Many parents in our school own their own businesses. Over time the parents with these businesses began experience other parents stating "conflict of interest" when the PTers paid for their services even though no one would volunteer for the same items. Many got upset during meetings when the subject of paying a parent for services instead of going outside of the school ~ parent involvement has suffered due to those outbursts. I guess what I am trying to say is - one bad moment will oust you from many parent owned business opportunities and their connections in the community. If you do choose to use a parent's services remember to get two quotes for their one, publish everything and do everything in your power to help them when the going gets ruff ...

Thank you for your input. We will be discussing this at tonights meeting. Although we've asked parents with businesses to let us know they are out there, they don't. I guess they are afraid we will "abuse them" in asking for free stuff. Which is opposite of what we would do. For the parents that have businesses, if they offer prices in line with others, we will give them the business before any others! We'll put out a letter asking for assistance from anyone with a business or machinery and then go from there.

I don't think " bribing" is a great idea. It sets a standard that tells your parents " we will pay you if you work for the school".. you may create an ugly monster where they will always expect a " payment" for their time.. I wouldn't even open that can of worms.

I think contacting a landscape company is a great idea.. even better if a parent owns one. Perhaps strike a deal where you pay for the mulch, and they provide the labor.. Another thing is to tell them you will get local papers/tv station to do a story on it when they are there.. that is BIG $$ worth of FREE advertising for them, so they may do it for you.

I also agree with the comment about national honor society students.. they always need community service hours. Another one would be a college sports team, fraternity or dorm.. if you have a college near you.

On the other hand.. if you want the PARENTS to step up.. if you wrap your whole playscape area with yellow caution tape, and you send a flyer home that says the kids can't play on it until parents finish the job.. maybe they will come.......

I have a problem with trying to bribe people, most of the time it won't even help! Face it if you have a parent who wants to help they are going to do it because they want to, if they are doing it to get a free movie pass that is the wrong reason!
Kinda ranks up there with doing door prizes, refreshmants and all those things to try to get people at meetings. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't! I have never found it to work.
I do believe in doing little extra things, like during the holiday shop week we have donuts and coffee. Then a couple days we also have pizza for lunch, so during the year we do things like that just to say we appreciate your time. Game day the principal cooks hot dogs for the volunteers, things like that.
Why not try to make it a dads day??

We had a similar situation last year and just asked around until we found a parent who had some equipment. He had a landscaping business and they came out with machinery and spread it (gravel) in about three hours vs. days & days by hand...we had 17 dump truck loads delivered! I wonder if you could check around & see if there's a local business or a parent who owns such a business that could help you out....

I would think that if you offered the prize to the child and made it worth their while, they would bug the parents to do it. Then maybe offer the parents that show an entry for a gas card raffle. As high as gas prices are, these things are golden right now.

Or go to your local high school and contact their NHS coordinator. They need to have community service hours, so does the Key Club. Older Girl Scouts need hours for their Silver/Gold awards. Maybe even contact your local police department, they issue required hours for punishment for juveniles. The kids won't be happy, but the work will get done and the police department would moniter them, you wouldn't have to.