PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The underfunding of public schools is a nationwide problem, and Philadelphia is no different. One organization is working tirelessly to help fill the gap.
Kathryn Epps is the president and CEO of The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, which works to ensure the city’s public schools are abundantly funded.
“There’s a compounding effect to the consistent underfunding of our schools, and so the Fund exists to bring philanthropy to the table,” she said.
In fact, anyone with a vested interest in the education of city kids can pull up a seat. In 2023, the Fund set an ambitious goal to raise $40 million in five years to support Accelerate Philly, the Philadelphia School District’s plan to make it the fastest-improving urban school district in the nation.
“We are tasked with bringing that broader community together that collectively believes in the power of public education and that all children — regardless of ZIP code, background, religion or otherwise — everyone should have access to a quality public education.”
Epps has a lot of respect for the work teachers do and the magic they make for kids with few resources.
“I have to tip my hat off to them and celebrate all the amazing accomplishments, all of the creativity, all of the hard work that the teachers and school leaders pour into our students despite not having adequate funding,” she added.
She said her personal mission is to make the Fund a household name.
“My passion and my motivation come from imagining a world where the playing field is level and everyone has access, and it becomes the responsibility of the individual to again choose what they want to do with that access.”
During Black History Month, KYW Newsradio’s GameChangers honors individuals or organizations that have made a significant, positive impact in communities of color in the greater Philadelphia region. View the 2026 honorees here.