A Mid-Year Funding Update
Your donations pay for the programs, teachers, and experiences that make whole-child Public Waldorf education possible at Valley Vista Public Waldorf School. The Foundation for Petaluma Public Waldorf is a nonprofit run by parent volunteers — neighbors and families, just like you, working to keep this school strong.
The district doesn't fully fund our school's programs and staff. This year, we've been drawing on savings built up by past families — a gift from those who came before us. But savings aren't a plan. They're a bridge.
Your donations to the Foundation close that gap. And right now, after the incredible success of the Sunset Splash Auction, we're 60% of the way to our goal for the year!
This isn't a cry of alarm. It's a transparent accounting, shared with the same clarity we try to bring to everything we do. You deserve to know where things stand, and why your participation matters so much right now.
Every one of these programs and positions exists because families give. The district doesn't pay for them. You do — together.
- •Handwork & Movement Teacher salaries
- •Handwork Aide salary
- •Pentathalon, Medieval Games, Track and Field Meet
- •Kindergarten Aide salaries (3)
- •TK/K Village Set Up Costs
- •Appliances (stoves, dishwasher, fridges)
- •Daily snack
- •Classroom supplies
- •3rd Grade Practical Arts
- •Field trips
- •Adventure Learning overnights
- •Library updates
- •Seasonal festivals
- •Handwork Supplies
- •Teacher Training & Mentorship with the Alliance for Waldorf Education
- •Teacher onboarding
- •Teacher grants
- •All Family Guild, TIDE & TechWise programming
- •Parent education opportunities
- •Parent event childcare
- •Fun-raising events
- •Tax prep
- •Accounting
- •Annual Fund Admin
- •Website
- •Donor CRM
- •Fundraising events
- •Printing & postage
Here's where our three funding streams stand right now:
The Jog-A-Thon community showed up completely — and we blew our auction goal completely out of the water! Now we need to turn to the stream that sustains us all year, every year: the Family Pledge Program.
Your pledge doesn't fund one event. It funds the school — the daily rhythms, the speciality teachers, the experiences that make this education what it is. Month after month, it shows up quietly and keeps things running.
An average Family Pledge of $1,300 per student per year — about $110/month — helps close the gap between what the district provides and what a true Public Waldorf education actually costs.
Families give at many different levels. Participation matters as much as amount. Every pledge is a vote of confidence in this school.
If your family hasn't yet joined the Family Pledge Program, this is the moment. If you're already a donor — thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. Your steady belief in this school is what makes it possible.
We are a school built by the families who believe in it. That has always been true, and it is especially true right now.
Thank you for reading this, for caring, and for whatever you are able to give. Together, this is how we carry our school forward.
With gratitude,
The Foundation for Petaluma Public Waldorf Board