As a charter school, EPACS depends on public funds, but the Ravenswood District is only provided with half the funds per student as other districts in Silicon Valley. In addition to seeking support for the general operating costs of the school, EPACS is also looking to grow and develop several programs that are fundamental to our academic mission.

This year, our Annual Fund is focused on raising $100,000 to increase support for our teachers. EPACS uses Instructional Coaches who work individually with teachers at every grade level in Literacy and Math to help them be more effective. Our Instructional Coaches are familiar with curriculum and teaching methodologies that work best at every grade level, and provide resources, model lesson plans, and generally support our teachers, ensuring that our students have the greater opportunities to succeed. So far, we have raised nearly $20,000 towards our goal. Another $80,000 will allow us to fund additional full and part time coaches for the future.

In addition, there are ongoing costs related to field trips at every grade level which tie to the curriculum, and allow students to make learning more real and experiential. These include outdoor education, museum trips related to the arts and sciences, and more. Extra funding here allows us to continue to provide the types of experiences that students in more affluent districts are typically afforded.

Finally, this year we are moving to rennovate and reviatlize our back field area to include an irrigation system that will allow grass to grow for a soccer field, with a track around the perimeter. Currently, there are no after school sports, as we are without the facilities. This transition in the back field would include the integration of several outdoor classroom spaces, as well as an orchard, in hopes of developing the site to make it a sustainable space.

Below, please find the ongoing development needs we are constantly trying to meet as a school. These are areas in which we continue to seek funding throughout the year to support our mission of providing rigorous educational opportunities and a college preparatory experience for all of our students.



For more information on donating, please email Monika Nagy, our Development Director, at monika.nagy@aspirepublicschools.org. or donate online.

Instead of a monetary donation, you can consider donating a tangible gift such as program supplies, items for events, or contributions of technology. If you have something to donate, email monika.nagy@aspirepublicschools.org.



Discretionary Funds for Teachers
$15,000

One first year teacher at East Palo Alto Charter School spent $3000 out of pocket to purchase supplies and prepare her classroom for students. It is our goal to prevent this from happening in the future by providing teachers with a discretionary fund to support instructional projects, field trips, professional development, and general classroom improvement. Creating this fund for our teachers will decrease their out-of-pocket expenses, enhance the quality of their programs, and increase their overall job satisfaction. This will ultimately lead to higher rates of teacher retention at our school.

Back to the top

Technology:
2 Desktops in K-3 Classrooms (16 computers)
5 Desktops in 4-8 Classrooms (25 computers)
Cost per desktop: $900 ($36,900)

Today, we have two laptop carts that can be used simultaneously and serve 60 students. This still leaves 355 or 85% of our student population without access to technology. Our goal is to have a 2:1 ratio of students to computers at EPACS to support the state technology standards and to provide our students continued access to technology. We can achieve this goal by providing each classroom with four desktops, increasing the student to computer ratio from 15% to 32% of our population.

Back to the top

Compatible Reading Curriculum for All Students in Grades K-8
$3000 per classroom, 12 classrooms in total

The Reading First grant we received from the state of California allowed us to implement curriculum in the elementary grades that significantly increased reading test scores for our students. It is our goal to purchase compatible material for all grades. By doing this, we will standardize instruction and help students sustain high levels of reading competency as they move through our school.

Back to the top

Remodel Library:
Plans to redesign space: $8,000
Current Budget for books: $17,000

Today, our library houses around 1,000 books. Our goal is to double the number of volumes, subscribe to online databases and subscribe to daily, weekly and monthly periodicals. In order reach our goal, we need to redesign and update our library so that it has the necessary space to accommodate these changes and provide our students with the optimal access to information.

Back to the top

Soccer Field:
$100,000
Our campus is located on 7 acres next to the bay lands. While the school building occupies a small percentage of the land, the rest is an undeveloped area filled with gopher holes and weeds. A couple of years ago, we received a grant to build a playground on our campus, so that our students could use at least part of the playground to play during recess and lunch.

Despite the condition of the field, the students still use it during PE classes and to play soccer at lunch time. Several members of the community would like to support developing the land so that it can be used by a variety of members of the community. The local soccer teams would like to use it on the weekend for games and local environmental agencies would like to develop part of the land by planting native plants to continue to preserve the endangered species in the bay lands.

Back to the top

Auditorium:
$500,000

Now that EPACS is at full capacity of 420 students, it is difficult to assemble as an entire school because we have outgrown our meeting spaces. Our cafeteria can only seat 200 students.

When we run special events in the evenings, we typically ask local partners to use their facilities, but the request cannot always be honored due to conflicts with scheduling.

Last year we had to hold our Black History Celebration outside in the cold to accommodate our audience of over 500 parents, students and staff. It is our dream to have a space large enough to host events and where students can play sports for their PE class just like in every other school in the community.

Back to the top

» Our Teachers' Wishlist