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At Bathgate Elementary School in Mission Viejo, art classes might have gone the way of the one-room schoolhouse had the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) not stepped up with funds for its “Art Masters” program. Still, Julia Bendis, whose son, Tyler, is a second grader, cringes at the sight of the PTA’s fall fundraiser catalogs.
“I know the money goes toward the school, but I’m kind of against the whole fundraising thing,” says the Mission Viejo mother of two. “I think it takes away from homework and studying. Plus, who can I sell to when 20 kids in our neighborhood are selling the same wrapping paper? This is public school. Isn’t the state supposed to be paying for this?”
With state and federal funding failing to keep pace with skyrocketing education costs, and many schools forced to operate on shoestring budgets, parent-driven fundraising has become a critical means of preserving basic programs and providing supplies and equipment that would otherwise face the budgetary ax. Though parents and public education advocates acknowledge the need for fundraising, many are frustrated by frequent requests to shell out hard-earned cash, while some raise concerns that the onslaught of fundraising is blurring the lines between public and private education.
The Budget Crunch
or Orange County public schools, the sad reality is that the state’s outdated monetary allocation formula to local districts, combined with declining school enrollment and other factors, translate to insufficient funding and budgetary shortfalls.
“Last year, Orange County was underfunded to the tune of $20 million, and every year we get less money,” says Orange County Superintendent of Schools William M. Habermehl.
With overhead and personnel costs remaining fairly constant, underfunding forces schools to stretch their already strained budgets even further to cover salaries, maintenance fees, insurance and other fixed costs. Most are left with no choice but to cut physical education, art, music and other valuable academic and cultural programs and services to make ends meet. As a result, in nearly every school in the county and nationwide, PTAs and PTOs (Parent-Teacher Organizations) are stepping up to the plate, coordinating a whirlwind of product sales, pizza nights, read-a-thons and special events that generate funds for programs.
The urgency of parent-driven fundraising is seen in the figures: in a 2007 survey by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), 94 percent of principals questioned said they rely on fundraisers to supplement monies they receive from district, state and federal sources. Fundraising revenue pays for classroom equipment and supplies, field trips and playground equipment, among other items.
“The school wouldn’t have any money at the end of the day to pay for enrichment activities if PTAs didn’t fundraise,” said Rebecca Godby, who raised nearly $100,000 last year as coordinator of Foothill Ranch Elementary’s fundraising campaigns.
“I’m happy to contribute because it helps supplement the extracurricular (activities) we want our kids to have, but sadly the schools can’t afford,” says Amie Levy, whose two sons attend Melinda Heights Elementary School in Rancho Santa Margarita.
The problem, say some parents, is that while fundraising is important, the constant strain of being asked to dig deeper into their wallets to support their children’s school can be draining.
“Unfortunately, we seem to be bombarded by the big fall fundraiser at the same time the school is also asking for donations for all the classroom functions,” says Dana Smith, whose three sons also attend Foothill Ranch Elementary.
 “Keep in mind we that we also deal with sports fundraisers, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, so I don’t let my children ask other people who also have children raising money—which leaves out a lot of people,” Smith says.
The so-called “fundraising fatigue,” caused by the constant pressure to shell out cash, may be taking its toll. A survey by the Association of Fund-Raising Distributors and Suppliers has shown that retail sales in product fundraising dropped 11 percent from 2001 to 2005. Many area schools reported a decline in sales from their 2007 fall product drives. And evidence suggests that volunteer participation and financial support is declining among parents who’ve grown tired of the constant requests.
“I’m sick of all the catalogs and flyers sent home asking for money, and many of my friends feel the same way,” says one San Juan Capistrano mother who requested anonymity. “With three kids in elementary and middle school, its just too much and I find I’m giving less and less each year because of it.”
Rebecca Godby, on the other hand, sees the situation as something that comes with the territory.
“I look at it like it’s still cheaper than tuition,” she says. “It seems like part of the cost of parenting.”
The Problem of Inequity
Despite the burnout, it seems that parent fundraising is here to stay. Until our schools begin receiving the appropriate funding necessary to purchase these resources—which in many cases are very basic items that all schools should have—we will continue to see an increase in the number of fundraisers," says the NAESP Executive Director, Vincent L. Ferrandino.
Patty Christiansen, president of the 4th District PTA (representing Orange County and sections of Los Angeles County) laments that fundraising—not an official PTA goal—has been thrust upon the agendas of local parent groups.
“The purpose of the PTA is to provide advocacy, student and parent programs and to support partnerships between parents and schools,” says Christiansen, whose organization represents 160,000 PTA members at 420 schools. “Parents pay their taxes. They should not be asked to fundraise more.”
To keep their eye on the mission, PTA regulations require parent groups to sponsor three non-fundraising projects or events for every fundraiser they run.
Yet for Christiansen and other public school advocates, school funding taken out of the public sector creates an even bigger problem.
“When we do fundraising, we go down the path of inequity in our school system because some parents have a better ability than others to raise funds,” she said.
Parent fundraising negates the purpose of Proposition 98, the voter-approved amendment to the California Constitution that was to put all of the state’s public schools on equal footing by guaranteeing adequate school funding levels, Christiansen says.
“Fundraising in higher wealth areas goes to teacher and computer aids, computer labs and equipment, while in poorer communities, they’re happy to raise $2,000 for basic supplies,” she says. “That creates inequity.”
A glimpse at fundraising in two Orange County schools drives her point home. At Adams Elementary School in Santa Ana, where more than 80 percent of students get free or reduced lunch, two annual fundraisers generate $5,000 to $8,000 annually.
“We’re able to get little things for our school, like school shirts for the choir,” says Adams School PTA President Ginger Chamber, who hopes that the district will match proceeds from the school’s Christmas fundraiser to purchase new playground equipment.
