How much fund-raising should PACs undertake?

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Parents are questioning how much fundraising is really appropriate for their kids’ schools.

Their concerns come as Vancouver District Parent Advisory Councils are increasingly called upon to raise money for school basics.

It’s not unusual for PACs nowadays to fundraise for everything from Internet servers and gym supplies to paper, bike shelters, and playgrounds.

“Fundraising isn’t to get those little extras for students anymore. It’s now for necessities. Parents want us to advocate for more funding. They don’t consider fundraising a solution,” says Vancouver District PAC chair Colin Redfern.

The district’s PAC heads, who gathered for a meeting Thursday evening, say their committees have become synonymous with fundraising and as a result do little of the advisory work they were meant to do.

Redfern says the school bake sales and raffles shouldn’t replace a well-funded public education system.

“Fundraising is enabling the lack of funding. Parents want to know more about their school budgets. They want to know what should be funded by the government and what items should be considered just extras.”

Some PACS, like the one at Britannia Secondary, don’t fundraise. “Because there is a limited ability to raise funds within the school population,” says the school’s PAC co-chair Gwen Geisbrecht. “I don’t think education should be at the whim of charity.”

She says the school community is about bringing people into the school. “They don’t need to bring their wallets with them.”

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