Frequently Asked Questions
Ed! often serves as a resource for information about our El Segundo public schools. Below are a few frequently asked questions and answers to help you understand Ed!'s mission and critical role in ensuring El Segundo Unified School District (ESUSD) students receive an excellent education. If you have a question not addressed in the FAQs, please email Ed! at info@esedf.org.
What is the purpose of the El Segundo Education Foundation?
Since its founding in 1983, Ed! has provided parents, community members, and local businesses with a means to invest in superior public education for the El Segundo Unified School District (ESUSD) children. Ed! 's multi-million dollar annual grant to ESUSD ensures that students receive an excellent and consistent education from Transitional Kindergarten through the 12th grade, regardless of state funding fluctuations. In its four decades of support, Ed's funding has exceeded $37 million in directed grants. Ed! ensures that every child attending public school in El Segundo has access to programs that inspire learning, enrich teaching, and promote innovation and academic excellence. Learn more about Ed! Grants to our schools.
Ed! is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of roughly 30 members, including parents, alumni, and local businesses. Our board members represent all school sites and bring expertise, including law, financial services, human resources, communications, accounting, fund development, and nonprofit management.
Carol Pirsztuk is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and oversees the daily operations of Ed! and the Endowment. Carol came to Ed! in 2011 with an extensive background in executive management, educational policy, sales, and operations. A small team works alongside Carol, overseeing the Annual Community Appeal, Business Outreach, Fundraisers, Academy by Ed, accountability, budgeting, marketing, and more.
Ed! board meetings are open to the public and are held every other month at the district headquarters on Sheldon Street. If interested, please get in touch with the Ed! Office. Info@esedf.org
How does Ed! raise money?
There are several ways our community supports the Ed! Mission to strengthen our schools:
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Community Annual Appeal - Direct parent/community giving (40%)
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Business Partnerships - (20%)
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Fundraising Events (30%)
The diversification in raising funds enables Ed! to consistently reach its fundraising goals and fulfill its pledged annual Grant to ESUSD.
Our goal is to engage all Ed! families in our Annual Appeal since all students in the district benefit from Ed!'s support. We suggest donating $800 per student each school year (the ASK) or $1,500 to become a Superintendent Roundtable Member. You can make a one-time donation or set up a recurring donation. Every gift matters, and every donor is essential to this effort.
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One-time Donation – Donate online by credit card or with a check by mail.
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Recurring installments – You can establish an installment plan through our online donation system by indicating your preference on the donation form. Donations are automatically charged to your credit card on your selected schedule. The recurring donation could be monthly or on any timeline that works best for you.
Appreciated Stock/Donation of Stock Certificates – You can take an immediate tax deduction for the stock's full market value and avoid the capital gains tax you would owe by cashing in the securities. Then, using the cash you might have otherwise donated, you can repurchase the same stock at a higher cost basis for capital gains. Please contact Laura Johnes (Laura@esedf.org) to arrange a stock donation.
Does Ed! accept donations through matching gift program?
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An employer matching gift program is a corporate giving program driven by employees to support the nonprofit organizations a company's employees are passionate about. The corporation will match the employee's donation at a specific rate, sometimes even 2:1, in honor of the employee. Please ask your company if they have a matching gift program. Both the employee and the employer will be recognized for the match.
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The Academy is the division of Ed! that offers year-round camps and classes to students in grades TK through 12th grade. All profits go directly to the grant that Ed! pays to ESUSD in the same school year, with summer proceeds going to the school year starting in the fall. Ed! only employs ESUSD teachers or teachers known to us and are involved in our community. In addition, each summer The Academy offers an internship program for ESHS students to gain work experience with our summer camp program. This is an amazing opportunity for our high schoolers to gain work experience, learn responsibility, and get an internship on their HS transcripts. These are vital for each intern’s future whether it’s academics or employment. The Academy is a win on many levels, so we invite everyone to Support the Camps and Classes That Support Your Schools!
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Yes, revenue from Ed! Fundraisers represent 35% of the Ed! Grant to ESUSD. Generally, the venues and approximately 90% of the food and alcoholic beverages served at Ed! fundraisers are generously donated by local businesses. Additionally, approximately 45% of the revenue generated from the Ed! Fundraisers are from business sponsorships.
California School Funding
Isn't California per-pupil funding among the highest in the country?
The belief that California is a leader among other states in education funding is not true. Our State barely provides enough to fund the basics — not the enriched educational opportunities we expect for our children. Funding for California public schools has been insufficient for decades. California has slowly been rebuilding its funding support for education over the past 10 years and has only recently surpassed the national average. California's per-pupil funding falls anywhere between the 19th and the 35th in the Nation if adjusted for the high cost of living. Because of its heavy reliance on state tax revenue, California's education funding is more volatile than other states – it falls fast during recessions and rises more quickly during economic recoveries.
What is the difference between a Basic Aid and Revenue Limit district?
Despite advancements in California's education funding levels, El Segundo continues to struggle, receiving over $5,000 below the statewide average before local support. Proposition 13 and subsequent rulings capped the percentage of property taxes allocated to education. Consequently, less than 20% of property taxes raised in El Segundo are allocated to fund our local schools – making ESUSD a Revenue Limit district and dependent on state funding to reach the minimum target set by the State for per-pupil funding. Basic Aid districts, such as Palo Alto and Laguna Beach, funded education at a higher level when Prop 13 was enacted and, therefore, received a more significant portion of local tax dollars. These Basic Aid districts retain the excess property tax dollars above the state target, resulting in significantly higher per-pupil funding. Converting to a Basic Aid district is possible. Still, it only occurs when the percentage of property tax dollars allocated to education in a district exceeds the per-pupil target from the State. In the case of El Segundo, this will likely occur in the next 15-18 years, when local property tax revenues increase to a point where 20% is well above the state distribution. Local education leaders have advocated for changing the funding structure with the State Legislature over the years, but protecting the benefits of Proposition 13 has been a significant priority for the State.
