Why OIEF?
We believe that great school districts make for great communities. Orcas is a wonderful but small community and, as such, the funding from our tax dollars sometimes falls short of the needs.
The WA state constitution says: “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex.”
In 2012, the State Supreme Count in the McCleary decision ruled that: …”the state legislature has failed to fulfill its paramount duty to “make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders…”
Public Education is under-funded in Washington State. For over 30 years, the Orcas Island Education Foundation (OIEF) has been providing support to our public schools to make up for the failure of our state legislature.
We hope you will partner with us to make a difference in our schools
SOME OF WHAT WE DO
The video below shows some of the ways your donation made a difference in the 2015-16 school year:
All those students have noticed a difference in their school day because of donors to OIEF.
But we need YOUR help to continue to make available educational opportunities that enhance the lives of the children of our community.