To assist you in your giving decisions, the following are descriptions of the three 501(c)(3) fund-raising organizations  where 100% of funds received directly support CDM students. We encourage families to contribute to all three groups with the goal of supporting CDM so that all students are provided with a superior public education including strong academics, arts and music and athletics.

The PTA welcomes the membership and participation of all CDM families. It holds monthly meetings featuring reports by both High School and Middle School principals as well as school related speakers. The PTA’s only fundraiser is a Fall Home Tour which raises about $100,000 a year.  PTA organizes and funds programs to enhance the day to day life of CDM students including the “all call” announcement system, Naviance counseling software, library programs, teacher training and enrichment, the Middle School Holiday Program for the Veteran’s Hospital, Sea King Pride awards, Academic Letter and Middle School Awards and senior scholarships awarded at graduation.

The School Boosters support Academics, Arts, Activities and Athletics (4 A’s). The School Boosters typically raise between $65,000 to $80,000 per year through parent donations. Under the bylaws, the maximum funding request that may be funded may not exceed $5,000. The percentage of funds distributed to each of the 4A’s varies from year to year depending on requests submitted to the board and the amount of designated funds. All of the approved funding requests are intended to respond to the immediate needs of the teachers and staff allowing them to achieve the goals of their curriculum and focus on the students. The typical items funded by School Boosters include everything from basic supplies, such as chairs, sheet music, video cameras, white boards and sports equipment to special assemblies, field trips, and teacher training. The School Boosters is in direct communication with the CDM Foundation and PTA so that all the needs of the school are addressed in a timely and responsible fashion.

The CDM Foundation raises significant capital (between $600,000 and $900,000 per year) to fund academic/counseling resources and capital improvements. Given the impacts of the economy on the school district funding for the coming school year, the Foundation will be focusing its funding to maintain its annual staffing commitments to counseling, as well as continued funding of  the  college counselor, computer lab support and staff support (for programs such as after school tutoring). In total, The CdM Foundation funds 5 FTE positions. The Foundation also develops and provides to all students the College Planning Guide, which is updated annually.  More recently, The Foundation has renovated the quad, athletic fields and the gym foyer/trophy case. The goal of the Foundation is to provide not only a physical environment that is conducive to education but the support needed for academic/ counseling programs that provide each student with an exceptional education and places CDM among the top-tier of public and private schools.