PPS Parent Fund

In 1994-95, on the heels of Measure 5’s cuts to public education, parents from a number of Portland schools asked the Portland Public Schools Board of Education to allow them to create a vehicle for raising private dollars to support teaching and staff positions at their schools. The School Board allowed for the creation of “local school foundations” at all of Portland’s public schools. The School Board also required that an “Equity Fund” be established. One-third of all funds raised (after the first $10,000) by Local School Foundations is set aside in the PPS Parent Fund that The Fund for PPS stewards and distributes to high-need schools using demographic data; a formula that will be examined each year to ensure the funds are reaching the highest need schools.

February 12, 2024

Dear Leaders and Donors of PPS Local School Foundations,

I am delighted to announce the PPS Parent Fund Awards for the 2024-2025 school year. Thank YOU for investing your time, creativity, and energy to bring resources to our PPS students.

In the 2022-2023 school year, local school foundations raised $2.5 million. Please click here to see a breakdown of how much money each school foundation raised.

33% of the amount you raised, or $728,500, will be invested in 61 PPS schools and programs through the PPS Parent Fund Awards. Please visit fundforpps.org/ppsparentfund to view the PPS Parent Fund Awards for 2024-25.

To be eligible for a Parent Fund Award, a school or program must meet two specific criteria based on this publicly available data:

  • It must enroll at least 40% of students identified as historically underserved*, and  

  • It must enroll at least 25% of students who are eligible for free meals by direct certification**.

As some of you may know, I will be stepping down from my position as the Chief of Staff at Portland Public Schools towards the end of this month. It has been an honor to serve the students and families of this district in this capacity. Together, we have achieved a great deal and are genuinely beginning to embody the key elements of our ambitious vision, PPS reImagined.

However, I am not leaving the community entirely. I will continue to serve as the Chair of The Fund for PPS’ Board of Directors. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Victoria Lara, our outgoing Chair, for her dedication, expertise, and, most importantly, her passion since the organization's inception.

Let's work together to make Portland Public Schools a source of pride for everyone! 

Sincerely,

Jonathan Garcia
President, The Fund for PPS

Definitions
**Combined Underserved includes the following: Students eligible for Special
Education; Students with Limited English Proficiency; Students eligible to receive free meals by Direct Certification; Students with any of the following races, ethnicities, or ancestry: Black, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander.

*Direct Certification status is determined by state agencies and shared electronically with school districts. Students or families qualify for Direct Certification through a number of avenues such as eligibility for SNAP or TANF, Migrant Ed, or foster care. Free Meal by Direct Certification % is the percent of total students who receive free meals through Direct Certification.

***Please note that due to the reduction in available funding for this year's awards, schools and programs with 25% or more eligibility for free meals by direct certification will be awarded grants, which is a change from last year's threshold of 15% eligibility.