School keeps asking for money!!

[rerun]

Our oldest is in K and I am shocked at how many times he is sent home with a request for money for some fundraising for the school or for other things. I get frustrated because they get the kids classes involved as well. I am to the point that I am just ignoring the requests and will just donate a certain amount each year and that is it!!! Just curious what others do to handle this. He is in public school.

[MamaM]

My letter back to the principle was this "If you spend as much effort as you do into actually teaching that you do to make these poor kids think they have to fundraise or will be bad people, I think we would all be in a better place."

I have explained to my son how fundraisers like this are usually overpriced hickey do's. I explained we pay taxes out of our own paychecks for the schools and we give a lot back in volunteering. I prefer to give our money to our local Veteran's groups and like you, I rather just write them a check then accumulate more junk and annoy my neighbors and friends. He is starting to get it. I think schools seriously need to stop the insanity. How much is it costing us for the glossy packages they send home 5 times a year?

[fidgiegirl]

Rerun, I have a few ideas for you. First, though it stinks, it's kind of part of the deal - everywhere. A lot of the "good stuff," like field trips, often technology tools, enrichment classes (sometimes the highlight that keeps kids coming to and engaged in school), are funded through these fundraisers. So it's disappointing, and no one is obligated to participate, and it adds up, but it is (hopefully) being used for good things. I am personally more of a fan of "we're working toward _____ for our school" than "GET THESE CHOTCKES IF YOU SELL!!!" But frankly, that doesn't raise as much money.

The school I used to work at did a nice job of this with Boxtops. They were working toward a communal goal, and there wasn't competition or prizes involved. But one of my cousin's kid's schools does an award for the kid who turns in the most Box Tops for Education, which then means Grandma will only buy products with Box Tops, which I think is disgusting, and completely the point of the Box Tops program from the manufacturer's point of view.

So there are some options. Opt out, quietly, within your absolute right to do so, and framing it to your child as you please. But we know that's easier said than done, because this is so much like any other consumerism issue we pose here on the boards - while we might WANT to do it a certain way, there are advertisers screaming at us, or a spouse who loves their cable or clothes shopping, or the school setting up a "fun" competition around the fundraiser and leaving it up to the parents to be the bad guys when they tell their kids they aren't going to sell for the fifth time that year.

I love the idea of donating a certain amount and having that be that. Since you raised it as a possibility, I'll assume that your budget can handle it, and so by doing it that way you can fulfill your role as a parent in the community with means to contribute, even if in a small way, but to preserve your sanity and your careful planning by not being at the whim of every request to fundraise.

An additional suggestion would be to join the PTA if you feel that strongly about it. At least in my state, it isn't the schools themselves that fundraise, but their affiliated PTA/PTO groups. Even in the affluent school I worked at, parent participation was low, and so those who had an opinion and were willing to work to coordinate fundraisers acceptable to them had a lot of power - good power - to make changes. They have switched over from mostly chotcke sales a few years ago to having a 5K and a Gala dinner every other year. They still have a book fair and I believe one kind of fundraising sale per year, but it is not so junky as in the past. These events tend to foster a lot more sense of community and still earn money. But they are a LOT of work.

Ok, sorry that was so long. If I could raise my magic wand, we wouldn't have to do this kind of fundraising - schools would have adequate resources to fund these kinds of activities. But right now, they don't. :( I guess that's another avenue . . . political activism around education funding.

What are they using the money for?

[Rosemary]

Agree that you do have to pay attention to what the specific requests are for/from. All fundraisers at our school actually support the PTA, not the school directly -- but the PTA plugs all that money into various funds that go directly to the classrooms, allowing teachers to purchase extra enrichment items. Aside from the PTA fundraisers, I do get requests for money on a fairly regular basis - for field trips, to pay for extra activities that the class is doing, etc. I think the most costly field trip we've had in 5 years was about $12.50. Our book fair proceeds go directly to the school library.

[Zoebird]

If you do get involved in the fund raising, I recommend focusing it on either A. family activities or B. parent-only activities.

Our school does two fairs a year -- most of the stuff/activities are donated, and you pay a fee to get in. Kids do crafts and stuff and sell those as well, and there is also a bake sale.

The other thing that they do are quiz nights at local bars, movie night fund raisers (pick a movie of interest to the community, get a special screening at the local theater, charge about $30/ticket (which includes glass of orange juice or wine), and have people/businesses donate door prizes/raffle stuff. These usually sell out here -- and you can pick between special interest (a documentary for example) or a popular film (a local theater did the Water for Elephants as a special screening).

And, people here love clothing swaps. You pay $20 to "enter" and you bring 5 items of "good, but you don't want to wear anymore" clothing. These are brought to the school the day before. The organizers then "merchandize' these in the room/space -- where ever the event is to be held -- and then the ladies come in and have wine and nibbles and you get to pick 5 items. The rest are then donated to charity.

