Just a few months into its existence, Blaine Public Schools Foundation, a nonprofit committed to filling the gaps in local school funding, is raising money for amenities it believes the Blaine school district needs.
Traci Bowe founded Blaine Public Schools Foundation after attending the Blaine Primary School Family Science Night in February. The small business owner, Blaine resident and mother of three was inspired by the dedication she saw from not only the teachers, high school students and volunteers, but from the school district’s tiniest, wide-eyed, students.
Bowe’s twin daughters are entering the third grade this fall. For three years, Bowe’s daughters have attended Blaine Primary School, and for each of those years the district has passed gut-wrenching budget cuts that have done away with staff members, school programs and extracurriculars.
After seeing the desire for more educational opportunities on the faces of those kids at the Family Science Night, Bowe knew she needed to start organizing.
“Seeing that support, seeing everyone come together, I knew there was so much good here,” Bowe said. “There’s all of these teachers who have given their time. There’s all of these families who have taken their time to bring their kids. I went home and started writing.”
That writing ended up as a letter to the editor to The Northern Light in March urging the community to write to the state legislature and demand proper school funding. Months later, and with little additional funding promised from the state, Bowe has now assembled a crack team of Blaine school district all-star educators to help the foundation.
Terre Shapiro, the immensely popular elementary school teacher who worked in the district for nearly 40 years before celebrating her retirement this spring, joined the group. So did Becky Martin, who works for the district’s HomeConnection department, and Lindsey Freeman, science teacher at Blaine Elementary School.
With the team assembled, the foundation has raised nearly $1,500 to replace aging basketball hoops at the elementary school, facilitated a trial “recess club” featuring art projects, and is working to help save fifth grade field trips to North Cascades Institute’s Mountain School.
“There are all these budget cuts. It’s heartbreaking to see how the budget cuts are affecting the teachers,” Bowe said. “I don’t think the students necessarily feel it because they’re being protected by the teachers and families, but we know. We know that the effects are there.”
Those effects range from not having full-time librarians, to shutting down all C-team high school sports, to losing dozens of teachers, paraeducators, bus drivers, administrators and more.
“I think as a community we can do something,” Bowe said. “We can change the energy level. We can change the narrative and make this a positive thing where we’re a community that is rising to the challenge.”
The foundation is joining the growing ranks of local citizen-led organizations focused on finding more funding for the financially floundering school district impacted by local, state and federal cuts.
The parent-led Fund Schools Now! popped up last winter to lobby state legislators for more K-12 funding in the most recent biennial budget. Peace Arch Education Foundation, founded by former school board member Charles Gibson, also continues to raise money for teachers.
The foundation is working toward an online auction in October to directly support teachers, and it is looking for sponsors of all levels, as well as in-kind donations. Bowe said the organization has filed for its official 501(c)(3) status and will likely receive the status by early 2026. At that time, the foundation’s tax-deductible status will be considered retroactive to April 30, the foundation’s incorporation date. The foundation will then send tax deductible donation receipts for tax filings records.
For more information, contact info@blaineschoolsfoundation.org or visit blaineschoolsfoundation.org.
