In 2001, in the face of serious budget shortfalls, the Belmont-Redwood Shores school district put a parcel tax measure on the ballot to approximately $1 million in funding for the district per year for 10 years—when that parcel tax failed the district announced that it would be closing the school campus libraries.
To local parent Dave Karlin, the closing of the school libraries was unimaginable and so he mobilized a group of parents to get the word out that there was still something the community could do to help our schools--donate money directly to the school district. In the last week of the school year their efforts raised $36,275. Thanks to these funds, and to the demonstrated message of how important having school libraries was to the Districts' parents, the District kept the libraries open 5 days a week in the 2001-02 school year.
The generosity of those families that so willingly contributed to keep the libraries open, along with the concern over chronic underfunding from the State of California, inspired and motivated a group of parents and community members to create a public education foundation for the Belmont-Redwood Shores school district: School-Force.
In 2002 School-Force became a legal entity and received our non-profit status, joining the growing ranks of educational foundations all over California that serve to supplement shrinking school budgets.
Over the past 5 years, School-Force volunteers have spent thousands of hours working to inform and energize the community, and the community has responded by helping us raise over $1.3 million dollars to fund educational programs in the Belmont-Redwood Shores school district.
To local parent Dave Karlin, the closing of the school libraries was unimaginable and so he mobilized a group of parents to get the word out that there was still something the community could do to help our schools--donate money directly to the school district. In the last week of the school year their efforts raised $36,275. Thanks to these funds, and to the demonstrated message of how important having school libraries was to the Districts' parents, the District kept the libraries open 5 days a week in the 2001-02 school year.
The generosity of those families that so willingly contributed to keep the libraries open, along with the concern over chronic underfunding from the State of California, inspired and motivated a group of parents and community members to create a public education foundation for the Belmont-Redwood Shores school district: School-Force.
In 2002 School-Force became a legal entity and received our non-profit status, joining the growing ranks of educational foundations all over California that serve to supplement shrinking school budgets.
Over the past 5 years, School-Force volunteers have spent thousands of hours working to inform and energize the community, and the community has responded by helping us raise over $1.3 million dollars to fund educational programs in the Belmont-Redwood Shores school district.