How does California's Local Control Funding Formula Impact ESUSD Funding?
California implemented the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in 2013 to help achieve the following objectives:
(1) Give local school districts more authority over how to spend their state funding
(2) Restore districts to pre-recession (2007/08) state funding levels (adjusted for inflation)
(3) Provide supplemental funding to public school districts with higher numbers of students who require additional resources
Under LCFF, districts receive a uniform base per pupil funding for every student that varies by grade level. School districts with higher percentages of students who qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, are English Language Learners, and/or are foster youth receive supplemental funding per pupil. If 65% of a district's pupil population qualifies for the above programs, they receive as much as $7,900 more per pupil per year. ESUSD is among those few districts with the LOWEST number of students who qualify for supplemental funding. Creating equity among California students is essential, but the base level of education funding has remained inadequate for all students.
Has education funding increased over the past several years?
One-time state and federal government funding to combat challenges brought on by the pandemic has been primarily distributed to districts based on the Local Control Funding Formula. ESUSD has received increased funding for specific spending categories but not nearly the same proportion as other neighboring districts. As the state budget declines with the economy, the portion of the per-pupil funding from the State will also decline. The one-time increase to support learning loss post-COVID is no longer supported by the State.
Why does ESUSD have difficulty balancing district budget?
Every public school district must approve a three-year balanced budget in March. Our community has supplemented state funding for decades, but the need has grown as expenses rise and state funding flattens. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our economy, districts throughout the State faced tough decisions—two-thirds of California districts were already deficit spending, and one-half had initiated layoffs before the pandemic. The local burden of covering the growing costs of pensions, healthcare, and other mandated services is outpacing school funding.
How does support from the local community help?
ESUSD is frequently compared to a short list of California districts with strong student outcomes. However, our per-pupil funding for education is very different from that of other high-performing districts. A district that retains excess property taxes as a Basic Aid district, has a substantial parcel tax, or is greatly supported by LCFF funding has an advantage because the per-pupil funding is higher per student, allowing these other Districts to have more enrichment opportunities and choices.
In El Segundo, Ed! dollars remain vital to continue providing the education our parents expect and our students need to succeed. Funding from our Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) is also integral. Please see the California District Per-Pupil Funding Source Comparison to see the stark variation in funding among districts and demonstrate how impactful local support can be on per-pupil funding.
School Partnerships
What is the difference between ESUSD and Ed!?
Ed! is a nonprofit organization that operates separately from the El Segundo Unified School District. The purpose of Ed! is to be the primary fundraiser and advocate for enrichment programming for all ESUSD students so that EVERY STUDENT WINS. Like all other foundations, Ed!'s role does not include personnel relations, hiring, or the management of district employees. We do not make any decisions on how programs are implemented or selected. The separation between the two organizations is necessary because it strengthens our voices and helps us advocate programming for all students. In addition, this separation helps maintain the autonomy of the District and El Segundo Unified School Board and ensures that no parent's voice is louder than others.
How does Ed! differ from a PTA?
Ed! and the PTAs are vital partners in supporting the success of our schools. Ed! and PTAs collaborate closely to provide quality TK-12 education for all students districtwide. Ed! primarily supports educators and programs, and the PTAs pay for material resources at each school. For example, While we can thank Ed! for our librarians, the PTA pays for library books.
Additionally, each school's PTA has its Board that raises and spends funds to pay for campus-specific items such as technology, school supplies, and classroom materials. Because Ed! has a long history of providing a consistent funding stream to our District, it is the only parent organization the LA County Office of Education permited to supplement teacher pay.
Lastly, while each PTA raises funds only for its specific school, Ed! funds all TK-12 schools. Our commitment to the community is to ensure that every child in our District has equal access to high-quality educational opportunities.
Annual Grant to ESUSD and Programs Funded
Who determines what programs are funded by Ed!'s annual Grant to ESUSD?
As a community and local business-driven organization, Ed! strives to ensure that our grants reflect parent, District, and student priorities. Ed! meets with ESUSD each April to identify the programming Ed! will fund the following school year. The Superintendent and the Board of Education work with the principals, teachers, and students to determine which programs are essential for an A+ education.
Ed! Grant Guidelines
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Fund programs open to all students during the school day.
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Provide a consistent level of education for all students from transitional kindergarten through high school graduation.
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Support academic excellence and personal growth.
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Promote innovation in teaching and learning.
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Align with the priorities of parents, teachers, and District goals.
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Ed! is committed. Once the Ed! Board of Directors agrees to fund a program, the Board is committed to funding it annually until the District determines it is no longer needed. When that happens, those grant funds will be allocated to another program the following school year.
Ed! welcomes feedback and regularly surveys our stakeholders to determine our strategic direction and funding priorities. Today, Ed! is proud to fund programs in science, the arts, literacy, and health and wellness at CSS, RSS, ESMS, ESHS, Arena, and Eagles Nest.
Does the Ed! Grant money go directly into the ESUSD general fund?
The funds granted to ESUSD by Ed! do not go into the District's general fund. The funds go into a separate account and can only be allocated to pay for programs identified in the annual grant. At the end of every school year, Ed! receives a reconciliation of how the funds were spent to ensure they were only used for the approved programs.