• What does the Peirce PTO do?
    The Peirce PTO is an independent, volunteer-run, nonprofit organization committed to enriching our children’s elementary school experience, supporting the Peirce staff, and fostering a sense of community at our school.  

    In pursuit of our mission, the PTO organizes and funds educational activities and supports for students and staff, hosts events, facilitates communication between the school and caregivers, marshals volunteer support for classrooms, and generally serves as a resource for all members of our community. All staff and caregivers of students at Peirce are automatically members of the Peirce PTO upon entry, meaning you are welcome and encouraged (but not obliged) to participate and engage in PTO activities.

  • What does the PTO spend money on?
    Consistently, the largest line-item of the Peirce PTO’s budget is Creative Arts & Sciences (CAS) programming. The PTO is dedicated to bringing high-quality, highly relevant, and carefully planned arts and sciences programming to all Peirce students. Additionally, the PTO provides a range of support to the school, staff, and community – see below for more information.

    For the school year 2023-24, the Peirce PTO is forecasted to spend $55,773 in total (approximately $234 per student) on…
    • $17,000 (30%) – Creative Arts & Sciences programs (3 enrichment programs for all students in each grade plus a school-wide performing arts program)
    • $9,550 (17%) – Community events & programs (e.g., Back to School Picnic, Movie Night, 4th & 5th Grade Dance, Multicultural Night, Family Dance)
    • $8,050 (14%) – School support (e.g., teacher & staff appreciation initiatives and events, grounds clean-up efforts, building improvements, etc.)
    • $6,600 (12%) – Teacher & principal support (e.g., stipends to support the cost of supplies)
    • $4,770 (9%) – Educational enrichment initiatives (e.g., library books, anti-bias workshops, Community Impact initiatives)
    • $4,760 (9%) – Technology purchases for the building and classrooms (e.g., projectors, document cameras, charging carts)
    • $4,043 (7%) – The PTO’s operating budget (While powered exclusively by volunteers, the PTO is an independent nonprofit organization and requires a small operating budget for accounting software, the website, insurance, and the like.)  
    • $1,000 (2%) – Peirce Cares Fund (Seed funding to launch the Peirce Cares Fund, a pool of resources designed to support currently enrolled students and families in need.)
  • Do you really need me to give?
    Yes!  If your family is able to give, we need your support.

    The PTO’s fundraising goal is directly tied to annual expenses. Said differently, we are only trying to raise as much as we plan to spend this school year. All donations are 100% tax-deductible and every child at Peirce benefits from the money raised.

  • What happens if the PTO does not meet its fundraising goal?
    If the PTO does not meet the fundraising goal in any giving year, we would pull-back on any non-committed and non-essential expenses through the rest of the school year (e.g., community events), access savings as needed to pay for any committed or essential expenses (e.g., Creative Arts & Sciences programming for which we’ve already signed contracts or insurance premiums), and shrink next year’s budget to be in-line with the adjusted fundraising performance. Shrinking the budget would likely mean fewer Creative Arts & Sciences programs for students and fewer community events.

  • Who decides how the PTO spends its money?
    The annual budget is drafted by the PTO leadership team (i.e., Presidents and Vice Presidents) and Treasurer(s) and is reviewed, approved, and monitored by the PTO’s Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors has 20 members including the school’s principal, typically two staff representatives, the PTO leadership team, and other caregivers leading PTO committees.  For more information about the Board, click here.  

    Additionally, the Equity Committee, a group of parents and administrators convened by the Newton School Committee, also reviews and signs-off on every PTO’s annual budget and actuals to ensure all PTO spending complies with the district’s PTO Equity Spending Guidelines.  

  • Why does the Newton School Committee care about PTO spending?
    The goal of the PTO Equity Spending Guidelines is to maintain a consistent and equitable classroom learning experience across the district, specifically for the 15 elementary schools.

    The Guidelines outline various categories for PTO expenditures and set limits on spending in areas that directly affect the students’ educational experience.  This does not mean that each student’s experience / school / PTO is exactly the same, but helps ensure that students in the district will, in general, have equitable opportunities for and access to curricular programs and materials.

    Here’s an extreme example… The Equity Spending Guidelines limit how much money PTOs can spend on technology and which technology PTOs can purchase.  The PTO can’t, for example, outfit all students at Peirce with PCs and VR headsets because (1) neither is included in the standard technology experience for NPS elementary students and (2) the district does not have the personnel or funding to service or replace those items in the future.

  • Is all of the Peirce PTO’s funding spent on the Peirce community or does some of it support other schools?
    The Peirce PTO, like other PTOs in Newton, is an independent 501c3 organization with a Board of Directors and governance structure that is independent of Newton Public Schools.  As such, all funds received by the Peirce PTO are retained by the Peirce PTO and spent in support of its mission to support the Peirce community. The PTO does not directly or indirectly allocate any dollars to other schools, PTOs, or a “shared” fund or pool that is controlled by another entity.  From time to time, the Peirce PTO Board or a committee may decide to collaborate with or support events or initiatives run by another organization. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and always in consideration of the benefit to our community, potential to further the PTO’s mission, and cost. 

  • What are the PTO’s sources of revenue?
    In addition to the annual fundraising appeal that is sent to current families, the PTO generates revenue through ticket sales to the Mystery Dinner and, starting in the fall of 2021, from local businesses via directory ad sales.  Our goal is to continue to build on the success of the directory ad initiative to continue to diversify the PTO’s revenue sources. (In smaller ways, the PTO also profits from merchandise sales, the annual Book Fair, and other fundraising initiatives/partnerships with local businesses.)

  • Didn’t I already give to the PTO this year?
    Possibly!  You may have purchased tickets to the Mystery Dinner in the fall and/or purchased Peirce merchandise – both of which provide revenue for the PTO.  The Mystery Dinner in particular helped fund a significant portion of the Creative Arts & Sciences program.  The annual appeal is the PTO’s biggest fundraiser, providing support for all of the budget line-items listed above.

    You may also have contributed funds around the winter holiday season for classroom gifts for your teacher(s) and the Peirce specials teachers & specialists.  These efforts are organized and run by individual parents/caregivers (not the PTO) and are not part of the PTO’s budget.  The PTO does advertise these efforts in our communications to help spread the word.

    All of your support is incredibly appreciated and helps contribute to a strong school community.

  • Does the PTO have any savings? 
    Yes, in years when the PTO raises more than it spends, the unspent funds are added to the PTO’s savings account.  This account serves a few purposes: (1) It allows the PTO to manage cash flow since the timing of the PTO’s expenses doesn’t mirror the timing of incoming revenue; (2) It provides “rainy day” funding for the years when fundraising does not quite meet the target; and (3) If approved by the Board of Directors, the PTO can use savings to fund one-time expenses (e.g., building improvements, playground rebuild, etc.).

  • I have a question about the PTO’s finances or impact of my giving that’s not addressed here.  Who do I contact?
    Please contact this year’s PTO Co-Presidents – Jordana Bluestein & Jaime Mason – by emailing [email protected].