The Vashon Schools Foundation (VSF) recently presented the Vashon Island School District (VISD) Board of Directors with its annual donation, totaling $185,500.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to express my overwhelming gratitude to Vashon Schools Foundation for their steadfast support,” shared VISD Board Chair Juniper Rogneby. “The scale and scope of their partnership with the District is nothing short of extraordinary. Every dollar raised from our generous community is a vote of confidence in our students and staff.”

Donated funds from VSF touch nearly every student at VISD and play a critical role in helping offset the District’s ongoing financial constraints, driven by insufficient funding from the state of Washington.

In addition to funding programmatic offerings such as the Vashon Nature Center’s Scientists in Schools and the Vashon Center for the Arts Artists in Schools Program, for the first time this year VSF steered funding to direct classroom academic support for students. These investments include paraeducator math support at McMurray Middle, paraeducator reading support at Chautauqua Elementary, and funding for two dedicated homerooms to assist students at Vashon High School. VSF funding also helped launch a second family engagement coordinator position.

“Given the current school funding climate, we believe this is the right moment for the Vashon Schools Foundation to be intentional and proactive about supporting the essentials that make learning possible,” said VSF Treasurer India Alacorn. For the first time, we are expanding our funding to include direct academic support in core areas like reading and math, alongside the enrichment programming our community values. This decision reflects months of collaboration with District leadership, principals, and teachers to identify where additional support will make the greatest difference for students.”

As the costs of education and school operations continue to rise, the Vashon Schools Foundation remains deeply committed to supporting students and schools. For the 2025–26 school year, the Foundation is providing $185,500 to the District—a sustained investment that reflects the ongoing partnership and focus on student success.

Members of the VSF board and the VISD administration plan to meet throughout the spring to determine priorities for staffing support in the 2026–27 school year..

VSF will continue fundraising this year with the upcoming GiveBig campaign in May and Back-to-school events in September, leading up to the Foundation’s Gala and Auction in November. These initiatives highlight how the Foundation continues to support students, schools, and the island community year-round.