FAQs

I am not able to give the recommended donation per student. What should I do?

We would like for you to contribute what is comfortable for you. Every donation, however small, makes a difference. LAEF is not endowed by a few wealthy donors, it is the thousands of individual donations that collectively add up to the grand total raised each year.

Can I donate stocks or bonds?

Yes. To donate non-cash assets, please contact the LAEF office at (650) 559-0445 or via email at: laef (at) att.net.

How is company matching handled?

Many corporations offer matching donation programs. If your company matches personal contributions to charitable organizations, you may be able to double your contribution by simply requesting a matching donation from your company. You must initiate the matching contribution by requesting and completing a special form. Forms are typically available thorough your company HR department or on your company web site.

What is the endowment fund?

LAEF's Endowment Fund is designed to provide a long term, stable source of financial assistance to the district. Through this Fund, LAEF can accept individual donations, including gifts of securities, property, life insurance and other estate planning contributions. Contributions to the Endowment Fund become an investment in education that keeps on giving.

How is the money spent?

The LAEF Board of Directors works with the Los Altos School District to design the grant allocation of the funds each year. The Board takes into account the needs of the various schools, feedback from the LAEF parent survey and program costs. Details of the 2006-07 grant allocation are described in Current Programs.

Is there a phonathon this year?

Yes. The 2006-07 phonathon is scheduled for Oct 16-18. Donate by October 9th to get on our DO NOT CALL list!

How do I get more involved in the campaign?

Contact one of your school’s LAEF representatives, call the LAEF office at (650) 559-0445 or email laef (at) att.net

Why are both the PTAs and LAEF raising money for the schools?

The PTAs raise money for school-specific expenses such as buying teaching supplies, playground equipment, computers, etc. PTAs are not allowed to pay for salaries of aides and other staff. LAEF raises money to fund district-wide programs like music, P.E., science and technology, class size reduction and art.

Public school is supposed to be free. Why do I have to pay?

On average, California is 48th in the nation in student-teacher ratio and 40th in the nation when average income is compared to per-student spending. Without any additional funding, this would translate to cuts in music, science, PE, art programs and class sizes would be large.

I pay enough property taxes already.

Proposition 13, passed by voters in 1978, sharply reduced property tax rates and set strict assessment rules. Most property in the state is assessed when it is sold or when there is new construction. The tax is initially levied at 1 percent of the sales price or value of the improvement, plus any rate needed to cover debt approved by voters at the local level. If property values rise and a school district gets more local tax revenue, the state simply cuts back its funding, so the overall funding does not change. This helps the state, but not the school district, unless it is a “basic aid” district.