Draconian PTA Fees?

[Anonymous]

I hesitate to list the name of the elementary lest I influence the responses, but I'd like to do a poll. I've had kids at two other MoCo elementary schools, and the PTA membership fees were nominal -- $15. At my kid's new school, membership fees are $40! What's more, the only way to get a school directory is to become a PTA member. I'm now convinced this school's reputation for elitism is deserved. I just checked out the PTA budget, and while it shows they ran a deficit of $25K last year, they also spent $7K on landscaping!!

Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Email the president and tell him or her so. I agree that $40 seems excessive, and definitely sends the message that certain families are not welcome (NO school in MCPS is 0% FARMS. Even in a wealthy area, there is some family that i being excluded), but nothing will change by posting here. Tell the people with the power what you think.

Our (Title I) school has a "suggested" donation of $20 and membership fee of $10, meaning if you can afford it, they really could use the $20, but since they want to open it for everybody, $10 is all it takes. None of the directory blackmail either.

[Anonymous]

I have kids in two different middle schools. One has PTA dues of $10 and manages to pay for cultural enrichment, support field trips, teacher grants, etc. That PTA would like to have more money but runs in teh black every year.

The other school has PTA dues of $40 per family and also has a reputation for elitism. The worst is their attitude to the student directories. Everyone has access to a smartphone app which gives directory info but only kids whose parents pay dues receive a hard copy directory. They hand out the directories in class and PTA officers make sure to announce that they are only for kids whose parents joined the PTA.

Of course, the lower income kids are less likely to have access to a smartphone app and need the paper directory more. Plus the "shaming of the poors" is simply too much.

The more I see the nasty elitism and class-superiority of some MCPS schools, the more it nauseates me.

[Anonymous]

Claim financial hardship; I'm sure they'll waive the fee. BTW, our school is in an "elite" district often mentioned here, fees are $10 per family and the PTA recently had irrigation installed to keep the landscape alive.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. I don't have a financial hardship, but what about those who do?

[Anonymous]

OP again. I grew up in a struggling family. Not everyone likes to claim "financial hardship." It can seem embarrassing.

I really just wanted to know if others were seeing $40 fees and similar policies at their kids' schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. I don't have a financial hardship, but what about those who do?

Do you always worry about those with financial hardship, or only when a change would also benefit you?

[Anonymous]

Often PTAs work the back channels to give low income families things for free or at a very big discount (like year books, school shirts, directories). They often get the deserving names on the "down low" from the office so there is no embarrassment or any confidentiality issues.

At our school, we do this without publicizing it for fear that the higher income parents will start complaining that they're paying a little bit extra to cover the costs.

[Anonymous]

"Draconian" isn't quite the word you want. How about "usurious" (hah) or "Pile-on" or "Excessive, Surprise add-on fees".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Often PTAs work the back channels to give low income families things for free or at a very big discount (like year books, school shirts, directories). They often get the deserving names on the "down low" from the office so there is no embarrassment or any confidentiality issues.

At our school, we do this without publicizing it for fear that the higher income parents will start complaining that they're paying a little bit extra to cover the costs.

This is OP. Thanks for sharing this.

[Anonymous]

I think it's my kids' school you are talking about. CSES? The school does a lot of good things and raises a lit of money. My sister's kids go to a dc public and their fees are $1500, so count your blessings.

[Anonymous]

I though $40/ family was normal and what everyone paid.

[Anonymous]

I think it's my kids' school you are talking about. CSES? The school does a lot of good things and raises a lit of money. My sister's kids go to a dc public and their fees are $1500, so count your blessings.

Also how does a PTA end up running a deficit? Do they get a loan to cover the $25k??

[Anonymous]

$6 in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

We pay $5 per parent at our silver spring elementary school, and the PTA does just fine on that. And we are a very small school.