Dear MVSD Parents and Community:

We are pleased to announce that the Kiddo! Board of Directors has agreed to increase our financial commitment to MVSD to support critical gaps in K-8 education as well as the possible reinstatement of Mill Valley’s TK program for the 2025-2026 school year. This decision was made after thoughtful consideration in light of the current budget crisis and with the imminent needs of our students top of mind. It is very important to note that this DOES NOT change our commitment to funding arts education across MVSD for the current or future school years. 

This additional funding will be provided from Kiddo! Reserves. The Kiddo! Reserves are separate financial accounts funded by event revenues and interest income. The Kiddo! Reserve Policy sets guidelines for appropriate balance requirements to support our annual operating budget in case of crisis or fundraising shortfalls; reserve balances in excess of this amount are intended to be spent at the Kiddo! Board’s discretion as opportunities arise. The Board has determined that the current needs of the District warrant accessing these funds at this time. Kiddo! is in a healthy financial position with respect to all operating budgets, investment accounts, and fiscal management. No funding for this additional commitment will come from the 2024-2025 Annual Campaign.

The Kiddo! Board will work closely with MVSD to finalize funding details, with the following preliminary commitments:

• $1.5M over three years ($500,000 annually) to support wellness/counseling, STEAM, differentiated learning/academic support, or other areas, as deemed most appropriate, beginning in 2025-2026. We will continue our ongoing discussions with MVSD on this funding to ensure that the funds are closest to the classroom and impact the largest number of students possible. The well-being of our students and teachers is a top priority in all that we do.   
• Up to $500,000 to support TK reinstatement. We are hopeful regarding permanent solutions to fund Mill Valley’s top tier TK program going forward and value early widely accessible education for our youngest community members. We admire the work to date of the parents leading Early Education Marin/Save TK in Mill Valley and their mission to continue the TK program that MVSD has developed. Our one-time funding is intended to help bridge to a longer-term solution in the community.

Kiddo! is a fully separate and independent entity from MVSD that funds arts education and key programs. We value our close partnership with District Leadership and will continue to work in tandem to allocate this funding and identify opportunities for financial support. 

We also are very grateful for the support of our community and look forward to your continued engagement. Please reach out to info@kiddo.org with questions.

Warmly,

Liz Moriarty, Chair, Kiddo! Board of Directors

Jessica Newman, Executive Director, Kiddo!