Last year we gave $1000 to a $5000 dollar project. It is still pretty much intact. The district gave the other $4000 and their employees bringing things to our school think nothing of driving onto the grass that had to be replanted because of this kind of destructive behavior. We have repeatedly asked for someone to help with this but when your PTO has only 2 parents, some things have to get put to the back burner. I really don't think we will do anything like this again because everything neat we try gets stolen or destroyed and there is always something that would benefit the children to be done and not just the appearance of the school.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
We usually dont budget for this- its on an as needed basis- though I recommend it each year because there is always some need. Fortunately we have extras we can work with- the past couple of years the BOE has had mulch available(so they say LOL) - yet when we try to arrange for pick up we can never get a straight answer so we end up buying it ourself. We do this when school begins and again in the spring. We have bought flowers and shrubbery though we have had it donated the past 2 years. We try to get a crew together for these and clean up around the school too. Our 5th graders pick one day each spring to help spruce up the outside too- this has worked well.
We just finished our Talent Show with all proceeds going to school beautification. We generally donate about $1,000.00 a year.
As far as a workforce...When the weather clears, the principal will pick a Saturday, advertise that it is a work day, lists what needs to be done, and amazingly enough, all the work gets done. We use everyone, girl scouts, boy scouts, parents, (luckily we have a few generous contractors who are parents and really help). In addition to this, out 8th graders (we are a k-8), use some of the money they raise with their spaghetti feed to do a large progect at school (rebuild a deck, paint a mural).
How many of you either finance or provide some sort of school beautification program? If so, how much do you fiance per year or was it a one shot deal?
This would include funding of shrubbery,flowers and gardens and the general upkeep and beautification of the outside of your schools. Do you have a club at your school or maybe some parents or girl scouts or boy scouts who help do this.
