SchoolRule Sonoma County distributes more than $242,400 to Public Schools Countywide

SchoolsRule Sonoma County, a fundraising project of the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE), distributed nearly $242,423 to public school districts and education foundations throughout the region during an event held Monday, Sept. 14, at SCOE.

“This funding is going to expand access to educational opportunities and resources for every student here in Sonoma County,” said Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter, who launched SchoolsRule Sonoma County in 2023. “If you follow us on social media, you’ll see a heartwarming, wonderful story about the impact of SchoolsRule dollars here in Sonoma County schools.”

Funds raised for SchoolsRule are allocated to school sites and classrooms by the fund recipients. Education foundations and districts target funding along the following program areas: literacy; student well-being; agriculture and hospitality; and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math). 

At Monday’s event, recipients shared details on projects funded by SchoolsRule donations, from field trips to beehives, campus beautification projects that support student wellness, and school gardens that benefit science classes as well as culinary programs. The event featured a student performance from CCLA’s mariachi program, which used SchoolsRule funding to purchase a guitarrón last year, as well as cookies prepared by a culinary class at Brook Haven Middle School in Sebastopol, another recipient of funds from the initiative.

Malinda Robbins, secretary from the Geyserville Educational Foundation, shared that SchoolsRule funds helped support a trip for 11th graders to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, where they got a behind-the-scenes look at a production. While they were there, students stayed in the dorms.

“The awesomest thing was when a student came back last year and said, ‘I wasn’t planning to go to college, but now I am, and I want to go there,’” she said.

Mishel Kaufman, executive vice president/chief administrative & risk officer for Redwood Credit Union, shared why the credit union is committed to supporting SchoolsRule.

“Teachers and schools can’t do this alone, so this really is a community effort to give our children more of a chance to thrive,” Kaufman said. “These are purposeful investments, and these are the seeds we plant today for opportunities of tomorrow. … We know that when students have the resources and support they need, they’re better positioned to reach their full potential and to thrive.”

Visit the SchoolsRule Sonoma County Impact page to see a list of recipients. The site includes a map detailing how SchoolsRule Sonoma County recipients supported local students last school year. To see the businesses, organizations, and individuals who are sponsors of SchoolsRule Sonoma County, visit the SchoolsRule Sonoma County Sponsors page.