PTOs put foot down on building use fees
Parent groups push back on building use fees from school district in Lakeland, Florida.
Pare
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ent groups in Lakeland, Florida received good news recently when the school district backed off a policy that charged PTOs fees for hosting events at school facilities.
The fees ticked off many parents who felt the schools shouldn’t take money from the groups, which are raising money on behalf of the schools. As it was aptly described in a published report, this was essentially a case of a school district “biting the hand the feeds them.’’
In The Ledger.com news story, one parent called the fees “criminal,’’ noting, “you’re doing something for the good of the school and they are going to turn around and charge you? Every dime goes for the benefit of the school.’’ Apparently, things became heated in Lakeland a few weeks back when some parent leaders went public with their concerns about this policy, which went into effect in July 2011. The policy is intended to cover utility expenses when organizations used school facilities for events.
While it might make sense to charge outside organizations, PTOs and PTAs are only using the facilities to support their schools. Parent groups are part of the core school mission – to make a better educational experience for the kids. All the research shows that parent involvement improves schools and helps both students and teachers perform better. A parent group is not an outside organization like local businesses or youth groups and shouldn't be treated that way. Would a school expect a teacher, cafeteria worker, or secretary to pitch in for the oil bill each month?
In Lakeland, it sounds like the school district made the right choice. It determined it would not charge PTOs for the remainder of this year and will likely make an official change to the policy for the next school year. It also gave refunds to some of the PTOs that had been charged fees in recent weeks.
The fees ticked off many parents who felt the schools shouldn’t take money from the groups, which are raising money on behalf of the schools. As it was aptly described in a published report, this was essentially a case of a school district “biting the hand the feeds them.’’
In The Ledger.com news story, one parent called the fees “criminal,’’ noting, “you’re doing something for the good of the school and they are going to turn around and charge you? Every dime goes for the benefit of the school.’’ Apparently, things became heated in Lakeland a few weeks back when some parent leaders went public with their concerns about this policy, which went into effect in July 2011. The policy is intended to cover utility expenses when organizations used school facilities for events.
While it might make sense to charge outside organizations, PTOs and PTAs are only using the facilities to support their schools. Parent groups are part of the core school mission – to make a better educational experience for the kids. All the research shows that parent involvement improves schools and helps both students and teachers perform better. A parent group is not an outside organization like local businesses or youth groups and shouldn't be treated that way. Would a school expect a teacher, cafeteria worker, or secretary to pitch in for the oil bill each month?
In Lakeland, it sounds like the school district made the right choice. It determined it would not charge PTOs for the remainder of this year and will likely make an official change to the policy for the next school year. It also gave refunds to some of the PTOs that had been charged fees in recent weeks.
