August 21, 2026: More than 100 California teachers, counselors and advisers sat down — some with apprehension and some with mild curiosity — about the mysterious last-minute meeting to which they’d been summoned.
Within moments, they were each handed a check written out to them personally for $9,161.70.
The money came from a local Marin County philanthropist, Maja Kristin, who donated $1 million to the Ross Valley School District.
Teachers cheered when they opened the envelopes. The unexpected gift has been described as life-changing.
“I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such a beautiful gift from someone I don’t even know or haven’t taught their kid,” teacher Amber Bunnell-Wild told KRON 4.
Teacher Anna Schnell will be able to provide opportunities for her three children that she wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise.
“It’s with this kind of money that there are things I can say yes to that they want to do,” Schnell said.
The school district’s financial situation is particularly surprising considering that Marin County is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation.
Ross Valley ranked in the bottom 4% of school districts in California for per-pupil spending for the 2017-2018 school year, according to People magazine. The district also had the lowest paying salaries for teachers in the county.
Superintendent Tyler Graff explained that even though Marin County has very high property taxes, many residents stay in their homes for the majority of their lives.
California’s Proposition 13 also plays a role in the low income.
“The value is based on what your home is assessed for when you buy it, so even though our county has higher values overall, many people pay based on a lower price,” said Graff.
Salaries for new teachers in Ross Valley start at around $64,000, while beginning teachers elsewhere in Marin County can make nearly $80,000, while mid-career teachers make about $142,000, compared with about $102,000 elsewhere in the county.
The Seed for a Million-Dollar Surprise
Kristin decided to step in after finding out about the large funding gap.
“We as citizens, we can write direct checks,” said Kristin to the gathered teachers before they opened the envelopes.
Kristin knows a thing or two about fighting through the odds. She grew up in San Francisco public housing with her single mother, and she paid for college and law school on her own.
She went on to become an attorney for sexual assault survivors and taught negotiation and mediation at Stanford, UC Berkeley and other law schools.
Kristin has been described as a “last breath, last dime” philanthropist, because she believes that she should give throughout her life, not just when she passes away.
She has already donated millions of dollars to the American Red Cross, UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center and most recently bought 120 acres of land for a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities through horse riding, according to Fortune magazine.
Kristin hopes that her example will encourage other Marin County residents to give to the public education system in any way they can, whether it’s through donations, foundations or political action.
The Bright Side
While one individual can’t fix every problem, Kristin’s million-dollar surprise is a great reminder of what can happen when someone takes action.
She saw the situation and the dedicated teachers who didn’t get the recognition or resources they deserved and she decided to use her millions to make a difference.
While most of us won’t be in a position to write a check for a million dollars, we can still follow in Kristin’s footsteps.
We can give financially if we’re able to, we can spend time and energy supporting those who serve, and we can simply acknowledge the sacrifices they make so they know their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
It’s not about the amount. It’s about making a difference in someone’s life. It’s about giving when we can, instead of waiting for someone else to do it for us.
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