What We Fund

SchoolForce raises funds each year to support students in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD) from our parents and businesses in the community. SchoolForce fundraising always supports the following school year, because we need to know the funds raised before the District can allocate the budget and hire the necessary staff.

Providing funding on a district-wide level allows our schools to hire staff that the state allocation does not fund. The SchoolForce grant of $2.5M for the 2023-24 school year represents approximately 5% of the annual budget with yearly growth.

 

Of the $2.5M grant to the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD), 85% of donations to SchoolForce fund teachers and staff at every BRSSD school.  Funding for these staff and educational programs benefit every student, in every grade, every day in each of our schools: Central Elementary, Cipriani Elementary, Fox Elementary, Nesbit K-8, Ralston Middle School, Redwood Shores Elementary and Sandpiper K-8.

Because the cost of funding staff is significant, SchoolForce’s suggested donation is $2,000 per student. For more details on the SchoolForce grant allocation by the district, please refer to our Annual Report.

 

 

 

    Additional Teachers & Staff

    Specialized Credentialed Teachers & Librarians – We fund Science Teachers, Reading Specialists, and Library Specialists salaries. Specialized teachers provide students with a rich curriculum that allows them to dive deeper into the subject matter. Funding teachers salaries allows BRSSD to keep their student:teacher ratios low.

    Counselors & SEL Support – Full-time school counselors at all sites teach a rich social emotional learning curriculum to help students develop social skills as well as help individual students and small groups. Tier 1 social emo- tional learning is taught in the classroom by licensed therapists; they work on relationships and expression of emotions. Tier 2 interventions are small group work that help students to better understand their emotions and their impact. Ralston students have three counselors, one for each grade, to aid in their social-emotional development.

    Arts Teachers & Support

    We fund salaries for credentialed music teachers, LEAP Arts teachers and arts materials at every grade level to provide a well-rounded education and creative outlet to students. Supporting the funding of Music Boosters and instrument music repair to advance our middle school students’ musical pursuits.

     

    STEM & Innovation Grants

    Funding for STEM coach to support teachers and students in STEM teaching, and STEM materials to support hands-on science learning, for all grade levels.

    Innovation Grants – from technology to books and maker kits, SchoolForce Innovation Grants fund innovative, educational activities across all grades and schools.

    Teacher Support

    Professional development programs and classroom supplies for our teachers, including year-round instructional and STEM coaches.

    Physical Education/Sports

    Physical Education Specialists salaries provides students fun, safe physical education programs that promote health and are correlated to stronger academic performance. Supporting middle school sports programs to promote health and leadership – dependent this year on guidelines established by the county.

    Field Trips

    Funding for field trip transportation and admission costs. Field trips allow students for enhanced learning experiences which align with curriculum.

    Community Building

    Community events to engage students and families as well as teacher appreciation. Community building and teacher appreciation events & activities are funded by donations to SchoolForce and powered by PTA volunteers.

    Assemblies

    Funding for age appropriate educational experiences to inspire students at every level. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Grade Level Support

2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR FUNDING

In the 2022-23 school year, SchoolForce spent $2,650,000 supporting students. See below for the breakdown. You can also view SchoolForce’s latest Annual Report for additional details.

District Funding
Budgeted BRSSD Commitment 2023-24
Includes:
Science Teachers
Elementary Music & Middle School Music
Support School Counselors
Learning Intervention Specialists
Library Specialists
TK-5 PE and 6-8 Sports
Professional Development
STEM Initiatives Field Trip Transportation
LEAP Arts/6-8 Electives
$2,500,000
Direct Funding
Innovation Grants$150,000
TOTAL$2,650,000