Expected School Donations?

[Anonymous]

DS will be starting K this fall and I'm curious if there's an "expected" amount to donate to the school/ PTA, etc.? I've heard unofficially $1,000 per child per year but don't know if that's true. We're in Bethesda fyi.
Thanks

[Anonymous]

Good heavens. If that's what the school/PTA were expecting, they were seriously disappointed.

On the other hand, I'm not in Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

It's $200 times the number of blocks from the metro station.

[Anonymous]

In Chevy Chase MD. I never heard anything like this for MCPS and I was a room parent at least twice. I have heard that families in the prized elementary DCPS school districts like Lafayette face these kinds of expectations.

[Anonymous]

I can say that at the upcounty elementary school my kids attended, there were no families who could have afforded anything like that. What on earth would the PTA/school need with that much money?!

[Anonymous]

And this, my friends, is why we see such vast differences between the school facilities in the western and eastern parts of MoCo.

[Anonymous]

We are in Bethesda and the PTSA is $25 or 30. There are various booster clubs that could be around $50. If we get to $200 it would be a lot. There are strict rules on what booster clubs and the PTSA can pay for - no teacher aides or personnel for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in Bethesda and the PTSA is $25 or 30. There are various booster clubs that could be around $50. If we get to $200 it would be a lot. There are strict rules on what booster clubs and the PTSA can pay for - no teacher aides or personnel for example.

Probably should add that none of that stuff is mandatory. You do get the school directory for your PTSA dues at our school so most people pay for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And this, my friends, is why we see such vast differences between the school facilities in the western and eastern parts of MoCo.

Settle down, the OP is just trying to stir up shit. It's not even close to true.

[Anonymous]

NP. Not at our former Bethesda school ($25-ish dues gets one a directory I recall) and never heard of such a thing from a close friend who has a child at Beth. Elem.

School name would obviously help here....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS will be starting K this fall and I'm curious if there's an "expected" amount to donate to the school/ PTA, etc.? I've heard unofficially $1,000 per child per year but don't know if that's true. We're in Bethesda fyi.
Thanks

This is funny. We're in Chevy Chase and our PTA membership dues are just $25. This is not private school. If you want to donate over that dues amount that's completely up to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And this, my friends, is why we see such vast differences between the school facilities in the western and eastern parts of MoCo.

You mean Gaithersburg vs. Burtonsville?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS will be starting K this fall and I'm curious if there's an "expected" amount to donate to the school/ PTA, etc.? I've heard unofficially $1,000 per child per year but don't know if that's true. We're in Bethesda fyi.
Thanks

In some cases that would be the right amount. At our school the fifth graders are building a rocket ship and the goal is to get $100,000 by June 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's $200 times the number of blocks from the metro station.

Wrong, it's $1000 divided by the # of blocks to the school.

[Anonymous]

$1,000? Well, I guess for the less affluent, but we always felt it was important to do our fair share. We do $1,500 per quarter, and then try to "drop" a few $100s in the parking lot from time to time.