In April 2020, the school established the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Families to provide tuition assistance for families who needed support. School leaders decided to use the annual auction—the largest fundraising event of the year, traditionally held each spring in the gym—as the primary way to get the word out and raise money. The new fund was communicated in the auction promotional materials. Usually, the auction features one or two items that need funding, and the remaining funds support the operating budget. But the 2020 auction, held virtually and for which bids and gifts came via text, supported only the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Families as the item that needed funding.
School leaders were unsure about the response they would get, but in less than two weeks from the time they introduced the fund at the auction, they raised just over $30,000 and were able to help 21 families during the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 academic years. This fund continues to receive gifts and is funding one family for the next academic year.
Fourth grade students tag Monarch butterflies alongside their classmates who are learning remotely.
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