Chatham Education Foundation

10/16/2026

📚❤️ Breakfast, books, and one amazing volunteer!

Meet Marcelle Ross, the retired educator who helped bring Chatham Reads' pilot Breakfast Book Club to life at Moncure School. ☀️ Discover how she's helping young readers start their days with stories, smiles, and a little extra inspiration!

👉 https://www.chathameducationfoundation.org/news/marcelle-ross

10/14/2026

Two Authors. Four Schools. A Week Full of Stories.

Thanks to a partnership between CEF and McIntyre's Books, award-winning authors Pedro Martín and Derrick Barnes recently visited four Chatham County schools, sharing stories, laughter, and a little behind-the-scenes magic of bringing books to life.

And the best part? Thanks to generous community support, nearly 200 books made their way into students' hands! 📖

From discovering themselves in stories to realizing they have stories of their own to tell, students had plenty to say about these special visits!

👉 Read the story, see the photos, and hear what students had to say: https://www.chathameducationfoundation.org/news/author-visits

10/14/2026

❎ CEF se opone a la Enmienda sobre el Límite de Recaudación del Impuesto a la Propiedad.

Este mes de noviembre, los votantes de Carolina del Norte considerarán una enmienda constitucional que exige a la legislatura estatal establecer límites a los aumentos de los impuestos locales a la propiedad.

¿Que hay detrás de esto? Los votantes no sabrán cuáles serán esos límites antes de emitir su voto.

¿Por qué es importante esto para las Escuelas del Condado de Chatham? Los fondos locales financian cientos de empleados del sistema escolar:

🏫 375 puestos escolares se financian con dinero de fondos locales.

🍎 159 son puestos para maestros, incluyendo áreas como lectura, arte, música, STEM, idiomas de otros lados del mundo, salud, educación física, teatro y más.

♥ Los fondos locales también financian a consejeros, bibliotecarios, asistentes de maestros, personal de tecnología, empleados de mantenimiento y otros que atienden a nuestros estudiantes.

Les animamos a votar en contra de la enmienda debido a la preocupación sobre cómo los límites a la flexibilidad de los fondos locales podrían afectar a nuestras escuelas a medida que el condado crece y las necesidades cambian.

📖 Para saber más sobre lo que esta enmienda podría significar para las Escuelas del Condado de Chatham: https://www.chathameducationfoundation.org/news/tax-amendment

10/14/2026

Thank you to Mount Carmel Baptist Church!!

If you want to help us reach our goal of 925 books donated in honor of Dolly, let us know!

The Preschool of the Warm Heart is collecting books for Chatham Reads! Let's help them out, MCBC!
Book drop off bin in Fellowship Hall.

10/12/2026

❌ CEF opposes the Property Tax Levy Limit Amendment.

This November, North Carolina voters will consider a constitutional amendment requiring the state legislature to establish limits on local property tax increases.
The catch? Voters won't know what those limits will be before casting their ballots.

Why does this matter for Chatham County Schools? Local funding supports hundreds of school employees:

🏫 375 school positions are funded with local dollars.
🍎 159 are teaching positions, including reading, art, music, STEM, world languages, health, PE, theater and more.
❤️ Local funding also supports counselors, librarians, teacher assistants, technology staff, maintenance employees and others who serve our students.

We encourage you to vote against the amendment because of concerns about how limits on local funding flexibility could affect our schools as our county grows and needs change.

📖 Learn more about what this amendment could mean for Chatham County Schools: https://www.chathameducationfoundation.org/news/tax-amendment

10/10/2026

Need a pick-me-up on this rainy day? How about a sweet treat at Jeremiah's Italian Ice of Pittsboro. 😋

It's the second Saturday of the month, which means 20% of your order will be donated to Chatham Education Foundation! Just mention CEF at the register.

🍧 Treat yourself.
📚 Support Chatham students.
💙 Feel good about both!

📍 Jeremiah's Italian Ice | 65 Ramseur Rd., Pittsboro

10/09/2026

💃🪩 Let's Dance for a Great Cause! 🕺🎶

We're excited to be the beneficiary of the Duke Center for Living at Fearrington's 2026 Dance-A-Thon this Saturday!

Grab your dancing shoes, bring a friend, and get ready to move and groove—all while supporting Chatham County students!

📅 Saturday, October 10
⏰ 9–11 a.m.
📍 Galloway Ridge Chapin Auditorium, Pittsboro
💙 $10 entry fee benefits CEF!*

A HUGE thank-you to the Duke Center for Living at Fearrington for hosting this fun event and to everyone who is dancing, donating, and supporting CEF. We're grateful to have a community that knows how to have fun while making a difference! 💙

*See the poster for registration details.

10/07/2026

🛍️ Did you know you don’t have to have a child in Chatham County Schools to earn money for a school through the Chatham PTA Thrift Shop?

Anyone can volunteer and designate their hours to the CCS school of their choice. And those hours add up! This year, the Thrift Shop distributed nearly $500,000 to school PTAs. 💙

See how our community turns volunteer hours and thrift-store finds into support for students:
https://www.chathameducationfoundation.org/news/thrift-shop

10/06/2026

Two author visits. Four schools. One unforgettable week. 📚✨

This September, students at Virginia Cross Elementary School, Siler City Elementary School, JS Waters School, and Bonlee School had the incredible opportunity to meet award-winning authors Pedro Martin Art and Design and Derrick Barnes.

Pedro shared stories from his childhood as well as his journey as the creator of Mexikid and Mexikid Dreams, giving students a glimpse into how writers draw on their own experiences.

Derrick Barnes inspired students with his love of reading, writing, and fascinating football stories while introducing his newest Who Got Game? book, Football.

Nearly 200 copies of these authors' books are now in students' hands, thanks to the generosity of McIntyre's Books, Intrepid Build, and our community. We are so grateful. 💙

📽️ Take a look at some of the moments that made these visits so special!

Chatham County Schools

10/02/2026

4️⃣ author visits in the first 6️⃣ weeks of the school year! Made possible by our Chatham Reads team, the ever inspiring McIntyre's Books, and the support of our wonderful community!! Thank you all!! 💖