Is there any way to check the funding account to see if that may be the problem? We charge a $1.00 for our carnival but the parents know that ahead of time and its just to cover the costs of the expenses. If you told the students though that it was a reward for selling the shirts I wouldn't feel right charging either.
Are any of the other parents complaining I would make sure that the officers are aware of this?

Good Luck

Cindy

No request was put to the PTO at a regular meeting asking for more money for the Carnival, beyond the money raised by the t-shirt funraiser.
the committee decided they were goning to charge our kids and how much each game, ride, and the food would be, none of it was run by the general membership of the PTO.
anouther parent asked why they were charging and why was it gonna be so much for each event (a mom with 5 children, a mom who busted her butt to get people to buy stuff from the t-shirt fundraiser so her kids could enjoy this carnival)and was told well we have to make our money back (this wasn't a make money back event, that t-shirt fundraiser was just so we could have this) and then mentioned how last weekend a catholic school had a carnival (big one) and charged a lot more money, that carnival was a fundraiser for their school.
Their our no more regular meetings until September so its too late, I along with several other parents our so upset we have to deny our kids this treat because we don't have the money.

That sounds very unfair. And misleading. And unfortunate. I'm wondering if the reason why they are choosing to charge is because they don't have enough funds to pay for the moonwalk, slides, etc. Our carnival cost about $1200 this year for a school of about 300. We ended up making a little money, but just a little.

If there is time (?!), maybe you could suggest that each kid gets a certain amount of free tickets? or the kids who participated in the fundraiser get a certain amount free?

Good luck!

Our PTO held a Mani-T's t-shirt fundraiser( that raised a lot of money), told parents in the letter acompaning the fundraiser that the money raised would be used for an end of the school year carnival for the kids of our school.
This Carnival is to be on Sat. 18th, Notices went out today saying that tickets would be 25cent and admission free and that the games/rides would be from 1 to 5 tickets each and food from 1 to 3 tickets.
This Carnival isnt' a fundraiser it was ment to make up for the losy field days these kids get at our school, so instead of getting a moon bounce and other stuff to make field day better this Carnival was to make up for that.
The Committee made up of President, her sister who had no children at our school, and her sister's daughter who has no kids in our school, the former secretary of the PTO who has no kids in our school, and a parent (who was against the charging and got out voted at committee meeting) decided on Tuesday of this week to charge the students of our school for this carnival.
How can this be fair? One fundraiser to pay for the Carnival, then turn around and charge them for the Carnival what was the point of telling these kids they would get a Carnival to enjoy if they sold t-shirts and then turn around last min and say thanks for selling the t-shirts now pay 1.25 to do the Sandy Candy, and 75 cents to get a hot dog, oh and if you want to play a game or go in the bounce toy forking over 25cent to a dollar for each thing?
Does anyone else think this is unfair? or even misleading? and how about the 3 day notice that its an event thats gonna cost people money? Are schools in a poor area so many kids will not beable to enjoy this carnival and many will be kids who's parents scraped together enough money to buy something from that funraiser a funraiser they had three weeks to turn in,so they could have this Carnival treat and now have to tell there kids I just don't have to money to take you to this carnival, Like i had to tell my kids.
Its so unfair something that should have been free was suppose to be free, now turned into a funraiser.