FAQs

With the ever-increasing state tax dollar recapture program (know as “Robin Hood”), nearly 64% of our property tax revenues never make it to the classrooms. In fact, in 2021 a total of $102,556,577 was redirected to the state’s general fund to help fund less-wealthy districts and charter schools, leaving us with a significant funding gap to fill every year. Unwilling to compromise the best-in-class education we have always provided, EEF was created to ensure an exceptional education for all EISD students, now and for future generations. By funding vital teacher and staff positions, EEF bridges the gap that would exist without these teachers. Funding teachers gives more personal attention, more advanced courses, more electives and more support staff for every student in EISD. In 2020-21, Niche ranked EISD as the #1 best school district in the State of Texas, and EISD ranked #11 of all school districts in the nation.

We like to describe our focus as “EEF pays for ‘staff’ and Booster Clubs pay for ‘stuff’. Both are needed and both are very important. The foundation is focused on raising money for EISD to fund teachers, educators and support staff across all of the schools in the district. We compliment the outstanding work done by the individual school booster clubs, which focus on raising money for materials, improvements, equipment, staff appreciation and student activities on the individual campus.

Stronger schools mean a stronger community. The quality of schools is a critical factor in neighborhood choice for homebuyers and business owners. The success of our schools directly impacts property tax values and translates into strong economic vitality of the community and quality of life for residents and businesses.

EEF is the only organization that can fund additional teaching and staff positions for our district. The Teacher Fund is our fall fundraising campaign. It supports and highlights the teachers, educators and functions that EEF funds support across all 10 campuses, including Adult Transition Services (ATS). In particular, we focus on positions that are not required or supported by the State of Texas (TEA) and are considered extras or luxuries. We believe that these positions are essential to helping create an education that we all want for our children and that our children deserve. We fund a teacher for every $55,000 that we raise during the year.

EEF’s goal is to provide and sustain district-wide opportunities for educational excellence within Eanes ISD. Fundraising dollars are distributed fairly across district campuses based upon student enrollment, whereupon campus administrators determine the roles which will best meet the unique needs of their individual campuses and students.

• Nurses
• Librarians
• Counselors
• Dyslexia Specialists
• Gifted + Talented Programs
• Intervention Specialists
• Art
• P.E.
• Music
• Campus Technology Coordinators
• Compact Math
• Advanced Math
• Smaller Class Sizes
• Learning Labs
• Sports Programs
• Advanced Language Arts
• Foreign Languages
• Fine Arts
• Band
• Choir
• Orchestra
• Electives
• Drama
• Journalism
• AP + Pre-AP Classes
• Calculus
• Statistics
• Biology II
• Chemistry II
• Technology
• Debate
• Creative Writing

No, EEF is not involved in policy or decision making of Eanes ISD or the EISD School Board. EEF’s mission is to fund teachers and to bridge the gap between an adequate education and an excellent education.

The largest portion of EEF’s grant each year funds teacher and staff positions. Your generous donations have funded over 521 teacher positions and raised over $25 Million since 2004, including 47 positions that are currently funded by EEF for the 2021-2022 school year.

We welcome your involvement in the foundation’s mission of funding teachers in a variety of ways: volunteering and donating to the Teacher Fund annual campaign, attending our annual Gala or volunteer on the Gala committee, volunteering for one of the special community events or house parties, join the Westlake Alumni Association, support our corporate sponsors, donate items to the Gala auction, delivering yard signs.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our Volunteer Program Manager, Alison Bogle at (512)732-9065 or via email at abogle@eanesisd.net

EEF is a good steward of donors’ monies.  In order to remain transparent, EEF Board requested that this be shown on all EISD budgets.  With this said, EEF has a special line designation on the budget (line item 5744) and the asterisk associated with it notes that all “EEF donations are designated for the sole purpose of supporting teacher salaries on all 9 campuses including positions not required by the State of Texas.”

All teacher salaries are paid out of the General Fund—as seen in Expenditure by Function: 11 Instruction and Column: 6100 Salaries (page 4-EISD Budget for 2021-2022).  All EEF donations go into the General Fund under line item: 5744 – EEF Donations*.  The asterisk explains that “EEF donations are designated for the sole purpose of supporting teacher salaries on all 9 campuses including positions not required by the State of Texas.” (page 5-EISD Budget for 2021-2022)

All funds/donations to the district are accepted through the General Fund.  They are specifically earmarked and spent as designated.  Other examples of earmarked donations include WHS PTO Courtyard beautification project and WRMS Weight Room renovation.