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3, Stouffville Sun-Tribune www.yorkregion.com Saturday, June 9, 2012 Parents feel school fundraising pinch BY KRISTEN CALIS, JESSICA CUNHA AND ROSIE-ANN GROVER Metroland Staff arents across Ontario are feeling unprecedented pressure to open their wallets for school fundraising as families shell out money for everything from crayons and Kleenex to computers and playground equipment. "Today, there's a bigger burden than ever before," Progressive Conservative education critic Lisa MacLeod said. "Parents are paying (more than) half a billion bucks out of their own pockets each year for essential learning tools." Bake sales, car washes and pizza lunches generate tens of millions of dollars in fundraising that is supposed to enrich -- not replace -- public funding. And "the amount of extra monies that are being raised for school purposes is steadily increasing," the Ontario Public School Boards' Association stated. "The trend is undeniable." Parents do "have a role to play in actually augmenting the school budget," said Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education, a parent-led advocacy group. But she believes the education system is taking advantage of parents' willingness and ability to be involved, assuming they will put in that extra time and money. Many parents agree. School boards know parents will fundraise, said Oshawa dad Steve Rockbrune, who believes parents will work hard to give their kids the best they can provide. "That's why they put the squeeze on us," said Mr. Rockbrune, who was surprised when his daughter, who attends Harmony Public School, came home at the start of the year with a note requesting donations of Kleenex and glue. Parents said drumming up dollars isn't the most popular task. "Nobody really ever wants to take on the job of fundraising because it's a lot of work," said Catherine Scott, fundraising committee co-chairperson at Roch Carrier Elementary School in Ottawa. "And yet we need classroom resources; we need new technology; we need to keep our school grounds up; spend money on paint for hopscotch and four square in the playground -- and there's no money in the school budget for those things." P School councils are finding new ways to raise money. At Terry Fox Public School in Ajax, school community council chairperson Sandra Fletcher has become familiar but not comfortable with soliciting friends and family. "The SCC relies on parents and grandparents and sisters and uncles and cousins," she said. When the school opened, the gym didn't have a sound system and the library didn't have enough books. After years of fundraising to add these items, Ms Fletcher said she has found parents have reached fundraising fatigue. The school council of St. Patrick's Catholic High School in Ottawa doesn't do any fundraising for the school. Instead, it lets the students decide how to raise funds and how to use the money. "It's hard to get volunteers, so it would fall on a few people's shoulders," said Joanne MacEwan, chairperson of the school council and cochairperson of the Catholic School METROLAND STAFF/KAZ NOVAK Parents' Association. Leaving it up to the students A student makes a presentation using a laptop computer and whiteboard. These are some of the items for teaches them responsibility and which schools fundraise. keeps parents from burning out, Ms MacEwan said. However, not everyone agrees that the problem is a funding shortfall. Joe Allin, chairperson of the Durham District School Board, believes current government funding is sufficient and fundraising is a long-standing practice in schools A three-part series that will take place no matter what. on school fundraising practices "I'm not convinced it's associated with need," Mr. Allin said. "That isn't JUNE 7: Inequality in funding to say there aren't needs. I'd say this activity would go on regardless of JUNE 9: Feeling the pinch the level of funding that comes into JUNE 14: Funding starts with province the schools." Fundraising is a way for parents to be active and feel like they're contributing to their child's school, said In the York District School Board, Ms Kidder, of People for Education. the Bayview Hill Elementary school "I think it's a really nice, undercouncil in Richmond Hill runs a standable way to be involved in our weekly pizza lunch program, the kids' school." main force behind the school's sucIn Woodbridge, St. Clare Cathocess at fundraising. lic School spent funds on school About 500 kids participate in the improvements, arts enrichment, program, and on average it brings in security cameras and healthy-living $40,000 each year. initiatives such as yoga in recent The council also runs an annual years, according to a school council dance-a-thon, diversity night and letter to the community. barbecue, which has allowed it to, "Fundraising is so important to among other things, build a main our school," the school council statplayground and an enclosed kined. "Through it, our children are able dergarten play structure in the past (ETFO) in Waterloo. The ETFO said school fundraisto access many enhanced resources seven years. In just one council meet"I can't think of a week where ing lets the provincial government and programs that only serve to ing alone earlier this school year, there isn't some fundraising initia"shirk" its responsibility to properly enrich their educational experience." the council approved $81,000 worth tive," Mr Weiler said. "It puts an fund schools and puts pressure on Muddying the issue further is of items teachers requested for the unrealistic expectation on parents everyone in the system. determining the must-have items. classroom. The wish lists included: and family and the community." "The funds have to come from For example, the Ministry of EduLCD-mounted projectors, Macintosh NDP education critic Peter somewhere," said Durham ETFO cation doesn't consider technology computers, iPads, iTune gift cards, Tabuns believes the government president Gerard O'Neill. "People an essential item for schools. In fact, DVDs for the library, stacking cups, relies on parents to fundraise. have to go out and raise them." it slashed the budget for that line kidney tables and yoga kits for the "You almost think they quietly Filling this funding gap often item by $25 million for the 2011-12 primary students. approve. This is a way of reducing comes down to teachers, many of school year. Many parents say they are feeling the pressure on them for proper whom end up paying for essential In turn, the ministry's guidelines the pinch with schools continually funding of education. Leave it to classroom items, such as pencils deem it acceptable for schools to asking for more money. the parents. The parents will raise and paper, out of their own pocket, acquire technology with fundraising. It can seem endless, said Greg the money and won't squawk about Mr. O'Neill said. Weiler, a father of two at the primary the fact that their school isn't getSome manage the entire fundlevel and president for the Elementing enough. But it means a lot of raising procedure, which takes time Care to comment, Whitchurch-Stouffville? tary Teachers' Federation of Ontario children get shortchanged." E-mail letters to the editor to jmason@yrmg.com away from teaching. FUNDRAISING FEVER