Meanwhile, parents at Harbor View Elementary School in Corona del Mar are bringing in upwards of $200,000 each year to pay the salaries of physical education and music teachers, fund campus improvement projects and run history, science and social studies programs.
“This is a very generous school,” says Sandra Ayers, who heads Harbor View’s parent-faculty organization. “The alternative is to not have our children go to the best school possible, and that’s not an option for the families here.”
Corporate America Steps In
For an increasing number of Orange County parents and educators, corporate America holds the promise of providing a shot in the arm to cash-strapped schools.
One way PTAs are taking advantage of corporate generosity is through merchant rebate programs, where parents and supporters “link” their grocery, ATM, credit and debit cards to designated schools. They go about their regular shopping activities while companies pay those schools a percentage of total monthly sales made through their linked cards.
“Loyalty programs offered through Ralphs, Albertsons, Macy’s and a host of other businesses are an easy alternative to traditional fundraising and brings in thousands of dollars without burdening weary parents,” says Irene Klepp, whose company, ScripsSuccess, counsels Orange County schools on merchant rebate programs.
“If we want to keep current in technology, the money we get from the state isn’t enough,” says Tim Hersey, who spearheads merchant rebate campaigns for Serrano Intermediate School in Lake Forest.
With revenues from traditional fundraising down in recent years, grocery club cards and eScrip, an electronic scrip service that puts a high-tech twist on traditional scrip fundraisers, have boosted Serrano’s overall fundraising effort by $10,000.
Elsewhere in OC, La Paz Intermediate School in Mission Viejo and Roy O. Anderson Elementary School in Newport Beach each brought in more than $20,000 last year through these “effortless” fundraising programs.
On a larger scale, local education foundations and school districts are teaming up with businesses to provide funding for a wide range of academic and extracurricular programs.
In one particularly lucrative example, the Irvine Public Schools Foundation teamed up with John Laing Homes to raffle off a condominium last spring. The effort raised $1.5 million for Irvine public schools.
Though other initiatives may not yield as well-paid results, they nonetheless provide critical dollars for programs and services while freeing up operating budgets. Since 1989, the Tustin Public Schools Foundation has provided local schools with more than $850,000 in classroom grants and funding for school libraries and music programs.
For schools where parents lack the means to give, these programs provide welcome relief. In Santa Ana, upwards of 300 corporate partners contribute to local schools at all grade levels.
“Our partners provide money and a lot of in-kind contributions that may be scholarships, tutoring, beautification projects and gift certificates,” says Angela Burrell, the district’s public information officer. “We really rely on our community of business partners quite a bit because we are in a low income community.”
No matter how schools go about their fundraising effort, creating ownership for the good of the students is critical for success.
“It’s all about building a sense of community,” says Jean Joachim, author of “Beyond the Bake Sale -– the Ultimate School Fund-Raising Book.”
Joachim helped raise more than $200,000 a year for over a decade for Manhattan’s P.S. 87 school in New York City. She coordinated bake sales, auctions, street fairs and other events that brought together parents, students, teachers, neighborhood residents and corporate sponsors.
“You need people who are really committed about helping the schools,” Joachim says. “I don’t think fundraising works unless everyone is working together to build something.”
Superintendent William H. Habermehl Says OC Students Are Getting Cheated By
Budget Bureaucrats
 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2007-2008 budget provides $57.1 billion in state and local funds for K-14 education. Despite this $2.1 billion increase from last year, Orange County schools remain badly short of funds, according to County Superintendent William M. Habermehl.
In fact, a March 2007 report by Stanford University’s Institute for Research on Education Policy and Practice found that California ranks 40th in the nation in education spending, paying out 12 percent less per pupil than Texas, 15 percent less than Florida, and nearly 75 percent less than New York.
Some OC schools fare even worse.
“Twenty-three out of 27 districts get less than the California state average,” Habermehl says. “Even in places with great wealth, like Capistrano, Saddleback and Irvine, the schools are underfunded.”
Why is California so short-changed? The Superintendent attributes the county’s money woes to several factors:
The way the state divvies up funds is outdated. California’s blueprint for distributing funds to local school districts is based on 1970s demographic data. Though the formula has been revised, it has never been corrected, Habermehl says, so more money goes to Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco and other areas that were heavily populated 30 years ago, with less trickling in to Orange County, despite its recent population boom.
Declining enrollment. The state bases part of each district’s funding on student enrollment. Orange County’s loss of more than 17,000 students over the past three years has hit local school budgets hard. At Santa Ana Unified, for example, 7,300 fewer students since 2002 has translated to a $40 million cut from its $500 million budget, according to a recent Orange County Register report.
The cost of special needs programs. Although the federal government has pledged to pay 40 percent of special education costs and other mandated services, in actuality, it pays only about 20 percent of district expenditures, says Habermehl. Skyrocketing costs of special needs programming forces schools to draw upwards of $260 million annually from general programs to cover this deficit.
A Silver Lining? The Governor has declared 2008 the “Year of Education Reform” following the Stanford report. Spearheading the reform efforts is Schwarzenegger’s Committee on Education Excellence, which recently concluded a statewide series of community forums seeking local input on ways to improve education in the areas of governance, finance, teacher recruitment and training. The Committee also received input about preparation and retention of school administrators.
Habermehl hopes that the committee’s report will include recommendations to bring more of the county’s taxpayer dollars—currently being allocated throughout the state—back down to its schools.
He’s also looking for a relaxation in the restrictions the state puts on how districts can distribute resources. Greater flexibility, he said, will allow local administrators to channel funds where the schools need them, not where bureaucrats say they should go.
“Our kids are getting a wonderful education, but they’re also getting cheated because there’s so much more we could do with them to prepare them for the 21st century,” he says. —Lisa Armony
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