SchoolsRule Sonoma County

More than $136,000 for Enrichment Opportunities

Sonoma County has dozens of educational foundations or other organizations that raise money on behalf of students of a particular district or school. But every school or district has different levels of support from staff, volunteers, and the community. Some of Sonoma County’s smallest schools don’t have anyone raising money on their behalf.

To help support students in ALL Sonoma County schools, Superintendent Carter and SCOE launched SchoolsRule Sonoma County in November 2023. This fundraising effort distributes the money it raises countywide, on behalf of every student in the county. Any operating expenses are covered by SCOE, meaning that every dollar donated goes directly to schools.

In its first year, SchoolsRule Sonoma County distributed nearly $136,400 to local schools via educational foundations and districts. Although the funding is not earmarked for specific programs, schools are encouraged to spend it in general program areas that include literacy; student well-being; agriculture and hospitality; or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math).

The effort is modeled after SchoolsRule-Marin, which has raised more than $8 million on behalf of Marin County students since its inception in 2012.

Key business supporters include Redwood Credit Union, Exchange Bank, Sonoma Clean Power, The Press Democrat, Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente, and Friedman’s Home Improvement.

To learn more, visit.