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PRESIDENT’S TWO CENTS
Happy Monday! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. We are are sending out this newsletter in between our scheduled bi-weekly issues in order to vote on our annual budget. Thank you to those who attended our first monthly meeting last week. If you have not already seen it, we went live on Facebook (link here)! We will try go live again for our next meeting, October 6th, but will try be a little more savvy with it next time, LOL – thank you for your patience (I hope to a meeting manager in place by then to assist me)!
The main topic of our monthly meeting was the budget (and programming) review. Based on feedback from members during the meeting and further discussion among the Executive Board, we revised the original draft and, as discussed in the meeting, are now putting forward a version for a digital membership vote. It is important to know two things: (1) the PTSA is prevented from moving forward with any business until the annual budget is approved; and (2) any budget amendment can be proposed during any future monthly meeting.
One addition to the budget since the original draft is the provision of free t-shirts for the entire staff and student-body. “Uniforms” and school “swag” have long since provided the sociological phenomenon of belonging and camaraderie among people everywhere – it is a simple gesture that can sometimes carry profound meaning, especially if an expenditure like this is a challenge for a family or one is new to this country. Additionally, our staff has been through so much during “Covid” and in preparing for and being in our building with our students day in and day out – this is a token of appreciation.
Some line items, such as those in the operating budget, we were able to derive a bit more easily using actual previous costs. Other line items, such as those under Instructional Support, School-Morale, Community Support, and Fundraising, are more challenging to determine because some of this programming will be new. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring in more income than we indicated, but we wanted to be conservative for budgeting. It is also important to note that this budget still has us ending this school year with a very large surplus. We ultimately want to spend most of what we bring in, while effectively planning cash flow from year to year, because we are not a fundraising organization, but an educational advocacy organization that raises money to support its school-community programs – we need to use the money, not sit on it. So, we will plan to recommend amendments to the budget if needed during the year, but we need to start somewhere now.
You will find the budget here and in the Google voting form (link below). Only PTSA members are eligible to vote, please register here. If you were a member last school year, that is active until October 31.
It is a simple “yes” or “no” vote. CLICK HERE TO VOTE. The deadline to vote is tonight, Monday, September 13 at midnight.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me here.
Peace,
Kim Lanoue