PTA Spending

[Anonymous]

What do your PTAs spend money on? I keep reading that schools are better off when PTAs have more money but for the life of me I can't imagine what all of the "wealthy" PTAs are doing with their funding. Our PTA feeds families (which I agree is important, kids can't learn if they're hungry) but it isn't allowed to purchase educational materials for students. I heard one school PTA purchased a science lab for their school, but after that the school district made a rule that PTAs can't buy things that change a building b.c. the PTA was mad when the school got moved to another location. So, I'm left wondering what PTAs end up spending money on (besides giving it to teachers for training and conferences and school supplies and books in normal years). I think our PTA is well funded (or at least well enough). Maybe we're not being creative enough in envisioning what we could do. What does your PTA spend money on?

[Anonymous]

PTAs can absolutely buy things for the school including 3d printers, textbooks, sound systems, smart boards, playgrounds, etc. The catch is that once the PTA purchases these items, they are on the hook to maintain them.

PTAs can also spend money on enrichment programs, community events and field trips.

Having too much money in your school's PTA is a great problem to have!

[Anonymous]

When I taught at a PTA-wealthy school, they'd offer "grants" to teachers so if individual teachers wanted to attend a conference or buy something above and beyond the paper and staples the school provided you could request the cost and they'd generally give you the money.

[Anonymous]

Pretty sure the only thing a PTA can't pay for is a teacher's salary. Assemblies, after school enrichment classes, school carnival, any of that is fair game.

[Anonymous]

I think our pta bought the laptops for our school for a lot of the grades. Even before COVID, all of the upper grades had them in elementary school and each child had one that they kept at school. The younger grades shared through class sets and had iPads. Our elementary school has a ton of tech.

[Anonymous]

Money from our PTA constructed a new, expanded school playground, including $25K for shaded canopies.

[Anonymous]

Our PTA pays for a couple of extra teacher salaries so that they can get more specials.

[Anonymous]

Ours has

--resurfaced and repainted the outdoor blacktop play areas
--bought tumbling mats for the gym (and replaced a lot of other gym equipment over the years, kids are hard on that stuff)
--paid for subscriptions for teachers to educational apps/software
--sponsored various assemblies where the performers/educators have a fee to come in and give their presentation
--bought loaner musical instruments for kids who want to take band but who can't afford to rent an instrument

[Anonymous]

Having too much money in your school's PTA is a great problem to have!

If your PTA has "too much money", you need to find ways to spend it. The money is coming from parents who expect that the dues they pay and the fundraisers they contribute to will benefit their kids -- not kids 5 years or 10 years from now. If you're raising money, you're expected to spend it not sit on it. If you have too much and don't know what to spend it on, then waive dues for a year or skip a year of fundraising.

[Anonymous]

I'm not an active member, so I don't know everything that they do, but I think our PTA this year paid for a remodel of the library and some landscaping for an outdoor area. In the past, they've bought new playground equipment and paid for technology upgrades (not sure exactly what, though). They've also bought books for the library and in the fall they gave out school supplies. I'm sure they do a ton more, but like I said, I'm not an active member.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not an active member, so I don't know everything that they do, but I think our PTA this year paid for a remodel of the library and some landscaping for an outdoor area. In the past, they've bought new playground equipment and paid for technology upgrades (not sure exactly what, though). They've also bought books for the library and in the fall they gave out school supplies. I'm sure they do a ton more, but like I said, I'm not an active member.

PP again - I think they pay for some teacher education, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Having too much money in your school's PTA is a great problem to have!

If your PTA has "too much money", you need to find ways to spend it. The money is coming from parents who expect that the dues they pay and the fundraisers they contribute to will benefit their kids -- not kids 5 years or 10 years from now. If you're raising money, you're expected to spend it not sit on it. If you have too much and don't know what to spend it on, then waive dues for a year or skip a year of fundraising.

In addition, I believe a PTA is required to spend a certain (very high) percentage of their budget every year and are discouraged from carrying anything over.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you so much for the responses. I guess I should clarify I don't think we have "too much," I'm more just curious what PTAs are allowed to spend on because I feel like I keep reading about how one of the benefits of "wealthier" schools is the amount of fund raising PTAs are able do, but I'm not sure what that means in practical terms. I've been told our PTA cannot pay for teacher salaries (or any part of salaries), textbooks, or "permanent improvements to the school." I guess it would be interesting to know which school districts y'all are in, if you're comfortable sharing. I'm in APS, but the limitations I've mentioned are from VA statewide (or so I have been told).

To the PP who posted about spending money and not hoarding it, I believe we do that in a normal year, but the rules changed a bit temporarily because of COVID. Our PTA wasn't able to spend on some of the end of year things they usually do, and they are (understandably I think) nervous about how much will be raised this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Having too much money in your school's PTA is a great problem to have!

If your PTA has "too much money", you need to find ways to spend it. The money is coming from parents who expect that the dues they pay and the fundraisers they contribute to will benefit their kids -- not kids 5 years or 10 years from now. If you're raising money, you're expected to spend it not sit on it. If you have too much and don't know what to spend it on, then waive dues for a year or skip a year of fundraising.

In addition, I believe a PTA is required to spend a certain (very high) percentage of their budget every year and are discouraged from carrying anything over.

Depends on the state. In VA, it's OK to carry a balance from year to year. Glad we did have excess from last year because we aren't fundraising at all this year and still have funds some things this year - for families in need, teachers, grants, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you so much for the responses. I guess I should clarify I don't think we have "too much," I'm more just curious what PTAs are allowed to spend on because I feel like I keep reading about how one of the benefits of "wealthier" schools is the amount of fund raising PTAs are able do, but I'm not sure what that means in practical terms. I've been told our PTA cannot pay for teacher salaries (or any part of salaries), textbooks, or "permanent improvements to the school." I guess it would be interesting to know which school districts y'all are in, if you're comfortable sharing. I'm in APS, but the limitations I've mentioned are from VA statewide (or so I have been told).

To the PP who posted about spending money and not hoarding it, I believe we do that in a normal year, but the rules changed a bit temporarily because of COVID. Our PTA wasn't able to spend on some of the end of year things they usually do, and they are (understandably I think) nervous about how much will be raised this year.

I'm the one who posted about a library remodel and landscaping, etc - we're FCPS, but I think PTA rules are probably set by the PTA organization (it's an organized group, there's a county-level PTA and there's a State-level PTA.