|
|
|
Blessings Mixed From School Fund-Raisers
BENTONVILLE, AR 2003 - Care for some cookie dough? How about festive wrapping paper? Does the car need a wash?
School fund-raisers now anchor the academic landscape like prom and homecoming football games.
Arkansas' 310 school districts raised $79.5 million in activity funds for fiscal 2002, said Patricia Martin, assistant director for public school finance for the Arkansas Department of Education. The money in these activity funds include fund-raisers and tickets for drama productions, fees to football games or money from concession stands.
The figure nationally is estimated at more than $1.5 billion a year, according to a 2001 article from the PTO Today Web site.
Fund-raisers help pay for trips, opportunities or items that aren't included in tight school budgets. They also can teach the value of working to achieve a goal.
"It's not just given to her," Karen Farris of Springdale said of her 15-year-old daughter's participation in fund-raisers. "She has to make some small sacrifice, too. ... I just think it's good experience for life."
Fund-raisers have another side. Multiple kids with multiple fund-raisers can overwhelm parents and communities; schools filled from higher-income homes may increase the disparity with fund-raisers; and schools may rely too heavily on the money.
"I think, in some cases, that dependence has become extreme, and schools find themselves spending inordinate amounts of time, sometimes time away from classroom activities that could better benefit the students," said Ray Simon, director of the state Education Department.
Therein is the question posed this year to parents, students and educators: Are school fund-raisers worth it?
SUPPLEMENTING THE SCHOOL BUDGET
Bentonville Superintendent Gary Compton calls fund-raisers "kind of one of those necessary evils." He quickly explains that evil is much too strong of a word.
Compton thinks fund-raisers help schools, but he also believes they tire a community.
"All good things run their course and, at some point, we grow weary of those things," he said.
Alan Wilbourn, director of school and community relations for the Fayetteville school district, said there is an old axiom that "there are 10 hands reaching for every dollar the school has."
School fund-raisers, such as those sponsored by parent-teacher associations or organizations, can help balance the financial requests, Wilbourn said. "They can fill in the cracks, ice the cake."
Elizabeth Powell is the mother of a first-grader at Fayetteville's Root Elementary School and is the chairman of the Root 5K Run and family fun run/walk that took place in May.
This is the second year for the event -- organized by the Parent Teacher Organization. About $12,000 was raised last year, Powell said.
Proceeds from the event have gone toward the fine arts academy at the school and, this year, money raised will go toward school enhancements.
"We are a public school. Money is what makes the wheels turn, and you're going to have to have it to enrich your education," Powell said.
NOT CREATED EQUAL
The socioeconomic makeup of a school's area can affect a fund-raiser's success. Too, participation and interests may vary for different fund-raisers. A golf tournament may be more popular for one school than a fall carnival is for another.
Various groups in Rogers, including student and parent-teacher organizations, raised $188,533 and spent $159,137 in the 2001-2002 school year, according to information provided by Charlie Russell, director of communications for the district.
Fund-raising amounts in Rogers are self-reported to the school board, and those figures do not include income or expenses from the athletic booster club, which made a separate report, Russell said.
In that report, money generated for Bellview Elementary in Rogers totaled $26,655 while Grace Hill Elementary School raised $1,296. Bellview had 11 percent of its enrollment that year on the federal free and reduced lunch program. Grace Hill had 70 percent. Program participation is one indicator of the poverty level in a school.
"I think the parents understand that different schools have different resources available to them," Russell said when asked about the disparity.
Russell said the district funding for a particular school is not affected by how much or little is made from a school fund-raiser.
When it comes to fund-raisers, parent-teacher organizations sponsor the majority of sales.
Sherri Watson, past president of Fayetteville's Butterfield Trail Elementary PTA, said this year the group has raised about $19,000 through two major fund-raisers.
The group has been able to purchase playground equipment and books and materials to start an accelerated reading program, Watson said.
In addition, the association gave $1,500 during Christmastime to needy families from the Butterfield school.
WHY DO IT?
Jessica Noblin describes herself as an outgoing person.
She is not afraid to walk up to strangers and talk. This characteristic has come in handy for Noblin, who just graduated from Bentonville High School.
Noblin estimates that she has spent seven years participating in fund-raisers as a student and has sold everything from cheesecakes to Christmas cards.
"Every group that I have been in has always needed money," she said.
She acknowledged the fund-raisers could get repetitive.
"You just kind of grit your teeth and bear it, I guess," she said. "You have to know that you're doing it for your cause, and you have to believe in your cause."
Will Watson is 10 years old and attends Butterfield Trail Elementary School in Fayetteville. He looks forward to the prizes he can win by selling products in fund-raisers. He has sold cookie dough and gift wrapping and has won a jump rope and "a big telescope."
When it comes to fund-raisers, he usually sells to his dad's co-workers, his grandparents and neighbors.
Simon said it's his personal opinion that schools have an increasing dependence on money from fund-raisers. He would like to see schools find sources of money that don't demand such attention from parents and students.
Simon had his own experience with school fund-raisers. He previously served as the superintendent of Conway schools where he worked to give more discretionary money to schools.
He also remembers a visit from a father. The man said he wanted to transfer his child because he couldn't afford to send him to that school anymore. The student kept coming home with requests for money for fund-raisers.
"He couldn't afford it," Simon said.
Granted, students aren't required to participate, but Simon said oftentimes if a child doesn't take part, he feels conspicuous.
Simon does see a positive side to fund raising: It gets parents and students more involved with the school and shows how something tangible comes from those efforts.
THE FUND-RAISING BUSINESS
Lauralee Oenick believes FundRaising.Com has helped "thousands of groups make millions of dollars," which has translated into school groups having money to buy books and playground equipment, among other things.
Oenick is vice president of sales and marketing for the Wisconsin-based online company, which has been in business for 13 years.
FundRaising.Com works with at least 10,000 schools and school groups a year, Oenick said. The company offers more than 40 products on its Web site from candy bars to bottled water that can be decorated with a school's logo.
"There are so many great reasons for fund raising," she said. "It really helps kids learn about the sales process."
When it comes to the profit split, "every product is different," Oenick said. With the water bottles, each costs 50 cents, and the school group can decide to sell them for $1. The school group could also solicit sponsors and have their logo placed on the bottle.
Students also can net prizes from their work, such as a CD-cassette player -- which requires selling $700 or more -- to a desk clock for those who sell $60 to $99, according to a prize package on the company's Web site.
Sometimes, though, something as simple as lunch with the principal is a reward for a student, if a school group chooses to have that prize option.
"There are positive motivaters that don't cost a lot of money," Oenick said.
Oenick does believe that one of the negative aspects of selling is "having fund-raisers every other week," which is tiring for those involved, like parents.
Most people can agree on one thing: School fund-raisers are likely here to stay.
"I think it's just constant," Simon, the state director of education, said.
Simon believes the ultimate answer is that more funds are needed to meet school needs and "that's a limited commodity and always will be."
Oenick also doesn't see an end to school fund raising.
"There will always be a need," she said. "No matter how much money the government can give the schools, parents still want even more for their kids."
-- Sharla Bardin
This story appeared in THE MORNING NEWS/NWAONLINE.NET, BENTONVILLE, AR - June 1, 2003.
|
|
|
|
|