School always asking for $$$$ for EVERYTHING... is it normal?

[Papa Deuce]

Try that plus a few thousand to send your child to school. Thats how it was when DS attended Catholic school. We had to pay for supplies,then loads of fundraisers, volunteering out the whazoo and last but not least tuition on top of it.

DS is in public school this year. We have no fees, bussing, or supply list. Yea I do consider myself lucky since I have been on the other side also.

See, in my way of thinking, that is OK in Catholic school, bacause it is a choice you made to send your children there. I'm "OK" with fundraisers too, even in public school, for special things... but playgrounds and chalk, I think should be paid for in taxes. ( BTW, I attended Catholic school for about 7 years )

 

[MoniqueU]

I don't mind the school supplies for my kids which run about 75 bucks per kid or more depending without the calculator that no one seems to use or loses at the end of the year, I don't mind the classroom supplies either, I know teachers have to pay out of their own pocket for anything not donated. I do mind the fundraisers though. They always come with the promise of a big prize that gets my kids excited if they sell such and such amount. The problem is everyone we know also attends their elementary school. I don't have alot of family near me and husband isn't allowed or chooses not to sell at work. Fundraisers kill me.

 

[N.Bailey]

See, in my way of thinking, that is OK in Catholic school, bacause it is a choice you made to send your children there. I'm "OK" with fundraisers too, even in public school, for special things... but playgrounds and chalk, I think should be paid for in taxes. ( BTW, I attended Catholic school for about 7 years )

I'm not really for or against the school paying for a playground with tax revenue. In our district, the money just wasn't there for it, so it fell onto the parents. We understood the situation and jumped up to the plate. I think we actually raised more than would have ever been allotted. Perhaps if the situation was stated clearly to parents in your district, maybe they'd understand it and be a little more receptive to the situation. Presentation can go a long way.

 

[shortbun]

Let's see...around here each child costs about $5000 and most of the kids in our urban school district's parents don't own a home or pay taxes. The rest of us carry the weight and I'm happy to do it. When my son's teacher asks for $1.50per student for taking the bus to an enrichment field trip, my husband gives her a twenty and a few other parents cough up extra cash too. When they ask for either school supplies OR a fee to cover them, we bring in extra supplies AND pay more than the fee requested. Why do we do this? Because we don't want children left behind, many of our students ARE nclb kids now and their parents can barely afford to feed them. These children are thriving in our school because we ALL realize that 'it takes a village.' BTW, we (my family) does not participate in fund raisers. We just write a check. Much easier-much less pressure from deadlines and prizes. You might want to consider that tack as well.

AND: if PTA had not raised the funds, we would not have equipment on our playground. We buy the balls and the nets as well. It's the urban way.

 

[Papa Deuce]

... Perhaps if the situation was stated clearly to parents in your district, maybe they'd understand it and be a little more receptive to the situation. Presentation can go a long way.

I would have to agree... we don't even get "presentation"....that whole thing with change for the palyground was told to the kids. My wife and I were never even notified. My wife did find out about it before today, though, when my daughter asked her for the money. I only found out from the other dad today.

 

[BrerMom]

I would have to agree... we don't even get "presentation"....that whole thing with change for the palyground was told to the kids. My wife and I were never even notified. My wife did find out about it before today, though, when my daughter asked her for the money. I only found out from the other dad today.

Your Parent-Teacher Organization may be the one dropping the ball. In our district, they are the ones that organize all the fundraisers for playgrounds, etc.

I would be thrilled with your class sizes! The only school district around here that I know of that had elementary class sizes less than 20 (not 15!) as a rule was a district that won a grant because of the make-up of their population (large percentage low-income, incredibly large number of homeless children - think hundreds - attending school). When the grant expired, parents went ballistic when the district wanted to raise class sizes. It wasn't our district, but I wondered how many of the parents understood about the grant. They ended up cutting programs instead and keeping class sizes small.

