Fun Run and Public School Funding

As we gear up for the Coyote Fun Run, I started thinking about how our school is funded and all the questions surrounding fund raising and Public School Finance.

• Why do we need to raise money?


• Do we need money because of the state financial crisis?


• Where does the money from the Fun Run go?


• How does my child benefit?

Texas public schools receive money from the state based on a complicated formula. Most of the money we receive comes from local property tax and state sales tax and is used to cover operations costs and salaries. A small amount of discretionary money (called Site-Based funds) is distributed to each campus to be used for supplies. After we cover some basic needs such as office supplies, library needs, and computer maintenance there is about $10,000 left for classroom supplies. With over 30 teachers on campus, each classroom receives less than $300 for supplies. Elementary schools in Texas have never received substantial amounts of site-based funds from the state, and our need for fund raising is not directly tied to the recent budget crisis.

With such a small amount of money coming in from the state for supplies we have to turn to extra sources of income if we are going to equip our classrooms with excellent tools for learning. Fundraising is one way to get big ticket items such as smart boards, digital cameras, and laptop computers. We hope to raise enough money from the Coyote Fun Run this year to provide some new technology tools for our scholars in every grade level. If we reach our goal, you can expect to see these new tools in place and used this school year.