an amazing concept that education for your children isnt something thats supplied for free by the tooth fairy. if more people would understand this fact they would abandon the poorly run "free" government schools and use private schools where they can demand and get their moneys worth of education. of course government schools are not "free" and you usually pay for them either indirectly or indirectly with property taxes.

http://www.azcentral.com/families/education/articles/0423schoolmoney0423.html

Schools rely on parents for basic expenses Many districts tapping fees, PTA fund-raisers

Anne Ryman The Arizona Republic Apr. 23, 2006 12:00 AM

Debbie Lesko of Glendale has spent about $320 on gift wrap and cookie dough in fund-raisers this year for her sons' school.

When her daughter was in high school, she spent more than $1,200 over four years on everything from swim-team expenses to yearbooks.

Now, "I don't contribute to every single thing because, quite frankly, I'd run out of money," she said.

Arizona parents and parent groups increasingly are being asked to pay for basic expenses and improvements at public schools through fund-raising, activity fees and donations.

The support they're providing, often sought aggressively by the schools, is purchasing essentials that district money has covered in the past, such as teacher training and classroom supplies. In some affluent districts, parent groups help pay the salaries of librarians, substitute teachers and playground aides.

It's a sharp departure from parent groups' traditional role, which for many years was to provide extras such as field trips and teacher-appreciation dinners.

"Our PTAs are being asked more and more to fund things that are the responsibility of the local school district," said Lucy Ranus, president of the Arizona Parent Teacher Association.

School officials blame rising costs and the state's low per-student funding compared with other states.

Breadth of spending

The trend is difficult to quantify because no organization tracks all of the spending. But interviews with school officials, parents and school-support groups reveal a common picture: A complex system of non-profit booster groups, fund-raising volunteers, and check-writing parents has evolved into a crucial revenue source, not a bonus.

At C.I. Waggoner Elementary School in Tempe, the parent-teacher group raised $102,000. Among other things, it pays $200 toward each teacher's classroom supplies and $23,000 for a part-time computer instructor.

At Desert Valley Elementary School, where Lesko's sons attend, the parent organization paid $3,300 to buy six cafeteria tables.

At many high schools, the band has its own tax-exempt support group. So do the basketball teams. Parent-teacher organizations at elementary schools raise tens of thousands of dollars a year to upgrade the campus and buy supplies.

They often partner with businesses, which see a sales and marketing opportunity. In return for parents and students selling their products, from chocolate to gift cards, the companies give a portion of the sales to the school.

Meanwhile, schools and support groups keep raising fees for activities and items they say they can no longer afford to fully subsidize. They charge more for parking, athletics, field trips, tickets to games, summer school and more. On the horizon could be bus service, if trends in some other states are any indication.

Some parents chafe at the demands for more money and volunteer time, saying public schools are becoming too much like private ones. Others volunteer or pay up eagerly, saying if they don't chip in to cover the costs, no one else will and the quality of their kids' education will suffer.

Ranus said parent groups set a bad precedent when they pay for programs and supplies that should be covered by the school district. It may solve a short-term problem but does nothing to address long-term school funding issues.

Paying for essentials Parents' desire to help can overwhelm any misgivings.

At Desert Springs Elementary in the Paradise Valley Unified School District, the parent-teacher group donates money for paper, helps pay the social worker's salary, and bought a $10,000 shade cover to keep playground equipment from getting too hot.

"The district put in a beautiful new playground, but they didn't put up a shade structure," said PTA president Lisa Schillingburg. "We kind of thought it would come with it."

Last year, when the school cut back on the physical-education teacher's hours, the parent group began paying for a two-week, after-school workout to help students practice for the sports field day.

All told, the group donates about $20,000 a year, which is typical for an elementary school.

Schillingburg predicts the school's needs will only grow in future years.

"I think it's going to be put more pressure on us," she said.

A national trend The funding trend goes beyond Arizona.

In a survey of parents by the National PTA two years ago, 79 percent reported they had been asked to fund needs historically covered by the school district. Those included cleaning supplies, transportation, technology, salaries, educational curriculum, art and music.

Four of 10 parents said they gave more than $100 to their children's classrooms; one in 10 donated more than $300 a year.

In Arizona, school officials attribute the rise in private support to the state's relatively low per-pupil funding, saying parents and schools are trying to compensate.

The state ranked third-to-last in the nation in K-12 funding in the latest survey from the U.S. Census Bureau: $6,036 for the 2003-04 school year, well below the national average of $8,287.

While school funding has risen in recent years, with a 2 percent annual increase, costs and expectations also have gone up, said Bob Flach, chief financial officer for the Scottsdale Unified School District.

Thirty years ago, schools didn't have to buy computers and software and pay techs to maintain them. Now, computer labs are considered as essential as libraries.

Expectations also are high from parents who move here from states that spend more on public education, said Chuck Essigs, director of governmental relations for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials.

Some districts limit what parents donate to prevent inequality among schools.

In the Scottsdale district, parents cannot give money for teacher salaries. District officials say it would be unfair for some schools to have lower class sizes simply because their parents can afford to give. Parents can donate money for support employees such as playground aides and reading tutors.

At some schools, the fund-raising burden is causing parent groups to rethink their approach.

C.I. Waggoner Elementary's group is considering asking for cash donations next fall instead of selling holiday gift wrap.

"We don't want to burn our parents out on fund-raising," said co-president Peg Consoer.

Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8072.


Crazy Atheist Libertarian
Crazy Atheist
Government Crimes
Government News
Religious Crimes
Religious News
Useless News!
Legal Library
Libertarians Talk
War Talk
Arizona Secular Humanists
Putz Cooks the ASH Book's
Cool Photos & Gif's
More cool Gif & JPEG images
Az Atheists United
HASHISH - Arizona
Messy Yard Criminals
Papers Please, the American Police State
Tempe Town Toilet
Tempe Town Lake
"David Dorn"    -    Hate Monger
"David Dorn" Government Snitch?
Free Kevin Walsh
U.S. Secret Service
Secret Service Political Prisoner
News about the Secret Service
WLA
Western Libertarian Alliance
Phoenix Copwatch
Copwatch
Friends