Michelle's Obama's Bill could quash school bake sales

This might be a little off topic, but my question is why, with all the money government, tax-funded schools receive, there are ANY fundraisers EVER? If the public schools spent their money wisely they wouldn't have to saddle 5 year olds with boxes of cookie dough, candy bars, braided bread, etc. and ask them to sell them to their neighbors and their parent's co-workers. I hated it when fund-raising was forced on my kids. Some schools are finally giving parents the option of "donating" a certain $$ amount at the beginning of the school year so their kids don't have to go door-to-door selling that stuff that quite honestly, is a HUGE money-maker for the fundraising companies.

The purpose of the fund raisers were to teach children to work for corporate America. Now it is time to only work for PC corporations. No alcohol, no tobacco, and no sugar or fat.

travelingirl wrote: This might be a little off topic, but my question is why, with all the money government, tax-funded schools receive, there are ANY fundraisers EVER? If the public schools spent their money wisely they wouldn't have to saddle 5 year olds with boxes of cookie dough, candy bars, braided bread, etc. and ask them to sell them to their neighbors and their parent's co-workers. I hated it when fund-raising was forced on my kids. Some schools are finally giving parents the option of "donating" a certain $$ amount at the beginning of the school year so their kids don't have to go door-to-door selling that stuff that quite honestly, is a HUGE money-maker for the fundraising companies.

Most fundraisers are for extra-curricular activities. The football team sells discount cards to raise money to pay for uniforms, equipment and bus rides. The band has fundraisers for similar items. Each year, the activities budget has been reduced in Jeffco, while the number of extracurricular events has increased. Each activity is getting less from a shrinking pie. That's why they have fundraisers.

My kids participated in many school fund raisers that were not extra-curricular activities. So many that it was embarrassing. Do I support my kids and harass my neighbors? Fortunately, many of my neighbors were in the same boat and we bought each other's school items. It is so nice that government/corporate partnerships extort money out of us using our children.

daisypusher wrote: The purpose of the fund raisers were to teach children to work for corporate America. Now it is time to only work for PC corporations. No alcohol, no tobacco, and no sugar or fat.

I think we should force all children to sell MMJ licenses and spilt the fee with the state and school district. After they sell the MMJ licenses, they can have a all natural only bake sales and then sell MMJ brownies. It's really natural and healthy product and will fit right in with the Obama and Colorado Democrats agenda.

I agree that some fundraisers are for extra-curricular activies. So any idea why 1st graders have to do it? I don't think extra-curricular events start for them until at least middle school. The fees and required items each student has to bring, ie. boxes of Kleenex, containers of anti-bacterial wipes, pencils, notebooks, paper, pens, erasers, markers, backpacks, not to mention new jeans, shoes, etc., makes the start of the school year really difficult for so many families, especially when there are 2 or more school-aged children. Then right out of the gate, the fund-raisers start. And the "prizes" that only a few win are ridiculous compared to the work involved in getting the stuff sold. It stresses families out. I've seen it first hand.

Trust me - the fundraising companies LOVE little kids! They line their pockets with a huge percentage of the profits...it's disgusting and even worse that school administrators buy in to it!

I was not aware that fundraising was done in first grade. My kids are older and, as I said, their fundraising activities are tied to extracurricular activities. Maybe the elementary fundraisers are for library books?

Scruffy wrote: I was not aware that fundraising was done in first grade. My kids are older and, as I said, their fundraising activities are tied to extracurricular activities. Maybe the elementary fundraisers are for library books?

Maybe so...but should that responsibility be placed on the shoulders of a 5 year old? And in reality, it's placed on the hard-working, tax-paying, already-stressed-out parents.

travelingirl wrote:

Scruffy wrote: I was not aware that fundraising was done in first grade. My kids are older and, as I said, their fundraising activities are tied to extracurricular activities. Maybe the elementary fundraisers are for library books?

Maybe so...but should that responsibility be placed on the shoulders of a 5 year old? And in reality, it's placed on the hard-working, tax-paying, already-stressed-out parents.

The question we should be asking is "why do schools need to fundraise for activities that are not extracurricular?" Shouldn't these be part of the school budget?