Basically, you bring your items to the school, they are organized into type (clothes, baby gear, kitchen stuff, books, etc), and then you charge $5 entry and it's a big tag sale.

It also helps if they itemize what these fundraisers are for. Our school sends out letters about how this money covers these things, or that they are fund raising for these things in specific, etc. This way, everyone knows what they are donating to. I don't care if class 5 goes to france; I do care if class 1 has enough art supplies to do their lessons. I don't care if class 9 wants to raise money to spay feral cats; I do care if class 7 wants to bring in a specialist teacher for their carpentry section.

But, if class 5 is doing a movie nite and I want to see that movie, I'm more likely to go to that fundraiser anyway. . . and then just give over $20 for the clothing swap for class 1. If class 9 is running a bake sale, I won't bother; but if class 7 is doing a quiz night, I'll donate a prize which may attract more parents who like that stuff to that event.

[early morning]

*disclaimer* My kids have been out of school for more than a decade - but believe me, fundraising is nothing new. Rerun, I sure understand your frustration. But when funding for schools is drying up, fundraising becomes even more prevalent, and, sadly, important. We had a sit-down with our kids when they were in grade school. The school was selling, and the baseball and soccer leagues, band, cub scouts, girl scouts - TOO MUCH! We decided the kids could each pick ONE sale a year and the rest were either ignored (the second set of school pictures, for example) or received a donation. We talked to other like-minded parents, with the result that the following year, the sports teams intro letter to the sale laid out the profit for each case of candy sold ($10, then) and asked that each child either sell at least one case or donate at least $10, which went to cover whatever the need was. They got more in donations than they had in fundraising profits! By the time our kids were in 3th or 4th grade, they weren't even bringing home the fundraising materials - just a donation envelope. The kids were quite willing to say politely "No thanks - Mom will send a donation but we aren't selling anything". I was quite proud of them.... From Jr High on, much fundraising was more of a work-share: bake sales, bag groceries or bus tables for tips, car-washes, work carnival booths for donations, and the large amusement park in our area would donate in exchange for parents working some activities there. While those are also difficult for many working parents, I prefer them to selling cheap crap. Zoegirl, I like the movie night and the clothes swaps - what great ideas!

[ToomuchStuff]

Brought back a memory of one parent I know, asking about child labor laws with all the begging.:laff:

[Gardenarian]

We get kids at our door at least monthly, selling candy, doing spell-a-thons, selling stupid stuff from catalogs. We have an enormous parcel tax along with high property tax, and as a homeschooler, I don't particularly support the public schools. I can't turn down these cute little kids who are so eager to raise the most money for their school. It's annoying, and when I look at the budget for our local school it makes my blood boil. The most recent parcel tax was for art and music - fair enough, but with over $800,000 to spend on 400 kids they only manage to get one hour of art and one hour of music a week per kid. No band, no chorus or choir, no art shows.

As far as I'm concerned, public schools are little more than babysitters. (No offense to the teachers out there trying to make a difference. Many home schooling parents are teachers or former teachers themselves, and they see how the system fails.)

Seems like they'd do better to pay for individual lessons in art and music for any kid that wants them. My dd takes art classes twice a week, is in choir, takes guitar, and is in a band, and we spend nothing near $2000 a year.

I'm an Obama supporter, but the idea of universal preschool is just plain dumb. Let's stop working on being a third world country. Why not use that money for maternity leave so moms can stay home and nurse their babies?

Ugh, sorry got off on a rant. If it were my kid, I would take it up with the schools.

[Zoebird]

I find, too, that just asking for a donation to cover specific costs is helpful. It makes it easier for us to make donations without collecting "stuff."

[rerun]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I definitely understand the need for the schools to do fundraising and I think that is where the guilt factor gets me. I know as we go along we will be better prepared and have a plan (with using some of the suggestions above) in how to handle all the requests. We are lucky to have an excellent school. Of course, the county is doing better revenue wise, but the teachers are still taking furlough days. It is frustrating to see the toll on teachers. I also wonder if the schools are just trying to do too much vs. just teaching the basics and leaving the rest up to families. I do think part of it is the societal push ( at least middle to upper middle class society) to be hyper-busy all the time!!!

[iris lily]

... I also wonder if the schools are just trying to do too much vs. just teaching the basics and leaving the rest up to families. I do think part of it is the societal push ( at least middle to upper middle class society) to be hyper-busy all the time!!!

I don't wonder about it, I know it to be true.

[Fawn]

Many years ago, when we were "invited" to participate in 24 fundraisers in one year for the various kid's/school things, I quit all fundraisers. Frankly, I like my friends, family and neighbors too much to foist overpriced gift wrap, candy and raffle tickets on them twice a month.

