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Anonymous Donor Funds $250 Gift Cards for Every SFUSD Educator

The district’s foundation will email digital cards, testing staff caution about unfamiliar links.

Overview

  • Spark SF Public Schools said this week that an anonymous San Francisco tech worker gave $1.6 million to send $250 to about 6,000 teachers and paraeducators.
  • Each educator will get a digital gift card by work email, and officials are urging staff to click the redemption link despite phishing fears.
  • Spark said planning began in November and that email delivery beat mailing thousands of checks or plastic cards.
  • The teachers’ union thanked the donor, and educators called the money a timely help with everyday costs in an expensive city.
  • The gift follows February’s strike and pay deal, and Spark’s leader said the move could encourage more local support for public schools.