BCE Grants $3.035 Million to BSD for the 2025–26 School Year

The Foundation’s largest-ever grant will fund 20 key teaching positions and enrich every TK–8 classroom in BSD.

The Burlingame Community for Education Foundation (BCE) has announced its largest grant in the organization’s history. It will award $3,035,000 to the Burlingame School District (BSD) for the 2025–26 school year. The total includes $2.96 million raised through BCE’s Annual Campaign, and an additional $75,000 contribution from the BCE Endowment Fund. This marks the first time the Foundation has been able to draw from its Endowment Fund.

“This is really a special milestone for BCE and for Burlingame School District. Seeding the Endowment to $2 million was a goal that had started at the Endowment's inception in 2015, and we’ve hit that 10 years later. Achieving this milestone has allowed us to pull funds from the Endowment for the very first time, boosting the impact of our annual grant.” - Jen Faber, BCE Board President

The grant will fund 20 essential teaching positions across BSD in areas such as music, arts, physical education, world language, and academic intervention. These programs are not standard in most California public schools and would not be possible without supplemental community funding. Unlike many states that have sufficient education funding to cover the costs of a well-rounded, enriched primary education, California does not. Rising costs and funding limitations from state and local tax structures have made it increasingly difficult for districts to keep up. Burlingame operates in a particularly challenging spot, with the lowest per-student expenditures in San Mateo County. BCE was founded to help close this gap.

This milestone reflects the dedication of hundreds of donors, volunteers, and community partners who supported BCE through financial contributions, event participation, and outreach during the 2024–25 school year. Every contribution, from grassroots efforts to large gifts, played a role in making this achievement possible.

Each year, BCE works closely with BSD to identify funding priorities and allocate the grant to preserve and enhance educational opportunities for all TK–8 students. This year’s grant will maintain and strengthen programs that contribute to a well-rounded education for every child in the district. More details about how the funding will be used across schools are expected to be shared later this fall as BSD finalizes staffing and program plans for the year ahead.

Board volunteers celebrating the biggest BCE grant ever!