As the 2022 Giving Campaign enters its final few weeks and the holiday season accelerates, principals throughout the Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) express their gratitude for the much-needed support that the Giving Campaign provides. As the PUSD’s largest annual fundraiser, the Giving Campaign keeps Piedmont class sizes small and funds a broad array of student needs, from wellness to classroom aides, to libraries and the arts.
Piedmont’s schools rely on Giving Campaign funds to provide essential services to students. Anne Harter Dolid, the principal of Havens Elementary School, says, “Thanks to the Giving Campaign, we have the counseling staffing we need to address our students’ social emotional needs, the intervention staff to meet academic needs, and the incredible luxury of being able to provide timely and robust professional growth opportunities for our teachers and paraprofessionals.”
Shannon Fierro, the principal of Millennium High School, concurs. “The resources the Giving Campaign gives the district allow us to provide our kids with smaller classes, supplemental programming, and opportunities that enhance their experiences and learning,” she says. “I am sincerely grateful for the generosity of our community to support our schools.”
So far this year the Giving Campaign has raised over $2.7 million and is working diligently to reach the $3.5 million goal. This year, PUSD educators received a 7.5% salary increase. The district relied heavily on funding from PEF to meet this need, and will continue to rely on the Giving Campaign to meet future budget obligations.
Funds raised through the Giving Campaign help build a school system that consistently delivers high reading and math scores, and strong college preparedness. Sukanya Goswami, the principal of Piedmont High School, says, “Parent donations not only fund many of the programs and courses at Piedmont High School, but also class materials, online curriculum, and smaller class sizes,” she notes. “The Giving Campaign fills in an essential gap in what we can provide at the high school in terms of a challenging, competitive, and well-rounded education to all our students.”
Karyn Shipp, the principal of Piedmont Middle School, says that the funds raised by the Giving Campaign are critically important to the district. “We are so fortunate that the Piedmont community can come together to support education and provide things like professional development, online resources, and so many other programs,” she says. “The Giving Campaign is genuinely essential in the operations of the PUSD.”
To learn more about the Piedmont Education Foundation’s Giving Campaign or to donate, please visit www.piedmontedfoundation.org.