As we gear up the Coyote Fun Run, I started thinking about how our school is funded and all the questions surrounding Fund Raising and Public School Finance. - Why do we need to raise money?
- Do we need money because of the state financial crisis?
- Where does the money from the fun run go?
- How does my child benefit?
Texas Public Schools are mostly financed through a complicated formula the combines local property tax and state sales tax. Districts are paid from the state based on the number of students in attendance. Most of the money goes to salaries, maintenance, and operation costs. A small amount of discretionary money (called Site-Based funds) flows to each campus. The campus Site-Based committee decides how some of this money is spent. After basic office supplies, library books, and a few other basic things are covered, we have about $10,000 for teaching supplies each year. With over 30 teachers on campus, you end up with less than $300 for each classroom. That doesn't go far.
If we are going to supply our classrooms with tools for learning, we have to turn to extra sources of income. Fundraising is one way to get big ticket items like our playground addition, smart boards, and laptop computers. We hope to raise enough money from the Coyote Fun Run this year to provide some new technology tools for our scholars in every grade level. If we reach our goal, you can expect to see some of these new tools in place this school year.
