READING, WRITING AND FUNDRAISING

Parents say there are too many sales in the curriculum

Steve Bix and happy members of Whitehall Field Hockey Booster Club

"More and more school districts are feeling the pinch for money and looking for any sources they can go to," says Anna Weselak, president of the national Parent Teacher Association. The national group doesn't monitor local activities directly but does recommend that school groups take part in no more than two major fundraising events each year.

Fundraising varies from school to school. Parent groups or school officials make decisions about how and for what to raise money.

Muhlenberg Elementary's principal Turton says schools feel pressure to offer the extras the annoying necessity can provide. "There is a bigger emphasis on trying to do more in schools," he says. "We have to keep kids going all the time and the media they see at home is so fast-paced. We're competing with movies and the Internet. You've got to have extra programs. We have to find ways of motivating them and getting their parents inspired so they will help their kids."

How much?

Muhlenberg Elementary School's fall fundraiser, together with other major and minor events throughout the year, generates about $30,000 a year, about $57 for each of the school's 520 students. The money funds field trips, school assemblies and artist-in-residence programs.

The PTA also buys every graduating fifth-grader a yearbook, in part because it saw a decline in sales of the $10 keepsake as the number of students living at or below the poverty line increased. A decade ago, it was around 7 percent; it is now around 46 percent, according to state figures.

A dozen blocks east of Muhlenberg Elementary, Allentown's Central Elementary School's PTA has a more modest fundraising goal of $840, roughly $1 for every student, says Monisha Knight, who is responsible for reviving the school's dormant PTA. Knight notes that this goal is responsive to economic reality. About 95 percent of the school's students live below the poverty level, according to state education department figures.

"Most fundraisers have a two-week turnaround. Ours has a four-week turnaround, and we're happy if every family can buy one $3.50 candy bar. If they can't, we understand, Most of the families are on tight budgets," says Knight.

In schools run by the Diocese of Allentown, each student pays a fundraising fee, which is separate from a tuition fee and sports fee, says Joseph Kramer Jr., principal of the diocese's Notre Dame High School. All students pay the fundraising fee — currently $725 per year — but can reduce the fee by selling items. Raffle tickets are especially beneficial to students, says Kramer. A student who sells $200 in raffle tickets will have $100 taken off next year's fee.

Fundraising also takes place at private schools, where money usually can be spent on a wide range of school materials.

"We have a wish list, where the faculty and staff put on things they would like to have," says Karen Morton, co-president of the Swain School Association, a group of parent volunteers. "We keep the list handy when we are trying to figure out how the money we raise is spent."

In the past, the association spent money on computers and classroom educational materials, including globes and electronic math devices. The association also contributes to the school's scholarship fund and its capital campaign, which funds building improvements.

The Swain School Association gets most of its fundraising money in the fall, through catalog sales.

Changing strategies

As signs of strain on fundraising efforts appear, schools are searching for new ways to reach out to participants.

"Even though you hate to do it, you do have to ask people to sell stuff," says Joe Dakes, Muhlenberg Elementary School's fundraising chairman, "but we are trying come up with fundraising activities that don't ask parents to buy stuff."

One alternative to the annual fall fundraiser has already started at Muhlenberg. It's called the school's market money program. Other schools, public and private, also use the concept, as do area churches

Parents — or anyone who wants to support the school — buys a debit card from Muhlenberg's PTA president, Joe Altieri each month. The cards, sold in $100 denominations, can be used for purchases at local retail outlets. Muhlenberg's program offers cards from King's IGA, Kohl's Department Stores and paper vouchers from the Allentown Farmers Market. For every $100 bought at the stores, the school gets $5 in return.

"Families like this because this is where they would spend their money anyway," says Altieri. The program is also year-round, not just a once-and-done event.

"Even though participation in the market program is lower than participation in our catalog sales, it accounts for almost as much as our traditional fall fundraisers," Altieri says.

There's hope that other alternatives to traditional fundraisers also can take pressure off students, parents and their relatives.

Steve Bix, a comedy show promoter who lives in Upper Macungie Township, has recently been offering fundraiser comedy evenings to schools. He once targeted only volunteer fire companies and community groups because they usually had their own buildings and, often, liquor licenses. But in recent years, schools groups have been asking him to organize comedy nights to raise funds for them.

"People want something different" says Bix, who has a list of about 500 comics on his call-list, including several who teach school during the day and do stand-up comedy at night. He suspects the teacher-comedians will be a hit at school fundraiser nights.

Bix plans to attend the state PTA's annual convention next April, at the organization's invitation. The convention has been a place where school groups can discuss fundraising efforts with professional fundraising companies.

"I can already see a market for this", says Bix. A recent mailing to PTA groups produced about five dozen responses, the largest single response Bix has received from a mass mailing.

"People are looking for different ways to raise money" he says. "You don't have to turn students into salesmen."

tim.blangger@mcall.com