Schools

Leggee Gets Funding Boost From Parents

PTA helps school raise money for everything from field trips to technology in the classroom.

Leggee Elementary School is getting a nice influx of monies, totaling $27,000, that will help fund things being cut in other districts, like field trips and technology for classrooms.

The extra cash came from efforts by Leggee’s PTA members who organized a Fun Run that raised just over $24,000 and one parent who spearheaded an online campaign for a Kleenex contest that helped the school win $5,000.

“I can’t say enough things about my PTA,” Leggee Principal Scott Iddings said. “They are the hardest working people I know and are so committed to working with students here and staff.”

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Both the fundraiser and the contest will help the school pay for  field trips and other activities so parents will either not have to contribute or will contribute very little, maybe $1 or $2, Iddings said.

As school districts throughout the state continue to struggle amid a budget crisis in Springfield, cuts are limiting what schools can offer students. The situation is not dire in Consolidated District 158, but PTAs can help schools fill the gap left as state funding dwindles.

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A big boost from Kleenex, Fun Run

Leggee came in among the top 100 schools in the country with the most online votes for the Kleenex contest. PTA mom Anitra Willis played a key role in getting enough support to win the contest.

“She initiated it and she kept plugging away at it and got the word out there and it worked out for us,” Iddings said.  “We are excited.”

Kleenex confirmed with Iddings that the school won and will be sending out a check in a few weeks. The $5,000 will be divided among the grade levels to offset the cost for parents, which Iddings is very happy about, he said. “It’s a small amount but in today’s dollars, it can be significant for some families,” he said.

The Fun Run raised just over $24,000 and the school is keeping about $22,000 after the PTA covers its costs for prizes and equipment, Iddings said. The PTA did the Fun Run themselves so the school did not have to pay a third party to handle the fundraiser.  

The money raised goes toward field trips, assemblies, reading programs, D.A.R.E. graduation, technology and other costs like school events, PTA Secretary Kate Darnall said. It all goes back to Leggee, she said.

“We were very pleased with the results and we will try it again next year,” Iddings said, adding other schools may try to do fundraisers in-house to save money. “It is probably worth the time and small investment to do it.”

D158 is doing better than other school districts and has not made the drastic cuts other districts have had to make, he said.

Yet, funding is always a concern. “You are never sure what the economy is going to be like in the next six to 12 months. It’s always a concern,” Iddings said.

Investing in technology

Leggee has managed to avoid major cuts but neither the district nor the school has enough money for technology in the classrooms. That’s where the PTA once again stepped in to help by purchasing Smart boards for classrooms.

Iddings would love to have more money for technology but must spend funds on maintaining what the school already has, he said. There isn't enough money to go around for high tech equipment, however,  last spring, the school installed five Smart board donated by the PTA. This year, Leggee hopes to be able to add more Smart boards if the PTA has enough money, he said.

There is so much technology out there, Darnall said.  The Smart boards are a few thousand dollars each, she said.

“It’s a really big thing we as a PTA was excited about doing over the past couple of years,” she said. “We are all excited, the teachers are excited and the kids love it.”

“If we have the money, we help them and in turn, it helps the kids,” Darnall said.

The PTA is volunteer driven and Darnall and Iddings find families are supportive of the group.

“I am always surprised at the generosity of our parents and the school,” Iddings said. “You know people are struggling out there. The families here are wonderfully generous.”


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