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Edina Education Fund reports $384,511 raised; emphasizes literacy, mental health and STEAM support
Summary
Edina Education Fund executive director presented the fund’s 2024–25 results and 2025–26 fundraising goals, highlighting $384,511 raised last year with major allocations to literacy, mental health and scholarships.
The Edina Education Fund reported raising $384,511 in the past fiscal year and outlined priorities for 2025–26, including continued investment in literacy (science of reading), expanded social‑emotional learning funding and a sizeable mental‑health program for students and staff, Executive Director Kathy Rendelman told the Edina Public Schools Board on Oct. 13.
"This past year, we pried over 384,511," Rendelman said, describing how the fund allocates donations to district programs. She said the largest portion went to literacy work tied to the district’s science of reading efforts. Rendelman said about $195,000 supported literacy in the year without a large federal grant and that the fund tracks spending to the student level where possible.
Rendelman described other allocations and forthcoming goals: approximately $43,000 supported mental health and wellness last year (about $30,000 to students and just over $13,000 to staff), roughly $65,000 funded senior scholarships, and this year the fund set targets of $108,000 for literacy, $67,500 for STEAM (science/technology/engineering/arts/math) and $171,000 for mental health, which includes $30,000 for staff mental health and $80,000 in benevolence funding for individual students. "That allows them 12 sessions with a therapist...works out to be about 3 months of therapy," Rendelman said of the student benevolence allocation.
Rendelman reviewed services the fund provides beyond direct grants, including fiscal sponsorship of many student activities and clubs, hosting alumni services and partnering with parent organizations. She also described a tutor center launched at Valley View and plans to expand tutoring to South View.
Board members thanked the fund for enabling programs beyond the district budget. A board liaison reiterated the fund's central role since 1995 and urged sustained community support.
Rendelman asked the community to consider routine contributions; she said even modest monthly gifts help sustain services the fund provides to the district.
