Strawberry families help raise $1.5 mil to save TK programs

Strawberry families joined parents across the Mill Valley School District to raise more than $1.5 million, rescuing the district’s transitional kindergarten program from elimination and securing its continuation next school year.

The district board voted unanimously March 25 to maintain the program, committing an additional $700,000 from budget cuts elsewhere to fully fund the $2.2 million needed. The program will serve 220 students in 12 classes across district elementary schools, including Strawberry Point.

Parents mobilized after the board’s January decision to cut TK for the 2025-2026 school year. Within weeks, they formed a nonprofit, secured major donations and rallied community support to preserve the early education program that had operated for three consecutive years.

“I was blown away,” said Kasey Ley, a Strawberry parent involved in Early Education Marin, the nonprofit created to fundraise for TK. “I felt so proud to be part of this community.”

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