2018-19 PPS Parent Equity Fund Grant Awards Announced

On Friday, March 9th All Hands Raised released the 2018-19 PPS Parent Equity Fund Grant Awards, which totaled $1,144,000. Thirty-eight PPS schools will receive grants ranging from 46,750 to $20,000. In addition, five alternative programs were each awarded $11,400. See the full list here.

The 2018-19 awards, which represent a 19% increase over the current school year’s grants, were made using a data-driven formula (linked here) that takes into account the demographics and financial position of PPS schools. The timing of award information is in alignment with the PPS budgeting process.  These PPS Parent Equity Fund investments provide a wide variety of support, including mentoring programs; educational assistants in reading and math for students who are below benchmarks; culturally specific student advocacy and support; and support for teachers and staff to reduce inequities in student discipline.

PPS Local School Foundations were established to raise funds to support teaching and staff positions per the PPS Board policy that was adopted in 1994. All Hands Raised continues to implement and steward this policy. Today there are currently 42 active local school foundations, whose parent communities are raising critical funds for their buildings, and contributing one-third of what is raised (after the first $10,000) to the PPS Parent Equity Fund. The $3.8 million raised by parents in 2017 brings the total raised by PPS parents through local school foundations just in the last five years to over $21 million.

As has been true for over two decades, 100% of the parent-raised funds support classroom instruction because All Hands Raised manages PPS parent-led fundraising and the PPS Parent Equity Fund at zero cost to parents or the district. Special thanks to New Seasons Market for their generous support of this work, through the Cans for Kids program.