Budget Surplus

Why do we have a budget surplus? When COVID affected our communities, the PTO continued to fundraise, but due to lockdown rules much of that money was not spent. Since this happened, there is $83,795.27 in the budget surplus.

If we have a surplus, why are we fundraising? The Board has had conversations on pausing fundraising due to the surplus, but ultimately, we believe to keep fundraising is a good long-term strategy. As one of our former fundraising VPs put it, “Fundraising is like a muscle—if you stop using it, it’s much harder to rebuild.” If we relied solely on the surplus to fund PTO events and initiatives for a year or two, there is a real risk that taking a long break could make it harder to restart and sustain community giving in the future.

What are we planning to do with the surplus? Per community and administrative input, the Budget Surplus Committee proposes funding an outdoor water station, gaga pit, communication board for the playground, a new sound system for the multi-purpose room, garden boxes and carnival equipment. The committee also proposes using surplus money towards the following ongoing projects: t-shirts for incoming students, student in need fund (in the event Angel Funds are discontinued) and an academic support fund open to teacher and community requests.

The PTO Board has issued a preliminary approval on the proposal (keeping community input that has been received through previous years in mind); we are working with the Holmes and D97 administration to finalize the plan and schedule improvements.

Here is a breakdown on how the money has been used so far: