Education Foundation reports $2.07 million impact, highlights new facility and volunteer surge

The Education Foundation of Palm Beach County told the school board on Oct. 7 that it delivered $2,070,441.87 in programmatic and material support to district schools during the fiscal year that began July 1, 2024, and ended June 30, 2025.

James Gavrilos, speaking for the Education Foundation, said the total reflected funds and Red Apple Supplies distributed across the district. “We are here to present the impact report for the previous academic year, the year that began 07/01/2024, concluding on 06/30/2025,” Gavrilos said. He noted a decline from the prior year that the foundation attributes to the end of a federal contract and a temporary closure of Red Apple Supplies during a move to the new facility.

The foundation described a number of specific initiatives. Leaders said the new 32,000-square-foot facility includes a Red Apple showroom, a free teacher resource store and multipurpose rooms that district departments have begun reserving; as of the presentation the foundation reported 92 district reservations through the end of next fiscal year and expected that number to reach 95. The foundation also reported having distributed nearly $8.6 million in school supplies since Red Apple opened and more than 27,000 backpacks to 44 schools in the 2024 school year; the foundation said the count had exceeded 84,000 students served since 2019.

Foundation staff described other programmatic work, including Go Teach classroom grants, which they said supported more than 25,000 students last year and led to reported learning gains for 85 percent of the students who participated. The foundation said roughly $1.6 million of its reported impact came through a state/district matching grant program, supplemented by local business and philanthropic partners.

Board members asked questions about coordination with county services and community groups. Vice Chair Marsha Andrews and Board Member Virginia Savallero pressed the foundation to coordinate backpack distributions to avoid duplication and to work with programs that provide clothing and other basic needs; foundation leaders said they had invited education charities to an October meeting to map services and reduce overlap. The foundation also described working with the county Office of Community Revitalization to offer storage and to plan distribution logistics for large events.

Board members praised the foundation’s volunteer base and fundraising. Foundation leaders said the volunteer program contributed an estimated 8,400 hours to Red Apple Supplies, a value they calculated at roughly $277,000. Gavrilos and foundation staff asked the board to consider statewide recognition and to continue partnership on programs that link business and philanthropic resources to district priorities.

The board did not take a formal vote on the presentation; the report was a workshop item and foundation staff said they would follow up with additional coordination details and a scheduled convening of local education charities.