The Carlsbad Unified School District (CUSD) is ranked the fourth best school district in San Diego County. The Niche ranking, factored from U.S. Department of Education data, includes state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, teacher quality, reviews from students and parents, and more.

Our schools are a key part of what makes Carlsbad a great place to live – but great schools don’t just happen.

California ranks 41st in the nation in per-student funding. In San Diego County, CUSD is the lowest-funded unified district and receives 22% less in per-student funds than neighboring San Diego Unified (recent statistics from Ed-Data show CUSD receives $10,393 per student, compared to $13,259 per student in San Diego Unified).

In order to provide an exceptional education, the Carlsbad Educational Foundation (CEF) partners with the dedicated leadership of CUSD to bridge the gap where state funding falls short.

Last year, CEF invested more than $1 million in music, science and innovational education programs for every student, grades K-12.

What would Carlsbad public schools look like without CEF?

CEF’s district partnership pays for 100% of 2nd-grade robotics, K-8 Science Days, 5th-grade BizTown, 12th-grade Finance Park, middle and high school science lab assistants, and the salaries for every elementary school music teacher.

CEF also supports 25+ other enriching programs that truly make a difference for Carlsbad students and prepare them for their future.

Many CEF programs are part of STEAM education, an innovative learning approach where Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics develop a student’s critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving in subject areas that are relevant to today’s tech-driven world.

CEF is the only organization in Carlsbad raising private support for these programs that benefit all 11,000 students in the CUSD. Every dollar CEF earns from donors, supporters, and fundraising events benefits Carlsbad public school students.

To support our students or learn more, visit www.CarlsbadEd.org/donate/

This article appeared in the August 2019 Carlsbad Business Journal.