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Original poster

charging for school disco's, wwyd?

158 replies

charity2 · 01/02/2012 17:01

Tickets for the primary school disco are charged at £3 each. Approx £2.00 of that covers the drink, snack and dj costs for each child and the other £1 is profit for the school.

I am thinking that bearing in mind that £1 from each ticket is profit towards the school then the charge for tickets should be £3 for your 1st child and £2 for each additional child. I know it seems petty but there are many parents with more than 1 child and I think its a bit unfair to profit more than once from the same parents.

I am helping to organise this and want to suggest it but not sure how everyone will feel. I know that many people are struggling at the moment and to save £1 might not seem like much but for those with 3-4 children it all adds up.

OP posts:
Pandemoniaa · 01/02/2012 17:53

PS. I hate to be pedantic but "disco's" what? You appear to have a rogue apostrophe in your title.

cottonmouth · 01/02/2012 17:57

And to be equally pedantic, the apostrophe could be standing in for the missing theque.

Pandemoniaa · 01/02/2012 17:58

True cottonmouth.

toutlemonde · 01/02/2012 17:58

Kids at the school would benefit most if they were able to attend and enjoy the social side of school without worrying if their parents could afford to send them, or even missing events because of the cost. It's such a rubbish situation when schools use every opportunity to fundraise at the expense of the parents. I was completely amazed to find this the case at DS's school - we had moved from a different primary down the road which was the exact opposite. PTA funds paid for the events rather than profiting from them, and always subsidised children from families with lower incomes, so they weren't alienated from others and still able to get the most out of all the fun and educational stuff that schools can offer.

fuzzpig · 01/02/2012 18:02

It's not profits for the hell of it, PTA money goes on resources for your DCs - books, footballs, maths equipment...

toutlemonde · 01/02/2012 18:07

I know what gets done with the money, I just think the kids being able to go to the football club without worrying about the cost would be of more benefit that shiny new footballs for example. Its always such piddling amounts of money too - by all means ask for cash donations to the school funds to pay for stuff, but don't add a surcharge on every event so that those who are from poorer families get stigmatised or stung every time.

Pandemoniaa · 01/02/2012 18:09

It's not "fundraising at the expense of parents" though is it? It is fundraising on behalf of the children at the school. Something that is becoming ever more necessary in these days of the Bollocking Big Society. Also, where did the funds come from to subsidise children from families with lower incomes, toutlemonde? I'm assuming the very sort of fundraising events you describe as alienating!

EssentialFattyAcid · 01/02/2012 18:12

I think £3 per child is pretty cheap, even if you have 4 kids.

What other activity can you send kids to that is so cheap? And it's a one-off. Presumably if you are in real poverty you can ask the head teacher for free tickets as for most school activities?

SuchProspects · 01/02/2012 18:13

None of the parents who send their kids have to do it, nor do they have to send all their kids each time (I can see that might be difficult, though my brother and I wouldn't have been seen dead at the same disco at that age!).

You're providing something some people want for a fee a bit above cost so that the extra can go to your fund. If you were just asking for a contribution for no return I think it would be more appropriate - but each of the children will be gaining from going to the disco. This isn't really a donation on the part of the parents, they (or possibly the kids from their pocket money) are paying for a service that is hopefully worth more to them than it costs you to put on.

I don't think what you are suggesting is particularly wrong, but I think it will lead to less successful fundraising and isn't inherently fairer.

toutlemonde · 01/02/2012 18:18

I guess the school were mainly fundraising from grant giving bodies, local industry, or possibly more discreetly from parents with more cash. All I know is they were doing their damnest to make things free or affordable and not adding pennies onto the actual cost of running events, so e.g. a local football club provided a free breakfast club, free football class and football tickets as prizes for children working hard. The PTA worked hard to put events like the disco on themselves or get volunteers without buying in DJs, bought really cheap crisps in bulk and sold them at cost price of 10p.

HappyMummyOfOne · 01/02/2012 18:22

Unfair on those with only one child. Those with multiples are taking far more from the school than those with just one child so why shouldnt they pay the same? Parents can choose not to send them if they dont feel they can afford.

People who chose to have children know they come with expenses so shouldnt winge about those costs.

lockets · 01/02/2012 18:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cottonmouth · 01/02/2012 18:40

Why should everything be free? Why can't parents pay for their children to have breakfast?

