The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and the fall fundraising campaign of the San Juan Public Schools Foundation is underway. Nonprofit and all volunteers, the SJPSF has a simple mission: support K-12 public education on San Juan Island by raising community funds that supplement increasingly uncertain state and federal funding. Virtually all funds we raise support resources that our educators deem critical to sustain and improve the quality of our children’s education.

Many local businesses have generously purchased ads in our popular annual school directory through our Business Partnership program. Proceeds benefit students through updated textbooks, science materials, musical instrument repairs, coding kits, field trips, and reading programs, just to name a few of the many resources we support. Our students and their families thank our business partners, and we encourage the community to support them in return.

On Oct. 16-17, the SJPSF will also hold our annual phone-a-thon. High school students, their parents, faculty and staff, and other volunteers will call community members (maybe you!) to ask for their financial support. Although many organizations are worthy of your generosity, I urge you to support the mission of public education, and celebrate with us its importance to the future of our children and our island community. Thanks for your support!

Rich Meenan

President of the San Juan Public Schools Foundation