(11/5) The Town Council dismissed a proposal by the Thurmont Elementary, Primary, and Middle schools’ Parents and Teachers Associations (PTA) to increase the percentage of funds collected during their Colorfest parking fundraiser that goes to the PTAs to offset the rising cost of school lunch and extracurricular programs.
Christy Donnelly provided an overview of the recent struggle to maintain membership in the PTAs as a result of COVID, and with it, a decline in volunteers to raise funds to support the children in Thurmont schools. She went on to highlight the numerous programs and costs the PTA support, such as offsetting the fees associated with field trips and funding science and educational assemblies.
Donnelly brought to the council’s attention the drastic increase in the number of children that qualify for free or reduced lunches, from 38% to over 50% since the onset of COVID. She explained that the PTAs serve as a main source of monetary relief for these children, as they help cover the costs of overdrawn lunch accounts for children whose families are unable to pay, making sure no child goes hungry.
As a result of the severe lack of funds, Donnelly said that the PTAs are no longer able to offer free field trips. In addition, the PTAs are now pressed to fund many other school programs, such as vaccine and wellness clinics.
To help offset the funding shortfall; Donnelly requested a reduction in the per-car fees collected by the town from the Colorfest parking on middle and elementary school grounds to allow the PTAs to utilize those funds to support children at Thurmont schools.
Donnelly noted that as a result of the 519 cars parked at the elementary school, $7,785 was collected by PTA volunteers, of which $4 per car, totaling $2,085, was given to the town, leaving $5,700 for the PTAs. The PTA was asking that the fee collected by the town be reduced to $2/car which would result in an additional $1,000 going to PTA school uses.
Mayor Kinnaird however rejected the request, stating: "Stop referring to the town of Thurmont as taking money from the PTAs, that is not what we’re doing." Kinnaird, said that the PTAs agreed to provide the town $4/car when they secured the permit."
Donnelly suggested the town could recoup lost PTA parking fees by increasing the permit costs to for-profit vendors. However, the Town Council refused to budge despite pleas from both the principal of Thurmont Middle School and other PTA members
Kinnaird questioned what percentage of the students in the Thurmont schools actually reside in-district while Commissioner Buehrer said that the PTA were "not going to get an empathetic ear" from the board.
In addressing the issue of children needing support to cover school lunches in the Walkersville schools, the town of Walkersville recently approved a total donation of $15,750, with $6,000 directed towards school lunch programs and $9,750 to provide a stop gap in funds to cover the costs of supplying food for weekend meals to students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.
