced revenue available for education funding. Instead, it comes from business and personal income taxes, sales taxes, and some special taxes—all of which fluctuate. Because of that fluctuation, school funding is especially difficult.

 

Each year the State legislature determines how much money each school district will receive as 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, socioeconomic or otherwise.

 

California has fallen in per pupil funding to rank 49th amongst the 50 states, and might actually end up in last place over the next few years! The most considerate States spend as much as three times more.

Although the District’s operating costs rise each year (even before addressing staff salaries), the State does not always implement a cost of living adjustment to that per student base amount. So when costs such as utilities or health benefits rise, the District has to find the money to fund the increased costs.

 

Since most of the District budget is salary, the only way to balance the ESUSD budget is to raise funds from other sources or to eliminate positions. Thus, the District cannot depend on the State alone to fully fund its budget.  PTA can pay for things (e.g. smart boards, supplies, tablets) while Education Foundations fund money to start programs (e.g. Counselors, CGI (Common Core Math) ) which essentially add to the district’s general fund. The Foundation works collectively with district leaders, school principals, and the Board of Education to come up with funding priorities. We focus on trying to make an impact on all the students in the district. Together, we can make a comprehensive difference and narrow the w-i-d-e-n-i-n-g gap created by the State!

 

 

 

Diminished government support for public education in America has forced communities to form education foundations to raise funds to support the public schools in their cities.  Several of these organizations can be found in neighboring communities who have built thriving education foundations over the past 30 years.  We encourage you to visit their websites to see how compelling and successful these foundations have become – all directly supporting their districts and protecting the reputation of their communities as a destination for excellence in public education: Palos VerdesSanta Monica/Malibu, Redondo Beach, Torrance  and Manhattan Beach…just to name a few.

While free public education is possible, you get what you pay for. We at the El Segundo Ed! Foundation want a GREAT public education for our ESUSD students, and that, unfortunately, is not free.