Elementary School Kids
Just so you know, the PTO helps a lot with things for the kids. I just came from my meeting and we went over a list of stuff the PTO is doing for the school and students. Here is part of the list: paying for the entire 6th grade to go to the state Capitol (so buses, entry to wherever they go, lunch), the back to school picnic, movie night, the planners and folders for the kids homework, extra paper for fliers and paperwork, classroom supplies.
There was more, but I don't have the list in front of me. The principal was on hand and said that it's pathetic, but the PTO has a better budget than the school itself.
Replies
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We help as much as we can and go to the different events when we can afford it. We were just hit up by the girls who were promoted to middle school and told them to come back monday when we have money. DD's school only does i think 2 fundraisers where they have to sell things and the rest are activities like carnival, movie night etc that 100% proceeds go to school.
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Our school has one big fundraiser. If, and only if, we don't raise what we need, we'll do another. But we have been doing well with the one lone fundraiser.
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My boys go to a private school so there is no PTO. I'm glad that we just have one fundraiser where the kids go help in the community & send letters to family/friends asking for donations for doing so which makes it easy. But you can bet I'm helping with this as much as I can since the money goes back into the school budget - and could potentially keep tuition down.
I do agree, though, that parents should do what they can. It can be overwhelming & hard to help with everything, but it'll just help your child if you do what you can.
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If our PTO wasn't a popularity contest, I might be more inclined to participate. It's like high school all over again.
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I think most would crap if they knew everything that our PTA pays for. Our budget last year was over $40,000, but this year we cut it to $30,000. We pay for every single child in our school (K-6, 650 students) to go on an educational field trip. We pay the admission and the transportation fee and I'm not talking to places like a pumpkin patch or an orchard, the kids go to museums, theaters, zoos, etc. We also pay for an end of year event with bounce houses, petting zoo, pony rides, puppet show, etc. We pay for t-shirts, ribbons, and lunch on track and field day. We pay for a 2 day science themed event that includes guest speakers and tons of hands on experiments and competitions that all involved science. We pay for after school chess and fitness programs. We buy every student in the school a book for Christmas. We purchase gifts for our teachers and staff through out the school year and host a luncheon for them at the end of the year. We pay for and run an arts program in our school which includes hosting an evening art gallery with snacks and we frame the winning art work from that night.
This isn't a complete list, but just some examples of what all PTA can do for the school. Now as a PTA we are not permitted to fund teacher salaries, or buy equipment for the school.
BTW - the field trip admission and bus fees for every student costs us a little over $10,000 a year.
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Some of us go over and above without begging money from family and friends by pushiing them to buy crap that they really don't want!
If I give the PTO $20 cash, they make more than if I sold $200 in junk. -
i wish i could do more for our pto.... but right now thats not an opinion
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I no longer participate in fundraisers that sell stuff whether its candles, cookie dough, team cups, candy etc. I will send things in for auctions and go to bingo nights etc. I might buy a raffle ticket but I won't sell them. -
I was really nervous about that. Luckily my pto is pretty accepting. I am a younger mom and actually the former president asked if I was a student, do that really threw me off. It's nice that parents of all ages can get together for this.
Quoting mhaney03:
If our PTO wasn't a popularity contest, I might be more inclined to participate. It's like high school all over again.
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Luckily we don't sell that stuff. I sold enough when I was in school (marching band had a LOT of fundraisers)
We do a walk-a-thon and that raises about $20k
Quoting bleumonster:
I no longer participate in fundraisers that sell stuff whether its candles, cookie dough, team cups, candy etc. I will send things in for auctions and go to bingo nights etc. I might buy a raffle ticket but I won't sell them.