BCE Foundation marks 45 years with $3.21M school grant

Burlingame families heading back to school on Wednesday, Aug. 19, have a free keepsake to kick off the year: a printable "First Day of School Board" created by the BCE Foundation's New Families team.

Children fill in fun facts about themselves, then hold up the completed board for a first-day photo. The board is double-sided, with one side for the first day and another for the last day of school. Families can compare the two at year's end.

The board is free to download.

BCE volunteers handed out printed copies at elementary school summer playdates in August. Families who missed those can grab PDFs from bcefoundation.org. The foundation is asking parents to snap a photo of their child with the completed board and share it on Instagram by tagging @BCEFoundation and using the hashtag #BCEFirstDay.

BCE Co-President Pooja Shah called the new school year "especially meaningful" in an Aug. 11 post, noting the foundation is welcoming new families and celebrating 45 years of supporting Burlingame schools. Incoming McKinley Elementary third-grader Ahren Shah said he's excited to compare answers with friends.

The activity arrives as the foundation hits a major milestone. BCE was founded in 1981 by a group of Burlingame parents who saw state funding shrinking after Proposition 13 and decided to fill the gap themselves. Since then, the organization has raised $42.6 million for Burlingame public schools.

That 45-year run produced its biggest result yet this summer. As we reported July 23, BCE awarded a record $3.21 million grant to the Burlingame School District for the 2026-27 school year. The money funds roughly 20 teaching positions and programs in music, performing arts, physical education, world languages and academic intervention across all seven district schools.

Co-founder Ron Burks, who helped launch BCE in 1981, reflected on the foundation's staying power in a July 20 post marking the anniversary. "Forty-five years ago, I thought it'd be here 45 years later if we could get local people involved, because they'll see the value," Burks said. "Local, local, local is the key."

The foundation's 2026-27 Annual Campaign is underway, and BCE has set a goal of growing its Endowment Fund from $3.2 million to $5 million by the end of 2027.

Coming up