SchoolPower and FUEL are not the same
FUEL — Families Unified for Education in Laguna
Author Iva Pawling
- Published:
- 2026-03-20
- Retrieved:
- 2026-05-13
Iva Pawling — both a SchoolPower trustee (seven years; 2023–24 president) and a FUEL Board member — distinguishing the two organizations' missions.
Key points
- Iva Pawling writes as both a SchoolPower trustee (seven years; 2023-2024 president) and a FUEL Board member.
- Reports SchoolPower (501(c)(3)) raises roughly $1 million annually for student programs — Educator Grants, science camps, the Athletics Fund, the Family Resource Center, and SPASE after-school enrichment serving nearly three-quarters of elementary students.
- Asserts SchoolPower 'does not direct the school district in any way' and has no authority over curriculum, staffing, academic decisions, or school-site operations.
- States that FUEL (a 501(c)(4) advocacy group) and SchoolPower are 'entirely separate' organizations, formed in different decades for different purposes.
- Frames overlapping volunteer pools as a function of Laguna Beach's size: 'the parents who dedicate time and energy to supporting our schools tend to be the same parents who step forward when they believe the district needs engagement or advocacy.'
Cited by 1 event
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SchoolPower exists for one reason — students. … FUEL formed in response to concerns many parents had after the new school board majority took office at the end of 2024. … But the two organizations are entirely separate. SchoolPower is a 501(c)(3), it does not engage in governance matters and simply receives periodic updates from school board representatives.
Iva Pawling, who has served on both SchoolPower's board and FUEL's, distinguishing the two organizations in a March 20, 2026 piece.