Cuyama Elementary School in Cuyama, California on DonorsChoose

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It was such a joy to walk in on that first school day of 2026 - the library was so bright and cheery.\r\nAnd then the students discovered it.\r\nThe first was a middle schooler who wandered in during class to get a new book. \"Whoah, what?\" The grin was wide and real. He tested a bean bag and checked out a book. Two minutes later, another pair of students, then another, then another. Then, recess. Word must have spread, now it was the 5th and 6th grade girls. They arranged the bean bags in a circle, and for the next month wandered in for conference during breaks. Middle schoolers claimed the sofa and would curl up with blankets solving the worlds problems.\r\nI had been hesitant to order the big white carpet. But I loved the texture and I justified it with the thought we could teach the students how to interact with nice things. And it worked! The students came up with rules (sock feet only, no food or drink, etc.) and have held themselves to it. It has been 3 months and I've only washed the carpets once.\r\nBest of is the effect on younger grades. The reading area is their special place - after checking out books they find a spot and curl up to read. And, when we do storytime they love rolling on the floor, making snow angels in the bigger carpet and finger drawing hearts or writing their name in the shorter pile of the alphabet one.\r\nThe older students use it as a safe space during recess: I have watched friendships grow, support during breakups, even a dog pile of middle school boys focused on their reading. Our library is no longer a warehouse for books. It is now a destination!\r\nAll of this made possible with your kind donation.\r\nI cannot thank you enough,","fullyFundedDate":1763841596497,"projectUrl":"project/comfy-cozy-library-spaces/9901678/","projectTitle":"Comfy Cozy Library Spaces","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Brunelle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10353126"},{"teacherId":3753525,"projectId":9286320,"letterContent":"On behalf of our TK/K students and staff, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your generous support of Cooking Up Imaginations: An Outdoor Kitchen for Young Learners. Thanks to your contribution, our outdoor mud kitchen has become a vibrant space where children's creativity and imaginations come alive. From the moment the new play area was unveiled, the students' excitement was contagious — they ran eagerly to explore the kitchen, marveling at the working sink, the assortment of dishes, and all the possibilities for imaginative play.\r\n\r\nThe mud kitchen has quickly become a favorite part of our outdoor classroom. Students are not only \"cooking\" meals and creating restaurants but also weaving in their trikes to extend the play into adventures to the store or family outings with their dolls and stuffed animals. It has been incredible to watch them engage in such rich, open-ended play that encourages social interaction, problem-solving, and creativity.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has truly enriched our learning environment, providing opportunities for joyful exploration that will leave lasting memories. Thank you for believing in the power of play and for helping us give our students this wonderful gift.","fullyFundedDate":1746463359434,"projectUrl":"project/cooking-up-imaginations-an-outdoor-kitc/9286320/","projectTitle":"Cooking Up Imaginations: An Outdoor Kitchen for Young Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Furstenfeld","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3753525_orig.jpg?crop=716,717,x0,y62&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708642457326","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3753525"},{"teacherId":10037127,"projectId":9360633,"letterContent":"Our new equipment cart has arrived fully loaded down with new basketballs, soccer balls, soccer goal nets, footballs, playground balls, jump ropes and hula hoops!! The kids are so excited to use it for recess and PE. Our school cannot thank you enough for the generosity you showed us by donating to this project! This equipment cart and contents will surely help with the exercise that students need as well as needed by teachers as part of the curriculum.\r\n \r\nThank you again for your donations!!!\r\n\r\nMuch love from Cuyama Elementary School students and staff!","fullyFundedDate":1748090165221,"projectUrl":"project/1st-5th-playground/9360633/","projectTitle":"1st - 5th Playground","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mary Jo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10037127"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_39961","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":108,"numTeachers":8,"percentFrplEligible":83,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":23,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":74,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"13.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_REMOTE"},"inStateSupporters":82.9,"schoolId":39961,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Cuyama Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Cuyama Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/cuyama-joint-unified-school-district/cuyama-elementary-school/39961"}

About this school

Cuyama Elementary School is a rural public school in Cuyama, California that is part of Cuyama Joint Unified School District. It serves 108 students in grades Pre-K - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 13.5:1. Its teachers have had 7 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Supporting this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades Pre-K - 8

108 Students

8 Teachers

2300 Highway 166

Cuyama, CA 93254 View local requests

http://www.cuyamaunified.org

Direct, proactive support

Empower teachers at Cuyama Elementary School to request what their students need.

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Cuyama Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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Cuyama Elementary School Demographics

83%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

74%

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

Cuyama Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated May 13, 2026

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.