The Birney Beekeeper Alliance: Supporting UH’s IB Elementary School
Alice Birney Elementary is a cornerstone of University Heights, educating children from Transitional Kindergarten to 5th Grade, while strengthening community connections, enriching neighborhood life, and helping to sustain strong property values.
Birney is also distinctive: it’s an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, a designation earned by fewer than 2% of elementary schools nationwide. This worldwide curriculum nurtures the whole child— developing curiosity, creativity, and a sense of global citizenship.
At Birney, the IB program comes to life in four main ways:
Students attend weekly classes in garden, art/theatre/music, dance, and Spanish— known as “Specials” classes.
Themes like “Where We Are in Place and Time” and “How the World Works” weave through every class, tying learning together.
Field trips deepen those connections.
Teachers receive specialized training to make it all work across the curriculum.
The distinctiveness of the IB program is reinforced by the PTA, and at the heart of it all are Birney’s dedicated, skilled, and caring teachers and staff.
But why does it matter if Birney is a standout school?
Simply put, California schools are funded by daily attendance. In San Diego’s “choice” system, parents can apply to send their children to any school in the district. Birney’s IB program, active PTA, and dedicated teachers and staff make it a top choice, leading to higher attendance. That higher attendance brings more state funding, which creates a positive flywheel that strengthens the school and, in turn, the neighborhood.
The challenge: Birney’s IB status depends on financial resources far beyond what the district provides. And as a Title I school, where over 40% of families are low-income, Birney cannot close this gap on its own. That’s where the Birney Beekeeper Alliance comes in.
The BBA is the collective name for two groups working to keep Birney strong and make it a school families want to choose:
PTA: advocates for families at the district, city, and state levels, offers parent education, and coordinates popular after-school classes like Lego engineering, dance, and chess.
Friends of Alice Birney Elementary (FOABE) is the nonprofit that keeps Birney’s IB program running. FOABE pays for all “Specials” teachers, funds every field trip, covers most IB training, and fills the financial gaps left by the district.
The district provides no funding for PTA initiatives, so FOABE also covers them in full. And as a Title I school, Birney relies on broader community support to bridge the gap. That’s why neighbors and local businesses are so vital.
The Birney Beekeeper Alliance keeps Birney strong—and when Birney thrives, so does our neighborhood.
More info or to support: birneybees.org