Frequently Asked Questions:

What is LAEF?
The Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF) was formed in 1982 in response to the drastic cutbacks in state funding. Comprised of parent volunteers, the LAEF board has 3 voting members from each school in the Los Altos School District: Almond, Blach, Covington, Gardner Bullis, Egan, Loyola, Oak,Santa Rita, and Springer.

I can not afford the suggested donation per student. What should I do?

We would like for you to contribute what is comfortable for you. Every donation, however small, makes a difference. LAEF is not endowed by a few wealthy donors, it is the thousands of individual donations that collectively add up to the grand total raised each year. We strive for 100% participation. Please give generously! Your donation is tax-deductible.

Public school is supposed to be free. Why do I have to pay?
State funding barely covers rising expenses and mandated programs. Without any LAEF funding, programs in library, music, PE & junior high electives would not be possible and class sizes would be larger. Each year we evaluate how much we need to bridge the gap between state funding and maintaining the programs that the children need to succeed.

How do I make a donation?

Click here to make a donation now.
You can pay by check - leave it in the LAEF box in your school office or mail to:
P.O. Box 98, Los Altos, CA 94023
To make a stock donation, please contact our office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 650.559.0445

How is the money spent?

Your tax-deductible donation benefits every child in every school during the current school year! The needs of each school are taken into account along with feed back from the principals, the LAEF parent survey and program costs. The volunteer parent representatives from each school work with the school district to determine how the funds are allocated each year.

Why are both the PTAs and LAEF raising money for the schools?

The PTAs raise money for school-specific expenses such as buying teaching supplies, playground equipment, computers, etc. LAEF raises money to fund staff for district-wide programs like library, music, P.E., junior high electives and class size.