 

[GJM]

When my DS went to school (public) school in NJ we did not have to pay for alot of stuff. We had a small list at the start of the year and that was it. They did do some fund raising. 60% of my tax money went to the schools in my town.

Now in SC - it is totally different, the list was much bigger for the start of the year, plus the teachers can't ask for stuff, but the room parent can ask what they need and then ask parents. Paper is such a big thing that they need at school, which I don't understand. But my taxes are much less. Our PTO will raise money and then they go to the principal and find out what the needs are.

 

[MM27]

The playground thing is pretty common. That is really not a priority, so they try to raise funds (sometimes it takes years) to build one. My school doesn't have the luxary of grass on our playground. In the 8 years I've been there, my principal has been trying to get them to fix the blacktop because it had big holes in it. The board rejected him every year, but finally this year found money to do it.

You have every right to go to your Board of Education offices and ask for budget info. That is all public information.

My school gives all teachers about $200-$300 per year (it varies each year) for classroom supplies. With that money we have to get reams of paper, construction paper, pencils, etc. The catch is, we have to use the company that the district got the bid with and sometimes their prices are outrageous. It kills me to have to pay over a dollar for a box of crayons when I can get them in Target, Walmart or Staples for ten cents

 

[BrerMom]

.. Our PTO will raise money and then they go to the principal and find out what the needs are.

Last spring, our PTO gave all the teachers reams of lined paper & white-board markers. These are things the teachers would have had to pay for themselves - or done without. The money came from fundraisers.

 

[Beth76]

I'm happy to give my son's school what they need. If it benefits the school, it benefits my son.

 

[jrsmom]

Yes, I think that you have missed all of the cuts that the federal government has been making over the past 10-12 years. It is a darn shame that the government hasn't quite figured out that the children are the future of this country and that education cuts will have long lasting effects. Most teachers that I know work very hard and also spend a lot of their own money for supplies.

 

[CEDmom]

Our PTO does a lot of fund raising but one of the benefits is classroom teachers get a grant from the PTO each year to start up their classrooms. Last year I spent maybe $15 on supplies and this year even less. However, we do support the PTO fundraisers so I guess it's a wash in the end.

 

[superdiz]

I remember bugging my mother to chip in for the playground fundraiser we had for our Elementary school and it's no longer there anymore (of course that was what 2 decades ago?? God I'm old). Not only that - but we only got to "use" it for a year and then were promoted to the next school. So I understand the OPs frustration with having to pay for a playground that may or may not be beneficial to his own child.

I wouldn't mind paying for supplies if my child got to take whatever was not used home with him/her. What is this "community" bin? Theoretically wouldn't that mean the teachers have some leftovers from the year before to distribute at the start of a new year? Surely the children are not going through all 15 gluesticks each. In a class of 20, that's 300 gluesticks! Or is their teacher utilizing them during recess... (envisioning Miss Lippy)

 

[tink_about_it]

My kids have the community thing in their classrooms, and I personally don't like it. I understand that there are kids in the classroom that don't have the money for those supplies, but why should our kids have to dump in their Mickey pencils that we picked up at Disney or Elmer's glue for everyone to use? When I was young, we kept our own supplies in our desk. I remember asking my mom to buy supplies for a little girl that sat next to me that never had any....and we did. I am a middle school teacher that gets a $0 budget for supplies. I collect a $3 fee for supplies from each student and keep some supplies in my room. Now, some of that goes quick. I personally spend money on supplies for my room. I hate that I get no money for supplies, but times are hard for many school districts. When I first started teaching, we got a yearly budget of $200. That was great!! Now...$0.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I guess we're lucky? My DS goes to a private (Christian) school. We pay tuition every year ($3600 give or take), and he had a very basic supply list--crayons (any), Fiskars scissors, #2 pencils, bottle of Elmer's glue, one glue stick and an art smock. They also ask each child to bring one roll of paper towels and one box of tissues. The school supplies everything else. We do get a note from the teacher when DS needs more of something, if he runs out of glue, etc.

