Loma Prieta Education Fund

Have you wondered how LPEF decides what programs to fund? Or what happens when our KEEP campaign falls short? Here’s how it unfolded last year. Teachers’ Wish Lists. Every spring, Superintendent Kevin Grier asks teachers at Loma Prieta Elementary and C.T. English Middle schools what they need most for next year. Once teachers give their wish lists, Grier goes through any programs LPEF has funded before to see if the district can now cover them with other money.

He shared, “My goal is for LPEF to fund the ‘nice to haves’ above what we should have (funded by the parcel tax) and must have (from the general fund). We also have other items that fit under specific grants for the coming year.”

Last March, Grier brought a list of priorities to the LPEF board. Developmental PE at Loma and K-8 art were top priorities, so tier 1 was set at $234,050. That covers the cost of salary and benefits for two full-time teachers. Tier 2 was a 12th teacher at Loma, bringing the total need to $349,000. The table shows the LPEF funding priorities next to the items that were funded by parcel taxes.

2025-26 Funding Priorities. At the same time, a few programs shifted because of staffing realities. Spanish was trimmed back to just eighth grade, when our teacher realized that the number of classes wasn’t sustainable. Science at Loma changed too, as our pull-out science teacher returned to the regular classroom. The science lab remains for other teachers to use.

Math intervention at C.T. English faced scheduling challenges as a pull-out program, so the administration decided to incorporate it into regular math class instead. We’ll keep a close eye on how it goes this year. The LPEF board raised one more issue: social-emotional support. Student behavior and mental health have been growing concerns, so we asked whether counseling or psychology services could be expanded.

Kevin explained that our current counselor is only on campus part-time, and while she can’t add more hours, the district could explore bringing in a part-time psychologist to supplement that work. We will revisit this soon.

The final step was bringing the priorities to the LPJUSD school board. There was some concern about shifting how we approached math intervention at both schools, but the board ultimately approved these priorities. The KEEP Campaign Gets to Work.

With priorities set, LPEF launched the KEEP campaign, our community’s annual fundraising effort for all these programs. Families stepped up, contributing nearly $80,000. That brought the annual LPEF total, including sponsorships and Gala profits, to about $280,000. That covered everything in tier 1 but not tier 2. That gap almost had real consequences.

At one point, Loma was looking at a fifth-grade classroom with 32 students. It’s legal, but nobody wants that for their child. Fortunately, two more students enrolled over the summer, which gave the district the push it needed to hire a second fifth-grade teacher.

Instead of 32 students in one classroom, we will have two classes of 17. The school found a way to cover the extra cost, but it was challenging. If those tier 2 funds hadn’t been used for an extra teacher, they would have gone into the LPEF reserves. With reserves, LPEF has the flexibility to respond to things that come up mid-year. LPEF board members are always listening when parents raise concerns—whether it’s about school lunches, science camp, or whatever else might affect our children. Having that funding cushion means we can act swiftly when issues arise.

Why This Matters. The reality is that KEEP isn’t a one-and-done fundraiser. While being small is one of the things that makes our mountain schools special and desirable, it also means we don’t have the same financial advantages as larger districts, with more homeowners and businesses paying property taxes. Other schools that feed into Los Gatos High School have more money and can spread costs across more students.

If we want our students moving on to high school to feel prepared and confident, we need to level the playing field. The next time you hear about KEEP, remember that the district isn’t asking for ‘nice-to-haves.’ These programs help our children succeed when they leave our mountain schools.