I determined that if the child and I valued the activity I would be willing to pay for it, and not make my neighbors do so.

As far as the fundraising that our PTO does, I have opted out as I do not value what they spend their funds on. Sorry, Kelli, maybe it is different at your schools, but here they fund pencils to give kids on their birthday (not the school's job) or a breakfast and flowers for teacher appreciation week (sorry, when you do it for everybody, it's not special) Student of the Week Awards (ditto.) When a teacher has done a nice job with one of my kids, I will write them a note commending exactly what the great thing was and include a gift card to a book store, or music store or restaurant.

The schools still come up with a ridiculous amount of stuff that I am required to pay for. Here is a partial list: Biology lab fee $30 for 2 semesters, athletic participation fee (2 sports $60,) athletic participation fee (1 sport--which is Scholastic Bowl--which also requires a sports physical $40,) Latin Club $10 each kid, middle school science lab $5, middle school band (this is a regular class, not extracurricular) $8, Art lab fee (for an art history class >:(, maybe they are learning to restore old oil paintings) $30, State Latin Convention (a competition) $12 each kid, Student services fees $55 each kid (not sure what this one pays for,) technology fee $35 each kid, IMEA participation fee $15 each kid (this is a music competition/performance and while it is not mandatory, if one does not audition, it negatively effects your grade,) Band Uniform cleaning fee $15 each kid, Latin exam $5 each kid, Math test for Jr $3.

This is part of the cost of having geeky kids. If I had football players, it wouldn't cost me a thing.

[leslieann]

Athletic participation fee PLUS sports physical....for Scholastic Bowl????

That ought to be a skit on SNL.

[JaneV2.0]

I just got my property tax bill http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/standart/ireful2.gif . Just once I'd like to see an independent line by line audit of school budgets, along with an analysis of how monies could be better spent. I'm sure it would be eye-opening--just like Fawn's post above. I believe strongly in the concept of public schools, but I understand completely why more and more conscientious parents choose home-schooling.

And as far as those idiotic fund-raisers, I'm with those who say "Just tell me how much we need to raise and leave it at that."

I can't tell you how many boxes of Girl Scout cookies my relatives had to buy to save me from door-to-door begging. Talk about an introvert's nightmare...

[Fawn]

I just got my property tax bill http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/standart/ireful2.gif . Just once I'd like to see an independent line by line audit of school budgets, along with an analysis of how monies could be better spent.

I do not believe the schools could politically survive if they did this. The amount of waste that I see just from the periphery is nauseating.

leslieann--yes, we all think it quite funny that Scholastic bowl is an "athletic competition." Perhaps that explains the obesity epidemic in our youth. :~)

Our other favorite joke from the high school involves the school mascots who are "The Senators" and the citizenship standards for students in which they are encouraged to "Be a Senator," i.e. that is: behave well. Give the state of political corruption in Illinois, we all find this ironic and are grateful that they are not told to "Be a governor."

(For those of you not familiar with Illinois politics: three of our last four governors are currently in jail for corruption charges.)

[Stella]

Fawn that is hilarious about the school mascot!

[zeaxmays]

what i would like to see instead of fundraisers,which benefit a far away company and to some extent the school, is request donations from community businesses (haircuts/meals/tickets/oil changes/hunting stuff(big here), etc.) and then do a raffle. have the smaller items take a dollar ticket and larger items would scale up the cost of the ticket with better chances of winning. example: one meal at granny fartknockers cafe, 500 chances at 1 dollar each. an awesome doohickey from big jims supply store, 50 dollars with 100 chances.

i always send a check for 20 bucks to the pta when the fundraisers come through. better the school gets all the money.

[Zoebird]

That's what our fundraisers are -- raffles, silent auctions and prize-packs for local businesses. It works great. :)

[MissMandy]

Our oldest is in K and I am shocked at how many times he is sent home with a request for money for some fundraising for the school or for other things. I get frustrated because they get the kids classes involved as well. I am to the point that I am just ignoring the requests and will just donate a certain amount each year and that is it!!! Just curious what others do to handle this. He is in public school.

I've always handled it the same way. I give what I want to give and ignore the rest of the requests. Just because they ask doesn't mean I have to respond right? :P

[Zoebird]

We typically have a letter for the donation at the beginning of the term, plus then 2 fund-raisers per term. One is usually the quiz-night, and the other one is typically for the larger school (or the steiner schools in general).

[flowerseverywhere]

what i would like to see instead of fundraisers,which benefit a far away company and to some extent the school, is request donations from community businesses (haircuts/meals/tickets/oil changes/hunting stuff(big here), etc.) and then do a raffle. have the smaller items take a dollar ticket and larger items would scale up the cost of the ticket with better chances of winning. example: one meal at granny fartknockers cafe, 500 chances at 1 dollar each. an awesome doohickey from big jims supply store, 50 dollars with 100 chances.

i always send a check for 20 bucks to the pta when the fundraisers come through. better the school gets all the money.
The only problem with this is that the businesses already pay taxes, and the business owners pay schooL taxes, is it really right to ask them to donate more?

