BUDGET

View our current budget

We parents, through our financial contributions to P.A.T.H., provide our children with the following educational opportunities, not otherwise provided by LAUSD:
• Art once a week for half the year
• Music once a week for half the year
• Computer class once a week
• Supplemental YMCA PE once a week
• Library access before and after school

The salaries for these staff members plus classroom and workroom aides are $122,000.

The total P.A.T.H. budget, paid for by us, is $161,000.

See the budget

PATH Makes Critical Budget Decisions: May 2009
Critical decisions were made by the parents at the May 27, 2009 PATH meeting for next year. There was standing room only at the evening meeting in the library with many new parents attending, including some whose children start at Castlebay next year.

Budget decisions included:

• Paying the remaining $5,000 for the PE program for next year. The jogathon raised $13,000 for next year. The remaining $5,000 is needed for the full year of PE.

• Paying for $3,000 in paper for the teachers to cover next year's math curriculum copying. There is a corresponding reduction of $3,800 for teacher supplies, or $100 per teacher that will be eliminated if funds are not raised.

• Funding a new copier for $6,000. The Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council will be also supporting the school with $4,000 for another copier.

• Funding $7,000 for a Kindergarten Aide in lieu of math practice books that will not be needed next year. They are not provided for the new curriculum. Hence, the paper allocation mentioned above. These funds cover the aide time in the classroom, which was cut by LAUSD. Her time is still paid for by LAUSD for the playground.

The draft budget assumes that we conduct the exact same fundraisers with the same results. If so we will be $12,000 short. More than 10 events / fundraising efforts require additional volunteers to execute. Please sign up to help.

View the presentation and draft budget


PATH Meeting Focused on School Funding: March 2009

Principal Vivian Ihori identified some of the ways the district is considering cutting the LAUSD budget during the March 10, 2009 meeting. They include moving administrators to classrooms and laying off probationary and first and second year (or more) teachers. Teacher furloughs which require the teachers to take unpaid time off, but not affect the classroom time, are a possibility. We may be required to increase ratios to 24 to 1 in kindergarten through third grade, which would eliminate 4 teachers at our school. Also under consideration is eliminating the Assistant Principal for Educational Instruction Support (Mrs. Richmond). If so, she would be replaced by a specialist covering several schools.

The school budget controlled by the district covers teacher salaries and text books. The school based budget controlled by the school covers aides and materials with $65,000.

The PATH budget covers Art, PE, Music, Computer, part of the librarian, workroom aide, some classroom aides, one  bus ride to a field trip per student, and minimal teacher supplies. The cost for all of these services for our children is $172,000. View where our $$$ go.

Each year we parents are asked to contribute $500 to cover the cost of the $172,000. However only 15-20% of families respond, resulting in collections of only $53,000. Hence the fundraising events to try and collect the money: Wrapping paper sales, magazine drives, cook's night out, art sales, family fun day, talent show, jogathon, magic show, poker night etc.

During the PATH meeting we discussed ways to raise money and where  to cut the budget. The 24 attendees (you are all welcome to attend-no extra charge!) voted to charge for next year's directory, saving about $1,000. We also voted to ask parents to pay $10 at the beginning of the year for the one bus field trip covered by PATH each year, which would save $4,800. Please review the budget and come help!

President Christi Ebenhoch vigorously campaigned for volunteers to partner together in committees to run fundraising events for next year. Please contact Christi to see how you can help, even if you work full time. Committee Sign Up List.

By the way, read Steve Lopez article about school fundraising at Ivanhoe Elementary. They ask for $1,000 per child. They rank 14 in LAUSD's 484 elementary schools and raise $327,000. One dad is paying his $1,000 by canceling his cable service.