Our History

The Foundation for Edmonds School District began as the Public Education Foundation (PEF), founded in 1984 by then-Superintendent Hal Reasby. At the time, the District had just experienced a double bond failure. Hal recognized the District would face a significant financial gap that would impact our teachers and students and formed the PEF to fill that need. An office was set up in an old building on 196th Street in Lynnwood, and Maureen Pierre became the Foundation’s first Director. The PEF was the first schools foundation in our area and many others have since followed our example.

In 1986, the Foundation launched the Street Strut, a 5K run held near what is now Alderwood Mall. After more than 20 years on hold, the event was brought back in 2008 in memory of Bill Hamilton, an ESD teacher and founding board member. In 2012, it grew into the Celebrate Schools 5K Run/Walk, held at the original Street Strut site in partnership with Alderwood Mall. Today, the Celebrate Schools Monster Mad Dash 5K continues as a beloved community tradition, bringing people together to support students and schools across the district.

Another tradition began in 1988 with our first Business Breakfast. Governor Booth Gardner, a local astronaut, and Boeing President Phil Condit were among the inaugural speakers. The Breakfast remains a cornerstone event, and in 2024, our 40th Anniversary, we added a new tradition: our evening Gala.

In 2009, the Public Education Foundation became the Edmonds Public Schools Foundation to align with other school foundations across the state. A full brand refresh in 2015 gave us our current name: the Foundation for Edmonds School District. That same year, we launched the Nourishing Network to ensure students had reliable access to food during out of school times, and we merged with the Mountlake Terrace Educators Scholarship Association (MTESA), expanding scholarship opportunities for students in our district.

Since then, our work has continued to grow. In 2017, we launched Whole Families, Whole Communities (WFWC), an initiative designed to connect families to critical services through a coordinated network of community partners and school-based staff. That same year, we also created an endowment to ensure support for future generations. By 2022, we had introduced a scholarship consortium, piloted our On-the-Job Training program, and built new ways for community members to leave a lasting legacy for students.

Our board is composed of stakeholders from local businesses, individuals, and families who volunteer to raise money to enrich learning opportunities for all students in the Edmonds School District.

For more than 41 years, we have supported students, families, and schools by investing directly in classrooms and programs that make the greatest difference in learning and community well-being.