If you can't afford it don't have children and/or don't send them to activities. Don't expect someone else to always have to pay for your brats. They have enough trouble paying for their own.

Original poster
charity2 · 01/02/2012 18:41

Happymum, no one is wingeing about costs, I am trying to think up a fairer way of doing things that doest impact on some parents more than others. I too agree with lockets and would like to know how you feel about those kids that dont want to attend the school disco. Should their parents be billed for the £1 profit so that they have equally contributed to the school pta like all the other kids parents of those who attended the disco or should their kids be excluded from benefiting from the money raised at the disco?

And as for someones comparison earlier about buying new coats and expecting the 2nd and 3rd for free, well, what a stupid comparison. The 2nd and 3rd children at the disco wouldnt be getting in for free, or listening to the dj for free or eating snack for free, they would have paid £3 of which £2 covers the cost of all these things and the extra £1 is profit for the pta. Please read properly.

OP posts:
Original poster
charity2 · 01/02/2012 18:44

cottonmouth, I'm not suggesting anything is free. Feel a bit like I'm banging my head against a brick wall here, many posters havent read my op properly. Each child will be fully paying towards the cost of dj, snacks etc in their £3 fee even though the cost comes to £2. Therefore £1 of their fee is going to the pta.

OP posts:
Original poster
charity2 · 01/02/2012 18:46

cottonmouth, how old are you? you are behaving like a childish teenager. Not all children are brats, although going off the tone of your posts maybe you are surrounded by brats more than most, it seems to be rubbing off on you.

OP posts:
cottonmouth · 01/02/2012 18:46

There is no such thing as fair. If you cut the cost for some families, you increase it for others.

Who is to say that the family of the single child is not making a huge sacrifice? Why should they pay more per head than affluent bigger families?

Personally, I think the best way to handle PTA events is to have a basic admission cost and then to charge for extras, and have a raffle. The extra charges can be borne by those who can afford them.

This is how it works at my DD's school. We take part in most activities, but certainly do not pay for everything going. We don't feel that we have missed out and are happy for the wealthier folks to make their 'voluntary' contributions. My kids are used to hearing the word "no" and do not throw a hissy fit when they don't get everything they want.

cottonmouth · 01/02/2012 18:47

Lose an argument - make personal attacks.

Why don't you stick to the points?

Original poster
charity2 · 01/02/2012 18:49

I do stick to the points cottonmouth. You would find it easier if you read the points more carefully and worded your posts a little more mature.

OP posts:
EssentialFattyAcid · 01/02/2012 18:49

I think £3 is a bargain whether or not it includes a £1 donation to the PTA - whose money all goes back to benefits for the children anyway, surely, including subsidising other school trips.

Why make such a fuss over £1 or £2, OP?

lockets · 01/02/2012 18:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cottonmouth · 01/02/2012 18:50

Why did you call me a teen if you were sticking to the point. Is my age bracket relevent to the point you are trying to make?

Original poster
charity2 · 01/02/2012 18:53

Essential, I am not asking about this for myself, I am helping to organise it. It doesnt affect me personally either way. It may only be £1, £2 or £3 extra which may seem nothing to most people but to some families (when money is asked for constantly for various things) it all adds up. I dont think its a fuss, its just an idea to see if its fair to ask some parents to contribute towards pta and not others (ie, those whose children attend disco pay towards pta but those that dont go dont contribute, is it fair for 1 set of parents to contribute 2 or 3 times, in addition to the cost of the disco)

OP posts:
Original poster
charity2 · 01/02/2012 18:55

cottonmouth, maybe your age is not relevant, I shouldnt have insulted teenagers by assuming you are one. Not all teenagers are childish enough to come out with comments such as yours. To all teenagers - I apologise.

Cottonmouth, your comments are not childish, I apologise, they are ignorant.

OP posts:
3rdnparty · 01/02/2012 18:56

we only charge 50p entry for ours then psa sells drinks/sweet/popcorn glowsticks to cover the costs of dj although last one luckily a parent did the dj'ing so we made a lot more money- but ours is seen as social for the kids end of term thing rather than big money earner and we wouldn't want to put people off by charging too much for those with lots of kids at the school........