This funding will support the purchase of food for key programs for students and families facing food insecurity, including seven pop-up pantries across the district providing nutritious and culturally appropriate food, 6,000 meals for 300 students participating in their upcoming summer camps, and weekend meal kits that reach nearly 800 students during the school year. Click here to read the whole article.

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A $26,700 grant will help cover Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exam fees for students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. These exams are part of dual credit programs that allow students to earn college credit while still in high school, helping them prepare for college and save on tuition costs.

Until recently, the state helped subsidize these exam fees for students from lower-income households. With that funding no longer available, many families are now faced with new costs that could prevent students from taking the exams, even after successfully completing the rigorous coursework that prepares them. Click here to read the whole article.

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This cycle includes funding for the Foundation for Edmonds School District, Washington West Africa Center, Edmonds Waterfront Center, Cascadia Art Museum, and Teachers of Color Foundation, among others—organizations working to expand learning opportunities, celebrate cultural heritage, strengthen community spaces and support those who call the region home. Click here to read the whole article.

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This year, in an unprecedented and a staggering turn of events, the Foundation for Edmonds School District’s Nourishing Network is on track to serve up to 1,000 kids, all from food insecure families who rely upon free, or reduced priced, meals at public school as their primary source of nutrition. Click here to read the whole article.

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The Foundation for Edmonds School District said it reached its $222,000 fundraising goal to cover the costs of 1.2 full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching positions across six schools.

Orchestra at Alderwood Middle School, serving over 80 7th-grade string students. Jazz Band at Meadowdale, Alderwood, and Brier Terrace Middle Schools. Jazz Band 2 at Edmonds-Woodway and Mountlake Terrace High Schools. Click here to read the whole article.

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When the Congress passed the President’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” or what Rep. Larsen calls the “Big Ugly Law,” back in June, he opted to cut approximately $186 billion in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding through 2034. Roughly one million Washingtonians rely on SNAP benefits each month to purchase food. Click here to read the whole article.

The post Lynnwood Times: Ferguson and Larsen hear how SNAP cuts could worsen food insecurity in Washington state appeared first on Foundation ESD.

Music is a critical component of a good overall education. Historically, the Edmonds School District has had a very strong and highly recognized music program. That program is seriously endangered by recent decisions which are projected to remove beginning instrumental music programs from sixth grade, among other cuts. Those cuts would have the same long-term impact on student learning as would the elimination of first grade and trying to start a general education with second grade. A solid foundation is critical to the continuum of learning any subject matter.

Music is important to everyone; performing it is critical to many. We cannot let Edmonds’ outstanding music program be lost. Your support for the next school year is needed by making contributions through the Foundation for Edmonds School District’s drive (Save the Arts – Foundation ESD), and that is a very important action. Your long-term support is critical by working with the board and administration to educate them and gain their commitment to fund music equitably on a permanent basis. Donate now for the immediate future; advocate continually for a permanent solution. Click here to read the article on My Edmonds News.

Bruce Caldwell

Edmonds School District music educator (retired)

Washington Music Educators Association executive director (retired)

1. Julie SecristMarch 31, 2025 at 9:50 amHi Bruce/Mr. Caldwell-
   I was never a great flute player, but being part of your band had a profoundly positive impact in my life. For a teenager trying to find her place in the world, band was a place to belong. I had Big experiences in band- marching in Husky stadium, playing for football games, and even getting trapped by Mount St. Helen’s on the way back from marching in a parade. Life shaping, positive experiences beyond just music education which has value in itself.Reply
   1. Bruce CaldwellMarch 31, 2025 at 12:07 pmThank you, Julie. I’m so glad you felt like you belonged, because you did. Enjoy the memories.Reply
   Barb Goodfellow ChildsMarch 31, 2025 at 11:05 amI would like to echo Julie’s comment. Also a mediocre flute/piccolo player a couple years ahead of her, I too found community among my fellow band mates. Music, as a subject, has great value to all students. That goes without saying. Another huge benefit is that, by virtue of need for collaboration, music classes, as well as visual and other performing arts classes create safe community for students. Like sports, these classes allow students of different interests to connect with each other, something sorely lacking in today’s school environments. The proof of their importance beyond curriculum in building community can be seen at any reunion where bandmates, singers, theater kids, sports teammates all gravitate towards each other and reminisce about their experiences. You never see huddles of algebra or English class alum chatting, though all the band, orchestra etc students took those classes, too. Where all curriculum is important for a well-rounded education, music benefits students and the community far beyond learning what a treble clef and a scale is. Our students, our future community, deserve better and it is our responsibility to see they get these important school experiences. (WHS 1979 Band alum, former ESD Community Arts Program Coordinator before funding cuts of 2023)Reply
   1. Bruce CaldwellMarch 31, 2025 at 5:05 pmThank you for your clarity about the value of the arts, Barb. ALso, thanks for your years in the WHS Band.Reply
   Vivian OlsonApril 1, 2025 at 2:01 amThank you to Deb Brandi and the Board of the Edmonds School District Foundation for always stepping up to whatever the needs are for our community’s kids. Over the years I have developed a deep and growing respect for this organization and their good work. And thank you to the community for your support. It made a big impact last year and saved the music programming. Together we will do it again.

The post My Edmonds News: Fundraising drive to save music in Edmonds School District appeared first on Foundation ESD.

Dr. Steve Woodard, Board President of the Foundation for Edmonds School District, speaking at its A Recipe for Success! breakfast fundraiser on February 28, 2025. Lynnwood Times | Mario Lotmore.

The Foundation for Edmonds School District raised $288,000 of their $330,000 goal during its annual A Recipe for Success! breakfast fundraiser on February 28, 2025. The event drew more than 300 local civic and business leaders, district staff, and community supporters to the Embassy Suites in Lynnwood.

Funds raised by the event will be used to provide a wide range of programs, including post-secondary scholarships, classroom and schoolwide grants for innovative teaching ideas, school supplies, and test fees. Importantly, funds will provide financial and nutritional support to children and families who are facing financial instability, persistent poverty, and homelessness. Click here to read the article on Lynnwood Times.

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Videography interns at work in 2024. (File photo)

The Foundation for Edmonds School District has been awarded a $32,000 grant from foundry10 to provide postsecondary scholarships for 16 students who complete the foundation’s On-the-Job Training program. This funding will help high school students in the Edmonds School District continue their education and pursue their career goals after graduation.

Foundry10 is an education research organization with a philanthropic focus on expanding ideas about learning and creating direct value for youth. Career-connected learning and life skills is a primary interest area of foundry10’s work, which blends research, education programs and philanthropy to help young people find their purpose and prepare them to thrive in their adult lives. Click here to read the article on My Edmonds News.

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Lynndale Elementary Principal Jimmy Vinh Xuan Nguyen holds a check from the Foundation of Edmonds School District with Office Manager Diane Grossenbacher. (Photo courtesy Foundation for Edmonds School District)

The Foundation for Edmonds School District announced it awarded $33,000 in grants to schools across the Edmonds School District. The funds were raised during the foundation’s 16th annual Monster Mad Dash 5K, uniting more than 1,300 participants and 38 teams — including students, teachers, families and community members — in a shared effort to support essential educational programs.

The event highlighted the spirit and collective generosity of the South Snohomish community, the organization said in a news release. As the school with the most participants, Lynndale Elementary was awarded $13,736. Sherwood Elementary followed with the second largest team, receiving $7,239. Hazelwood Elementary secured third place with a grant of $2,766. Each school will use the funds to create opportunities that support their students’ growth and success. Click here to read the article on My Edmonds News.

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