Seriously, what do they do with all this cash? We just got pimped for Measure C, and already they're harrassing people for yet more.

I went to school in an area where there were no big businesses, foundations, VC's and rich entrepreneurs donating millions to the schools, and yet these schools still managed to get by quite nicely on their basic government funding.

Meanwhile, while this district may produce better outcomes than many others in California, look at the competition: 49th best in the country, while spending more on schools than nearly every other State in the nation.

Besides, teaching around here should be a snap, given the focus on liberal indoctrination. It's much easier to teach kids what to think than how to think, and our local schools clearly focus on the former.

"Ano Nymous" you are so off base, it's obvious you were not educated in a school district that invested heavily into a child's education. No one is doing any "harassing". In fact, many people of this community, who don't even have kids, GLADLY give to the Foundation because it is a major part of why our homes are worth what they are worth. If you don't think so, go next door and buy a similar sized home, with a similar sized lot, and you tell us what you paid for in Redwood City?! Just "getting by" is not what this community wants, nor deserves. The only thing the Foundation can do is to attempt to make people aware of why the District needs money, and then do the best they can to fund the District. By the way, 87% of the District's dollars go to labor, so they are run in a very efficient way. Your comment about VC's and rich entrepreneurs donating "millions to the schools" is again so far off base, you have no clue who or what donates money to this District. I think the Foundation would LOVE to have "rich entrepreneurs and VC's donating millions..." but you again have no clue what you are talking about. Again, in Menlo Park we spend less per child than Palo Alto, Woodside AND Portola Valley, AND much less than majority of the states. So, where are you getting your information? I wish you would come to this forum with at least some facts, before you start spewing ridiculous false comments about our fantastic school system that has made you wealthy (if you own a home) and is supported by majority of our community. Did you know that Measure C, your "pimped" Parcel Tax, was supported by better than 70% of the community? Nope, I didn't think you knew that.

Dear "Ano Nymous",

Where are you getting your information?! My kids go to Oak Knoll and Hillview and I can assure you that they are absolutely learning HOW to think, not WHAT to think. And teaching should be a snap? Try telling that to a teacher with 28 kids in a class, all with different abilities, learning styles, needs, and strengths. One of the reasons our schools are good is because we hire good teachers. Good teachers = good education. Getting good teachers means finding, hiring, training, and keeping good teachers. Thanks to the MPAEF we can do that.

I think you have the Menlo Park public schools mixed up with the local schools that DO get gobs of money from corporations, VCs, etc. Corporate donations to the MPAEF are extremely modest, whereas schools like Phillips Brooks, Menlo, Castilleja, and Sacred Heart have money pouring in by the bucketful. Why? One, because parents are told that the $35,000 they pay per year doesn't come close to the actual costs of educating their students - while MP schools manage to do it for less than $11,000 per student. And two, because that's where the kids of corporate scions go to school.

The MPAEF's endowment stands at about $2M - money generously contributed by a number of families 5 years ago in increments of about $5K. Menlo School's endowment is $21.3M. The MPCSD has 2700 student, Menlo has about 750. Hmmm...that's $740 per kid versus $28,000.

If you want to know "what they do with all this cash" then read about it here:Web Link

Seems like the fabulous schools you went to didn't teach you how to do your homework. The good news for you is that it is never to late to become better educated.