SHOW ME THE MONEY: What do our PTA Funds Go Towards?
Author: Courtney Summers
(Co-Treasurer, Spirit Wear Co-Chair)
Crushing fundraising goals feels amazing, and gathering with our school community warms the heart, but sometimes after the big event hype fades, we all get back to our daily stresses. Many lose touch with where the funds actually went and how much it all cost.
After being with the North Hi Mount community and our PTA for seven years, the shopping became my happy place. Sure, it has its ups and downs, especially when something is asked for that wasn't voted on by our PTA or an item comes in way over budget. But the moments when we get to outfit that classroom with the supplies they needed, overhaul the library, or build a playground for thousands of kids to use for decades, really is magical.
Sure, we as a PTA have standard “bills” and requests each year, and those take up a good 60-70% of our spend. The Teacher Appreciation Events, the AR software, teacher supplies, Room Parent party support, clubs and about 50 other line items on our budget. Unless you comb through our budget analysis reports on Friday nights, it can be overwhelming. But what about the big projects? How much do those cost, and how do they get decided on?
The Bigger Projects
This past fall, the PTA Board voted on how to spend $15,000 we had stored in a miscellaneous category in the budget. We had a change in administration at the end of last school year and felt like we wanted fresh conversations and insight from the new admin team before we spent such a large amount of money. Principal Murphy worked with teachers and staff to review surveys they submitted based on their most needed items, we challenged the board to submit proposals and present on their wish list items, and it took those two groups coming together to finalize and approve the projects. Also, upon re-assessing some categories we knew weren't going to spend their allotted budget, we moved a little more around to give us a total of $17,062 to vote on to spend. We voted on moving forward with these three big ticket items:
OUR FALL 2021 Big Ticket Items
Library Furniture & Supplies
Requested by: Librarian Barbara Leonard
Total Amount Requested: $7,022
Project Overview: Our new librarian did a full assessment of our library and immediately began outlining a multi-phased plan to get it up to Texas state standards (number of books, types of books, and recent published dates), provide a Makerspace, and replace the furniture with light, easy-to-move furniture that will provide our school with numerous configuration options as activities change. We have already purchased the chairs and tables through Demco and begun helping Mr. Homer assemble them. Makerspace supplies were purchased through Amazon in November, and this spring we’ll work with Mrs. Leonard to purchase the books.
Outdoor Picnic Benches & Umbrellas
Requested by: Principal Murphy
Total Amount Requested: $2,880 ($4,000 was already in the budget, but we allocated more to cover five umbrellas and three more benches at $6,880 total)
Project Overview: At the request of our previous principal, Dr. Blanchard, and all teachers, the PTA purchased seven outdoor benches in 2019. These outdoor spaces for kids to eat lunch, hang with their friends, or even teachers to use as an outdoor class have been a huge hit with the whole campus. We were asked to add three more tables and outfit half the now 10 tables with umbrellas, so we went back to our original vendor, Whirlix, who worked on the playground with us, sold us the swings, the zipline, and our Be Kind benches to make these new purchases. The umbrellas just arrived last week, and we are waiting on the benches. We can’t wait to grow this space!
Playground Gate
Requested by: PTA Board
Total Amount Requested: $7,160 ($1,000 was already in the budget, and when we looked at the type of entrance we wanted, we agreed we had to do it right. Project total was $8,160)
Project Overview: When we received our KaBOOM grant a few years back that built the beautiful playground we have today, one item we promised we’d have is a pedestrian entrance that was ADA compliant. The KaBOOM team and Forester’s Financial were able to add a crushed granite walkway and FWISD put in a larger gate, but we as a PTA made a promise and wanted to find a way to get it done as soon as we could. This time was now, and we wanted an entrance that honored the grandness of the playground, kept kids safe, but also invited neighborhood children in and matched the architectural styling of our historic building. Thanks to Shep’s Fencing & Outdoor Living, our dream has come true, and the project was completed the last week of December 2021.
This project will always hold a special place in our hearts as the husband/wife team who owns Shep’s Fencing, Leah and Ryan Shepard, lost their teenage daughter unexpectedly on December 29, 2021, right when the gate was being completed. Reece was able to see the gate a few days before she passed and told her parents how proud she was of their work. The PTA and North Hi Mount staff want to honor Reece and the Shepard family, so a plaque will be installed on the brick in honor of Reece.
We don’t know where we would be without these amazing vendors who work with us on our tight budgets and specific requirements. They truly make these bigger projects run so smoothly, but our biggest thank you goes out to every single person who has supported our school, whether it’s with your time or your ideas or your donation. It all helps and adds up, and it makes bigger projects like this possible.
Hopefully this gave you a little more insight into where the funds go and the process to get there after the big fundraising event or spirit wear sale… immediately back into our gem of a school for all to enjoy. And we hope you do for years to come.