PTAs provide piggy banks

Entertainment books. Cookie dough sales. Gift wrap drives. Box tops. Harvest carnivals. Holiday boutiques and spring flings.

These are just a few weapons in the Parent Teacher Assn.’s arsenal of fundraisers. And in recent months, that arsenal has come in handy more than ever.

The typical elementary school calendar this year is littered with events asking for parents’ money. It might seem like schools are soliciting parents to do more fundraisers, and some are, but schools are just trying to keep up with the budget cuts as Sacramento struggles with education dollars.

“It really saddens me to see what is going on,” said Debbie Helenihi, president of John R. Peterson Elementary School’s PTA. “There are a lot of families that are so busy with life that they haven’t noticed the budget cuts.”

In the Huntington Beach City School District, a slew of cuts, pay decreases and pink slips were handed out in June to stop a potential $21-million deficit over three years. Librarians, bus drivers, night custodians and special education instructional assistants lost their jobs, and many more classified staff positions were reduced.

Class sizes at the district’s seven elementary schools’ first and second grades increased from 20 to 24 students and kindergarten was changed to full-day classes with a student-to-teacher ratio doubling to 30-to-1.

With all the cuts, Peterson classrooms are only cleaned every other day, the library is only open part time, and even the little things are now making a difference; turning off monitors and unplugging appliances have become an issue.

“We’re down to the basics,” said Principal Barbara Crissman.

Stepping up

PTAs regularly support the schools’ music programs and art sections, known as “Meet the Masters,” and supplement the curriculum with reading programs. Parent volunteers are now also raising money for assemblies, transportation for field trips, playground equipment, computers and basic classroom supplies.

“I think most of the PTAs are kind of bridging the gap,” said Kelly Solorzano, president of John H. Eader Elementary School’s PTA.

At Dr. Ralph E. Hawes Elementary School, the PTA is now assisting teachers with basic classroom supplies after their supply budgets were cut in half, said President Stephanie Klauss.

Schools have also needed more classroom volunteers to deal with the increase in sizes. More students also means more computers are needed.

“The PTA has stepped up in the field of being able to provide us with technology,” Crissman said.

The Peterson PTA donated 14 computers last year and is working on installing SMART Boards in every classroom. So far, the boards are in every fifth-grade classroom, and the PTA is raising money for the fourth grade. The new technology costs about $3,400 per classroom for the boards, projectors and installation.

To keep up with the needs of the school, the association has looked at what has worked in the past and also added different kinds of fundraisers, Helenihi said.

One of Peterson’s new fundraisers is organic produce. Parents can order the fresh food and have it delivered to the school. In addition to bringing in revenue, the project is exposing the students to healthy choices and giving families a chance to swap healthy recipes.

“It’s become a community bonding experience,” Helenihi said.

Peterson has also implemented a recycling program, family photos, cookie dough sales, and family nights out, where a particular restaurant will give a percentage of the profits to the school,.

“Everyone feels closer, and we’re trying to make sure our kids don’t feel the budget cuts,” Helenihi said.

Uphill battle

Despite the school’s increase in fundraisers, the PTA can’t cover up all signs of the cuts. Peterson lost its full-time librarian and is now sharing a part-time one with another school. The situation is similar at Eader.

The loss of librarians has been the hardest part, Solorzano said. The PTA can’t help out with volunteers because a librarian is a classified position, and the association can’t fill positions that are supposed to be paid, said Patty Jordan, the president of the District Four PTA, which covers all of Orange County and part of Los Angeles County.

Across Orange County, there are 426 schools with PTAs and 155,000 members. Jordan said she has seen PTAs step up when education dollars are axed, but that isn’t necessarily the association’s job.

“No matter how much fundraising, it’s never enough,” Jordan said. “It’s not the PTAs’ job to fund education. It’s the state’s.”

One of the goals of the organization is to get the message out about where education money is coming from — Sacramento.

One way to help stop cuts to education is to contact local state legislators, Jordan said. One of the perks of joining the PTA is that it will help parents talk to legislators, she said.

It’s as simple as saying, “Hey, I’m a parent and this is how the budget cuts are affecting my children,” Jordan said.

Some believe the cuts are just getting started.

“I think the tough times are really coming,” Solorzano said. “There’s no light at the end of the tunnel for a little while.”

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