In fall 2021, school PTOs and PTAs were eager to get back to a more normal level of activities, but they were still dealing with post-pandemic restrictions along with lower fundraising profits and higher demand for volunteer hours. Based on responses to the PTO Today Fall 2023 Spending Survey, things have leveled out for a lot of parent groups: requests for money and time are largely the same as two years ago, and planned spending is the same as or less than the previous school year.
PTO Today has published the spending survey every two years since 2011. The fall 2023 survey asked leaders about their group’s plans for the 2023-24 school year, with 269 responses collected; all grade levels were represented, with the majority of respondents at public elementary schools.
Key Areas of Support: Money and Time
51% of leaders feel their group has been expected to offer more financial support in 2023-24 than in the previous school year
“We have tried to spend more and do more since covid because ultimately covid tore apart communities. And it has been a challenge to get people to came together to create that school community feel. We have invested more into events that bring people back together.”
“With less federal funding, you have to look for those extra resources elsewhere.”
“Our group is bouncing back from covid, and now that we have been hosting more events, I feel like more are expected.”
“Seems like classrooms are getting fewer and fewer supplies from the district.”
“Parents are not interested in fundraising, causing more efforts to be required.”
“Costs of everything have increased, but our fundraising is about the same. The school expects us to find ways to cover their raising costs.”
48% of leaders feel their group has been expected to offer more volunteer support in 2023-24 than in the previous school year
“Where there used to be teachers at events helping, now it’s just the select parents that we can drum up.”
“Funding concerns increased administrative requests for volunteers to step in with extra hands, from classroom to lunchroom to answering phones.”
“The more events that we have, the more volunteers we need to have things covered.”
“Less people want to volunteer, so the same five to 10 parents do everything.”
“Our schools have opened up more this year to onsite events since the pandemic. Since this is the case, they are needing more volunteers for their events. The administration has reached out to our group to fill some of those gaps.”
“Now that covid has passed, we have more parents wanting to be involved with the school.”
What Parent Groups Look Like
84% of groups have 20 or fewer volunteers
72% of groups prepare an annual budget
97% of groups have bylaws allowing board approval of unbudgeted expenses up to at least $100
(up from 59% in 2021-22)
Projected gross income
24% = $0-$5,000
29% = $5,001-$15,000
19% = $15,001-$25,000
12% = $25,001-$35,000
16% = $35,000+
Fall 2023 Fundraising Facts
42% of groups had profits up from the previous year
23% of groups had profits about the same both years
20% of groups had profits down from the previous year
15% not applicable
How Parent Groups Spend Money
Leaders told us these are their top priorities to decide spending:
39%: how many students and/or staff will benefit
37%: how well it fits with the group's mission and goals
8%: how urgent the need is
7%: doing the same thing that’s been done in the past
Across all of the spending below categories, 50% to 83% of groups planned to keep their spending the same in 2023-24 as the previous school year.
43% reported that they’d be spending more on student enrichment
38% expect to spend more on family events
34% will increase spending on teacher and staff appreciation
25% will increase spending on teaching aids and classroom supplies
20% plan to spend more on food and drinks
19% expect to spend more on school equipment or renovations (including playgrounds)
$27,662 average planned spending across all budget categories (about 1/3 less than planned spending in 2021-22)
How much parent groups plan to spend this school year, by budget category:
$7,139: school equipment or renovations (including playgrounds)
$4,450: student enrichment (assemblies, field trips, author visits)
$3,278: teaching aids and classroom supplies
$2,807: family events
$2,274: teacher and staff appreciation
$2,054: principal’s discretionary fund
$1,248: technology purchases (hardware and software)
$1,237: food and drinks
Biggest budget changes:
technology purchases down 67% from 2021-22
food and drinks down 63% from 2021-22
school equipment or renovations down 38% from 2021-22
teaching aids and classroom supplies down 28% from 2021-22