My last job was subbing in the school. I think every day I saw opportunities to save money. Textbooks that are obsolete after a few years, the copying and printing and ridiculous state mandated letters. I moved so got a letter saying the school board approved my resignation. Nuts

But here is the best ridiculousness I have heard. My friend told me the kids can get extra credit ( as in higher grades) if they send in requested items like boxes of tissue and hand sanitizer, packages of paper etc. now that is really nuts

And a lot of schools are pay to play for sports. It costs to play and then there is the end of the year awards banquet to pay for

[mm1970]

My son was in K last year and there were SO MANY fundraisers. I couldn't believe it! But Cali is broke, and things like science, computers, physical education, art, and music are all "extra". Meaning, they aren't in the budget and they have to hire specialists for the elementary schools, at the tune of $90k per year (total).

This year they opted for just two main ones:
1. Please send us money
2. Jogathon.

They needed $40k on #1, and only got about $15k. FWIW, we have about 300 students, 75% are on free-reduced price lunch. The remaining 25% of parents do the bulk of the donating.

It sucks but the schools are broke. One of the "richer" schools in the city raised $250k on JUST THE JOGATHON last year.

[sweetana3]

One of our high schools raised $250,000 at their dance marathon. Of course, it is the highest income demographic school with 5000 students.

[Zoebird]

Businesses get a tax write-off for donations. And, we might get clients out of the notoriety of being a donor. trust me, it's a win-win-win for a business to support a school.

Yes, we pay our taxes (and how!), but truthfully, we donate prizes and such to our kindy's fund raisers because it raises brand awareness and it brings in clients. Usually, the person who wins the prize (which is typically 8 or 10 yoga classes) rarely does more than 2 classes, but we often get a person who DIDN'T get the prize coming in and becoming a regular client. So, the donation value might be $100, but the actual benefit to me long term is $48 per month over several months from one client alone.

And honestly, it's a great way to get established in a community. Another local studio were complete idiots about marketing. Their location was great. Right across the large-large parking lot from them was a kindergarden. In between the kindergarden and them was a bakery, a coffee shop, a boutique for dresses, a jewelry shop, a florist, and a hair salon. And then their was their yoga studio.

One obvious choice for marketing would be putting flyers into the shops, and also marketing them (Ie, have the bakery provide tastings on occasion after classes, or have the florist provide bouquets, or create a 'wedding day' package of yoga, hair and make up or some such -- or good for hen-night). But then there was this kindy.

This is a fancy neighborhood. SAHM with *disposable* income. They drop their kids at kindy and do what? go to the coffee shop and chat while their kid is at kindy. Then hit the shops (new dress, new earrings, new hair style, fresh bread, some flowers, pick up the kid). WHY weren't these women coming through the door? Well, they never effing marketed to them.

My recommendation was to create a lot of "girl friends" packages to give to the kindy for their up-coming silent auction. "A 10-class pass for you and 8 friends."

I know it's a crazy-ass number. The value of that ticket is something like $800. But if you are bleeding money because you put $150k into fittings and don't know how to run a business and have 12 classes on the schedule with 0-2 students each, you might want to try something crazy.

So, they do this thing. In fact, they donated 4 packages. They sold at the auction. These were designed to set up classes. This group of 9 ladies would come to the tuesday/thursday sessions. That group of 9 ladies were going to come on saturdays, etc. They had to prebook, and they learned which classes were popular time-wise for these ladies.

And, it makes the classes feel "big." If you have 0-2 already coming, class size in a room that fits 20 will be 9-11 and that feels pretty full. make the place feel successful for the students (and the teacher). And, once their 10 classes run out, they tend to be hooked, or even moreso, sometimes they want to come MORE than once a week, so they buy a card besides.

After that acution, the new behavior of the ladies was to drop the kids off at school, go to yoga, and then still have time for coffee before picking up the kid (we adapted the schedule so that class started at 9, since kindy drop off was at 8:30, and most parents drop at 8:45, so then they could walk across the lot and jump into class. Class then finished at 10:15, which meant that you could get over to the coffee place by 10:30, and still chat until the 1:00 pick-up, and also look at a dress, earrings, get your hair done, and pick your kid up on time.

It became the thing to do, so not only did the ladies bring their friends (some of whom were not kindy moms!), but word started to spread about this great yoga place.

Ultimately, the place collapsed due to pure stupidity on the parts of the owners -- just not enough follow-through or clarity. This is common in business and the common reason for failure. And, they tried to sell it and I don't know what happened after.

But to be honest, donating to that kindy was a *great business decision.*