By now, most of us have heard that the Santa Fe public school district has a budget shortfall of approximately $4.5 million for next year. The Legislature has cut funding, not just to Santa Fe, but to every district across the state, including money for textbooks and buses.

Public education should be a concern to all of us, whether we have children in school or not. It shapes our future, thereby shaping the future of this city we call home. There are things we can all do to support our public schools, including staying informed about issues, contacting your state representatives about the importance of public education and volunteering to help a teacher, tutor, or read to children.

You can also support teachers through the Partners in Education Foundation, which funds programs including teacher grants for creative, educational classroom projects, buses for field trips and more. We are also building a permanent endowment fund to support excellence in our public schools.

This Friday you can show your support and enjoy a wonderful "chair-ity" event called "Chairs for Children." The event will feature a silent auction of decorated chairs and chair-related art from Santa Fe artists, including a beautiful fairy-tale themed chair by Barbara Ingram; a colorful folk-art chair from Wadle Galleries; a mixed-media work by Sonja Berthrong; nearly two dozen charming doll-sized chairs decorated by SFPS art teachers and students; photos by Steve Hamblin and Lisa Kristine; and more. Also available at auction, our "Pull Up a Chair" collection of gift certificates from area restaurants, including the Inn of the Anasazi, Pranzo Italian Grill, El Farol, The Tea House, C.G. Higgens Confections, The Pantry and Las Mañanitas Restaurant at the Lodge. Perhaps a stylist's chair better fits your needs — you can bid on a gift certificate from Adorn Hair Studio. Looking for great seats? We're offering a Family Packet to the June 29 youth night performance of La traviata at The Santa Fe Opera, and a pair of tickets to the 2009 summer season of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Already have enough chairs? Then you can get cozy on your couch, wrapped in a beautiful quilt made and donated by the members of the Northern New Mexico Quilt Guild.

The event will be from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Farmers Market Pavilion at the Railyard. There will be a delicious hors d'oeuvres and dessert buffet and entertainment by the student performers of Pandemonium Productions. Tickets are just $50, and can be reserved by calling Partners in Education at 474-0240.

Partners in Education is an independent nonprofit agency, and all donations are tax-deductible. For more information, contact 474-0240 or rgreeley@sfpartnersineducation.org, or visit the Web site at www.sfpartnersineducation.org.