Thank you for your coverage of the Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation.

The foundation is still a young organization. Since our founding in the fall of  2010, we have attempted to raise $500,000 each year. We have yet to meet that lofty but attainable goal. However, thanks to  the generosity of many school families, island businesses and with the help of teachers and staff at the schools and other members of the Vashon-Maury Island community, we have come close, with pledges over $400,000 each of the past two years in support of the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years.

These contributions help fund relatively small class sizes and electives and helped provide stability to the district. We are grateful for the community support we have received and hope to continue to  broaden the support in the future. Our all- volunteer board works hard to be a very lean organization.

After reading your Aug. 21 article, (“School district passes no-cuts budget in 11th hour”), I’d like to clarify an important point. The amount the district  received from the community  to support   the 2012-2013 school year was budgeted in July 2012 based on our spring 2012 pledge drive. The actual contributions came in over the subsequent 12 months and provided $375,000 to the district.

For the coming 2013-2014 school year, as you reported, the district budgeted a lower figure of $275,000 from the foundation because our pledge drive fell a bit short in the spring of 2013. The district has to budget conservatively in order to not rely on funds that might not materialize. We hope to continue to engage the community and always welcome contributions at our website at www.vashonschoolsfoundation.org or by mail to our Vashon P.O. Box 481.

We are grateful for the past and continuing support of the community, and we are proud to work for the benefit and continued success of our students, our teachers and our schools.

— Laura Bienen, Vashon
Island Public Schools Foundation treasurer