Wearing Many Hats

At a school with 83 percent of students qualifying for the free or reduced-price lunch programs and the school itself struggling financially, parent leaders know they have to get down to business and provide some of the basic necessities for students. For the Gypsy School PTA of Depew, Okla., the 2011 Outstanding Parent Group at a Small School, this meant raising money for the library, holding community-building events like a Family Literacy Night—and even, after their custodian’s retirement, cleaning the bathrooms and mowing the lawn.