They do fund raisers a few times a year, but it's things like pay $3 for a pizza lunch and the proceeds go towards whatever it's for; it's voluntary, no one has to participate. At the end of the year, they do some kind of service project, and they are supposed to send out letters for people to sponsor them; DS' class (Kindergarten last year) picked up trash/sticks/etc at the museum and planted flowers, that kind of thing. The project depends on the age/ability of the kids. I'd rather support that than sell stuff.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

In our area, there is a high population of lower income families. I know that when the supply lists are sent home, the teachers know that not every child will come back with the items. So they ask for multiple glue sticks, or boxes of tissue, because there will be several kids who won't have them.

I don't have a problem with buying extra in order for the kids to all have what they need.

My mother works at school as well and has a family of children who she helps out. At the beginning of the year she goes to the kid's homeroom teacher and discretely gives her money for those kids to be able to go on field trips, activities, etc. through the year and if they need more the teacher is to come and tell her.

I work in the public schools and my dept. is lucky as far as supplies go. Each of us gets $200 for us to purchase items with. My husband works in a high school business dept and they get $200 for the year which is pretty much taken by the ink for the printers.

 

[TxDsnyGrl74]

Ok, I am the mean lady on the block. I totally disagree with the kids going door to door in the neighborhood selling crap to raise money for whatever the fund raiser. I have no children and I pay the same amount of taxes as people with kids who utilize the public school system. I will not buy anything from any of the kids regardless of the price or reason for raising the money. I feel that I'm already making a donation every year to support the local school district and to pay teachers salaries by paying my taxes. This may sound harsh to parents, but its how I feel.

 

[luvmyfam444]

YEs our school supply list also ran about $50 - but they did NOT ask for 15 glue sticks per child that's just CRAZY! Are kids not capable of using plain ole ELmer's anymore? GOOD GRIEF!

Yes our school also is asking for $ everytime we turna around - this fundraiser & that fundraiser. Actually they ahve a standing fundraiser - they sell slushes @ snacktime every Friday for $1 &that money goes into some fundraising pot (though there's no pressure for that one)

WE do have to pay for the bus for field trips, and all kinds of other odds & ends that comes up.

GET this last year (was a different school - but same school system) they put in a new solar cover over the playground equipment so that the kids wouldn't get too hot. (they have a gym if it's THAT hot) MInd you there is only 1 computer in each classroom - but they decided to spend the $21,000 on a solar cover! WHAT the heck?!?!? I about fell out when I saw that. And the kids hardly ever used the equipment (I guess it was available during snack time if they wanted it - but the kids mainly ate & goofed off instead of playing on the equipment).

 

[luvmyfam444]

oh yea - I forgot to mention that I don't send in all the supplies on the lists typically. If I think its too many items then I'll send less (like the glue sticks - I probably would have sent 2!) I know I refuse to send in the # of reams of paper they ask for - my thought is if they don't get then the teachers will be forced to figure out how to teach with manipulatives instead of just worksheets. Which of course that never happens - they still manage to come home with TONS of papers....

I can't remember what all was on the list this year that we refused to buy - I know it was something.

And if teachers would STOP making everything communal maybe our kids wouldn't be so sick all the time! ITs crazy they have to share everything!

 

[Piecey]

We are told it is a privledge to use the gym for any activity. So they decided graduation is a privledge that you should pay for. Parents and students have declined to pay the fee and the kids just pick up their diploma's on the last day of school. How sad.

YIKES!

My high school paid for caps, gowns, tassels. Brand new. Sitting in my closet collecting dust.

Also paid for graduation ceremony and diplomas.. ours was on the football field, all spectators were in the bleachers, with chairs set up on the field for us and a stage set up to receive our diplomas.

I think the only thing I bought was white clothes because my gown was "gold" (yellow! ) and white was the only thing that didn't show through..