Unfortunately with the massive budget cuts many districts are seeing, parent groups are increasingly finding themselves supplementing those budgets in order for their teachers to have the items they need to have a functioning classroom.
We give each of our teachers a yearly allotment to purchase additional supplies and educational materials because the amount they get to stock their classrooms doesn't even come close to fulfilling their needs and we want to make sure that our children have all the things they need to get the best education. We also utilize book fair profits to purchase books and other items for our media center and for the teacher's individual classroom libraries.
Every group is slightly different. We have a mission statement and a purpose and we try to spend our funds in accordance with those items. What is your group's mission statement/purpose?
Yes, yes, yes! Books were a major part of my last PTO's budget. Our school wouldn't have had a library if not for the PTO buying books, recruiting volunteers to run it, etc. Our superintendent did everything he could to get grants for the library and those funds were great but not nearly enough. Like Ohiomommie, funds were tight for a long time but through volunteers and donations, our school had a library to be proud of. More funds are available now and they've even had a paid librarian for the past four years now.
We also spent money on art supplies, science consumables, tape players for the kindergarten audio books centers, take home folders, upper grade planners.
If the kids can benefit from it, the school can't afford it and the PTO can provide it, I think it's OK for them to do so. If you feel the board is irresponsible with their budget, mismanaging it or relying on the PTO too much simply because they've become used to it then it's worth investigating further. But if there's a real need and your team can help then everyone wins.
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."
"The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the true perfection of one's character."
Our PTO too purchases alot of books for the library--well not actually purchase them but we take book credit only at all the bookfairs we do(2 a year)and in the past 4 years we have put over $35,000 worth of books in the school library.
If its books for the library or classrooms you are being asked to purchase why not try a used book donation--we did this at family night at the book fair a few years ago and it was amazing how many used books people donated--the ones the school could not use we donated to the town library, local preschool
Our PTO has purchased new math, reading and social studies text books, science kits, new calculators to go along with the new math program, classroom supplies, paper for the copiers, computers etc.---for a couple years funds were tight for the school and they came to us for help--we felt these were things our kids needed to help with their education and if the school could not at the time provide them and we could --we felt honored to be able to help out. Now that times and funds are alittle better for the school we focus more on the family nights, field trips, extras at the schools. We have an excellent lady who trys to get grants for anything and everything she can for the school ...so when she comes to the PTO and says the school needs this we know she has tried everything to get the money somehow herself and we are her last hope. As a parent and PTO treasurer for 4 years I am happy that they(Teachers, staff,) know we are here to help when needed and I enjoy being able to help out not only my children but others too.
I'm new to the PTO and find that our group funds items that are found on the school budget. We seem to approve many book requests and just recently got a another request for colored pencils. I always was under the impression that PTO funding was for supplementary educational items, events, etc. I know our teachers are granted a small "set-up your classroom" stipend at the beginning of the year and that seems okay to me, but are books and supplies part of PTO funding? Any thoughts on this?
