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How COVID impacted parents

Most parents are no longer allowed on campus as districts place tight restrictions on school access to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. PTA membership dropped by half in the 2020-21 school year.

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When Jenn Leon began volunteering with her Parent Teacher Association, she was doing it all.

Delegating homeroom parents to photocopy worksheets for their teacher. Organizing holiday festivities. Planning father-daughter dances. The Florence Markofer Elementary School PTA would meet in the school library, assigning tasks for fundraising events that would earn them thousands of dollars — money they would reinvest into future projects and events for students and staff.

But after the COVID-19 pandemic caused school campuses around California to close, only to later reopen with new protocols and restrictions, many of those tasks disappeared.

Most parents are no longer allowed on campus as districts place tight restrictions on school access to prevent further spread of the virus and make contact tracing easier. And it was the cancellation of memorable annual events, including many fundraisers, that has caused the most angst among the parent volunteers and has changed the parenting experience for those with school-age children.

PTA membership in California dropped by half in the 2020-2021 school year.

“It is heartbreaking but understandable,” said Carol Green, president of the California State Parent Teacher Association. “Parents, families and community members want to join the PTA and be involved in activities at the school, but it is hard to think about when our members (parents, guardians, family members and community members) need to focus on health issues, supporting their own children’s learning and possibly job and financial concerns.”

As the school year enters its third month, parent organizations are seeing membership slowly pick up. And thousands of parents such as Leon, a third-term PTA president, are trying to get creative. The question remains: How can they create a fun school year for their students while raising funds for various programs to ensure those programs are here to stay for the long term?

The importance of parent organizations

Parent organizations provide an important social outlet for parents and guardians. However, they also focus on family engagement, support extracurricular and after-school programs, and advocate for children. When restrictions were put in place, parents struggled.

Fall festivities, Candy Cane Lane, Red Ribbon Week, Scholastic Book fairs, spirit wear and concessions stands at sporting events – they’re all likely run by parent volunteer groups.

And they raise money. Lots of it.

Parent volunteer programs have endured both World Wars, the Spanish flu, multiple economic crises and natural disasters. Officials know the pandemic created hardships for parents and it won’t be easy to recover, but it is possible, Green said.

“Having restrictions on who can be on campus is a safety precaution that we understand, and it is reducing family involvement and PTA activities,” said Green.

Tammy Kaler, PTO president at Folsom’s Blanche Sprentz Elementary School, said that while the group ran socially distanced events such as an at-home read-a-thon and jog-a-thon during P.E. class, there isn’t much planned for the future yet.

Two years ago, her PTO raised $18,000 annually. Last school year, they raised just $4,000.

While Kaler and her team are working hard to create more events during the pandemic, her campus lacks parent involvement. Last month, only 15 parents showed up for their general meeting.

“There isn’t much they are able to volunteer for,” she said. “So why do it?”

Maria Montessori Charter Academy in Rocklin had a harvest festival planned for Saturday for its 300 students. Parent organizers were excited to bring a fun outdoor event to students after so many pandemic-related cancellations. They planned a petting zoo and dunk tank.

But Melissa Curle, PTA president who has three children at the school, said rainy weather made them call off the festival. The frustration was palpable.

“We were going all out this year and started planning in July,” Curle said. “It’s heartbreaking for the kids.”

The Markofer Fall Fest, which brings games, food trucks, a DJ and lots of candy to the elementary school each year, also brought in a lot of money.

In turn, the PTA provides classroom enrichment to students. The group just ordered 700 complimentary shirts for National Bullying Prevention Month in October that read “Be a good friend.”

“I don’t like nickel-and-diming my families,” Leon said.

Kaler and Leon are not alone in scrambling for cash to provide programs on campus. PTAs are the largest volunteer-led child-advocacy association in the nation.

Parent organizations can fund after-school enrichment programs. The parent club at Placer County’s Del Oro High School offers 20 students $750 scholarships and provides teachers with more than $5,000 for their classroom wish lists. When school officials reached out to them about failing students, the parent club paid for after-school tutoring.

“Money is critical,” parent volunteer Debbie Shepard said. “If it doesn’t get funded by the district, it gets funded by the parent club.”

Some saving grace

Creativity and luck go a long way for some parent groups.

When Leon learned that a local non-profit organization dropped a fireworks booth they staffed every year, her PTA jumped on the opportunity.

They made $40,000 in 2020. This past summer, they made $20,000. The added revenue meant her PTA didn’t have to raise funds as aggressively throughout the school year.

While their annual Fall Fest was canceled, they opted to try a Trunk or Treat event in which students pick candy from various car trunks in the parking lot. The PTA sold more than 500 wristbands for the event, raking in $4,000 to help purchase classroom supplies.

The school won’t bring Santa Claus to campus this year but will opt for a drive-through light parade for families.

“One thing at a time,” Leon said. “We have a calendar full of things in hopes that things will change. And we are prepared.”

Kaler’s PTO has already brought in $8,000 this year; that’s double what they raised their entire 2020-2021 school year. She isn’t too hopeful her team will be allowed on campus to run events this school year, but she hopes to hand off a well-funded PTO for future members next fall.

The California PTA recommends virtual opportunities to continue building the momentum on school campuses. Some schools are raffling off prime parking spots for $100 per month. Others are helping host Back to School nights outdoors and off-campus.

“Don’t let the school building define your school community,” Green said. “Realize that our children are resilient and so are we. Work together toward solutions and don’t waste time worrying about or complaining about a situation you cannot control. Do advocate for your children and for all children in a constructive, collaborative way. Communicate with your children, the teachers, the principal and your community. This could be an opportunity to learn more about your school and or district.”

Different situation in Placer County

In Loomis, Shepard spent much of October preparing for homecoming.

Shepard, who entered her fifth year as president of Del Oro High School’s parent club, has no time to waste.

Since the start of October, parent volunteers have been able to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test provided on campus that allow them to assist with activities on campus.

Shepard knows her team is lucky. Other parent groups across the region have told them that.

She credits Del Oro, the Placer Union High School District and the county for “more reasonable (COVID-19) rules.“

Parents who juxtapose the protocols between schools see how local decisions not only affect revenue but also school spirit.

“It does come down to the way you vote,” Shepard said. “That’s the reality of it.”

The parent club held a Back to School Night to introduce members to new and returning Del Oro families, and during the height of the pandemic, it held unofficial events off-campus.

The parent club invited 200 students to last year’s prom and held celebratory events leading to graduation. The activities were not run by the district or school but by parent volunteers who were adamant about giving their children a full high school experience. Del Oro High School did not advertise or sponsor the events.

Shepard acknowledged that Del Oro students were able to put on more social events because of their rural location in Loomis. Parents with barns offered their properties to the parent club to hold homecoming dances and sober grad night, with parents volunteering on site to administer a breathalyzer to students.

Bayside Church offered its Granite Bay property with its outdoor skating rink. Nearly 700 people and 70 vendors attended the outdoor event last year. The parent club raised $10,000. Relaxed school guidance for outdoor events this year means that the parent club can host another skating event at Bayside Church — this time with the school’s support.

With all of the creative ways to host events, the parent club’s revenue is still substantially down. But raising money is secondary, Shepard said.

“You are trying to give these kids back their high school experience,” she said. “We need the money, but we need the memories more.”

This story was originally published October 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM.