School related activities giving no notice

**mmy2grls** · 03-24-2009, 11:16 AM

A gripe I have with my daughters school system is that they send home fund raising stuff that requires them to turn money in within a few days. I usually throw this stuff away.

My daughter joined karate after school. I had a week to come up with money for it. I don't mind paying for it cause my daughter is enjoying it.

Ugh, Monday night my daughter "graduated" and got her orange belt. NOW I have to come up with $25 (one day's notice) for her to continue karate.

It's sad to think I need a school money fund set aside to pay for this stuff on short notice.

**Momto2Boyz** · 03-24-2009, 11:34 AM

Our school does the same thing and it totally ticks me off! Two weeks ago, the kids had a field trip. We got the permission slip on Wednesday afternoon and they expected it back (with the $5 fee) on Friday. I mean, $5 is no big deal, but you'd think they'd give at least a weeks notice, so everyone had a few days to remember to get it in!

They do this all the time. It just makes me wonder about the organizational forces behind everything at the school!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 03-24-2009, 11:41 AM

I guess both of my kids have it good because for stuff that has a fee tied to it, I get the forms months in advance. DS5 is going swimming in May for five days and I got the forms the day he went on Spring Break (which was this past Wednesday). School bus fees and the like that DS10 takes part in are sent to me in April or May, and I can postdate the $165 check until September 1st.

I think it might be your particular school system that has a problem with scheduling things in advance. I'd go to a school board open meeting and complain if it was me.

**mommy4ever** · 03-24-2009, 11:44 AM

I think this is typical of most schools. We get it all the time. I actually plan for $40/mo for various activities that pop up. Some months there's nothing, and the money sits there, other months it's crazy. In January I paid over $150 for 2 of the kids, they did skiing, symphony and a play. It's ridiculous! On top of $97 a month for bussing, next year it'll increase to $130. What to do? I also have a savings for their school fees for the beginning of the year, in September, I'll have to pay out over $500. SO I just put away $50 month. Not much I can do. At least here mostly everything is paid for, 2 are in Catholic school, and 2 are in an almost private school with special programming, but it's public. THey do need to go through an interview process, excellent.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 03-24-2009, 11:49 AM

Yeah we have a school fund that will take care of all of the fees for the next school year that we're paying into right now. A bus fee for DS10, an in-school lunch program fee for DS5 (because you better believe it, I'm getting my butt out from 8:30 to 3:30 five days a week this Fall), school clothes, etc.

**mmy2grls** · 03-24-2009, 11:50 AM

I think I will go to a school board meeting and bring this up.

**2ndGenGranola** · 03-24-2009, 12:32 PM

First, please make sure that you have not received any notices and there is no oversight.

As a former music teacher I can assure you that there is at least one in every group that for what ever reason misses the hand outs.

I remember the last time as if it were yesterday. Parent grabs me in the hall and is screaming about me not notifying them of their child's performance and blah, blah, blah (can't print that part). I went all the way back to the first week of school when the first notice went out (this was now Christmas) and started listing every notice that went out -- that included carry homes and mail outs -- shoot, it was even on the school calendar hanging on just about every fridge and the monthly newsletter.