Fund For Portland Public Schools

SUPPORT TO PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SHUTTERED PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS' BUILDING AND BROUGHT WITH IT MULTIFACETED CHALLENGES FOR STUDENTS, AND FAMILIES, WITH A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON THOSE COMMUNITIES THE FUND FOR PPS WAS ESTABLISHED TO SERVE. IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT WE LIVE INTO THE PPS VISION'S CORE VALUES: "STUDENTS AT THE CENTER," "RELATIONSHIPS," "RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RESPOND TO THE CRISIS.IN MARCH 2020, THE FUND FOR PPS ESTABLISHED THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND TO RESPOND TO THE EMERGING NEEDS OF PPS STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. BY JUNE 30, 2021, THE FUND FOR PPS RAISED AND DISTRIBUTED OVER $1,000,000 IN DIRECT AID TO FAMILIES IN THE FORM OF GROCERY AND DEBIT GIFT CARDS, EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, HOME CLASSROOM KITS, AND THE INTERNET CONNECTIVITY NEEDED TO KEEP KIDS LEARNING AND, IF ONLY VIRTUALLY, CONNECTING WITH PEERS AND TEACHERS. WE HEARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN FROM OUR SCHOOL-BASED STAFF THE VALUE OF BEING ABLE TO OFFER SOMETHING TANGIBLE TO THEIR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. WE ALSO GAVE MINI-GRANTS TO MANY CULTURALLY SPECIFIC PARTNERS WHO CONTINUED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES DURING THE CLOSURE.

IN 2020, PPS LOCAL SCHOOL FOUNDATIONS RAISED OVER $4 MILLION, OF WHICH $1.1 MILLION HAS BEEN GENEROUSLY SET ASIDE TO BE INVESTED IN ADDITIONAL PPS SCHOOLS IN THE FORM OF THE PPS PARENT FUND AWARDS. I AM EXCITED TO SHARE THAT 61 SCHOOLS WILL RECEIVE GRANTS RANGING FROM $10,000 TO $30,000 FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR. THESE FLEXIBLE DOLLARS WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE PROGRESS TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY'S COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND MOVE PPS FORWARD TOWARD REALIZING ITS VISIONPPS REIMAGINED. IN AWARDING GRANTS THIS YEAR, THE FUND FOR PPS IS USING TWO COMBINED CRITERIA TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR AN AWARD: TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A GRANT A SCHOOL OR PROGRAM MUST ENROLL 1) AT LEAST 40% OF STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED[1] AND 2) AT LEAST 15% OF STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR FREE MEALS BY DIRECT CERTIFICATION[2]. USING JUST TWO DATA POINTS - PERCENTAGE OF HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS' PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR FREE MEALS BY DIRECT CERTIFICATION - ENABLES US TO IDENTIFY THE SCHOOLS WITH THE GREATEST NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS, PROVIDE CLEAR TRANSPARENCY, AND, WE BELIEVE, WILL LEAD TO GREAT CONSISTENCY YEAR TO YEAR. THESE ARE THE SAME CRITERIA WE DEVELOPED FOR THE 2020-21 AWARDS, AND WERE DETERMINED BASED ON INPUT RECEIVED FROM MANY STAKEHOLDERS.