Guidance for Parent Groups

Why do we have parent groups at our schools? 

The purpose of a parent group is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

We believe our parent groups can help strengthen school culture and positively impact our students and families through inclusive family events and enrichment activities. While many PTA/PTOs ask parents to become members of their groups, we do not advise limiting participating in events only to members. Again, the intention is to create inclusive spaces for all.

What does BPS want a PTO to do?

• Build community – school-based community events
• Focus on building relationships between staff, families and students
• Increase parental involvement and engagement
• Support school staff throughout the year

If and when your PTA/PTO wants to invite families and staff to an event or share news, we advise you to share your intentions with your principal and ask for their help. We expect principals to reivew messaging, share best practices (e.g., not too often and not only about fundraising) and send messaging on behalf of the PTA/PTO to all staff and families.

What does BPS NOT want a PTO to do?

• Focus on raising money
• Individual fundraisers that require students to sell items

Celebrations and fundraisers are an important and valued part of classrooms and school communities. The Bellingham Good Food Promise provides us with guidance to teach and model healthy food choices. Designing celebrations and fundraisers that focus on special activities, instead of food, is an opportunity to promote positive, healthy messages while building a caring and inclusive community.

• Ask these questions before planning celebrations and fundraisers:
• What non-food alternatives can be considered for this fundraiser or celebration?
• If food is served or sold, how will health and dietary needs be accommodated so that all students can participate? (e.g. gluten or lactose intolerance, diabetes, nut allergies)
• If food is served or sold, does it follow the food values of The Good Food Promise?
• If food is served or sold, how does it support community, culture, equity and inclusivity?

Healthy food choices and non-food alternatives

• Classroom parties, school celebrations and community-building activities occur frequently in every school and are an essential part of nurturing our diverse school communities.
• We are committed to caring for all children while developing healthy and active individuals. To help us fulfill The Good Food Promise in our schools, please follow these suggestions to plan fundraisers, celebrations and classroom parties with healthy food choices or non-food alternatives.
• These food values apply to all food served in Bellingham Public Schools: eat plenty of whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables; limit salt and sugar and choose healthy fats; avoid artificial colors, flavors and additives

Ideas for celebrations

Non-food activities for celebrations:

• Create a special “Celebrate Me” book
• Sharing circle where each student shares something he/she appreciates about the individual
• Extra recess or free-choice time
• Flashlight Friday or pajama day
• “Be a Teacher” for the day
• Lunch with the principal/special guest
• Scavenger hunts
• Dance party
• Special craft/art project
• Fun game the whole class can play

Non-food treats for celebrations or rewards:

• Books
• Bookmarks
• Stickers
• Physical activities
• Compliment cards
• Games
• Bubbles
• Seeds for planting

Healthy food for celebrations:

• Raw veggies served with dips
• Yogurt parfaits (yogurt, fruit and granola)
• Air-popped popcorn
• Whole grain tortilla chips with salsa/bean dip
• Pizza party using whole grain crust, veggies, cheese
• Fig bars, granola bars, muffins
• Fresh fruit assortments (fruit kabobs, salad)
• Trail mix (pretzels, dried fruit, sunflower seeds)
• “Fancy water” with fruits and/or herbs

Bellingham Public Schools is committed to reducing fundraising efforts for families, staff, and students so they can focus on fulfilling the mission and vision of The Bellingham Promise.

We know that fundraising takes many shapes and provides important resources so every child can discover and develop a passion and contribute to the diverse activity, enrichment and athletic communities that are an integral part of our schools.

Together, district leaders, school principals, representatives from parent groups (PTSAs, PTAs, PTOs, etc.), boosters and the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation, are engaged in this evolving effort with a belief that together, we achieve more than alone.

As partners in funding, we are making a collective commitment to better realize the One Schoolhouse Approach to ensure that children in all schools have an equitable and exemplary educational experience. Together, we are striving to eliminate financial barriers for students (and their families).

Our collective goals:

• Adopt a One Schoolhouse Approach to fundraising that provides an equitable distribution of resources and services to ensure excellence for all.
• Clarify roles and financial responsibility of parent groups (PTAs), boosters, activities, athletics, district and foundation;
• Revise fundraising, advertising and sponsorship policies and guidelines;
• Develop a checklist and/or rubric if/when fundraising is needed (e.g. recommended tools/vendors, guidelines for “big” trips/travel for team).

Why would a group need to fundraise?

Please answer these questions as a checklist on how to proceed with your idea.

Often there are groups that want to do something above and beyond the programming offered through athletics and activities and/or on behalf of our schools. If your group is interested in raising additional funds to do something, think through the following questions:

What am I fundraising for? Having a clear sense of what you are fundraising for makes a big difference. Before starting to fundraise, please ensure the trip, item, camp, activity, etc. is approved by checking in with principal. At the high school level, you also must check in with athletics and activities coordinator and the ASB bookkeeper prior to starting to raise funds.

What are the goals of this fundraiser? You may be hoping to do more then simply raise money for something; fundraising can be a unifying process and can build community. Holding these goals in mind as you plan will help ensure that the fundraiser brings people together. How can your fundraiser be more inclusive and welcoming for all?

What is the gap? Understanding how much you need can really help drive the type of fundraiser that is most appropriate. If you have time, it can help to clearly communicate your goals with the stakeholders and first ask for donations; often families want to help and will donate if they understand the group’s goals.

Next step: Before starting to fundraise, please check with your principal at the elementary and middle school level. At the high school level, fill out the fundraising form with your school’s ASB bookkeeper for approval.

My activity is now approved for fundraising. Here are the next set of questions to answer to determine whether a fundraiser is appropriate.

Is it a group fundraiser or individual fundraiser? Stated differently, do students raise for their trip/item individually or is the group raising for the group? If individual raising for individual, stop.

Does the fundraiser put a burden on a group unintentionally or require individuals/groups to raise specific amounts of money? If yes, the fundraiser puts a burden on a group/individual then it is likely not going to work – in other words, we cannot expect every student/family to raise a prescribed amount.

Is the fundraiser associated with a religion or religious holiday? If answer is yes, please stop. (Pointsettias, wreaths and gift wrapping are all examples of items with religious links and affiliations.) Please consider best practices around equity, diversity, and inclusion. If answer is no, you may go on.

Does the fundraiser include food? If yes, please consult the district’s Good Food Promise
Guidelines for Celebrations and Fundraisers and be aware of the USDA Final Rule which states you cannot fundraise during the school day; fundraising can only take place 30 minutes afterschool or later.

Here are some fundraisers that commonly approved:

• Camps or sports clinics with a fee
• Concerts/shows/performances with optional donations via bowl/vase
• Local restaurant nights where restaurant gives a portion of funds to program
• Mattress sales (if done as a group fundraiser)
• Jog-a-thon/walk-a-thon
• Game nights
• Open gyms
• Car washes
• Yard sales
• Auctions for products/services
• Carnivals/dance parties
• Book fairs
• Plants/bulb/seed sales
• Friendship grams
• Calendars
• Coupon books
• Subscriptions
• School spirit wear
• Reusable cloth grocery bags

Bellingham Public Schools (BPS) provides these guidelines as a resource and overview of district policies and procedures pertaining to parent-led associations’ (PTA, PTO, PTSA, CPA or similar school advisory groups) activities and events. This document guides and supports a safe and vibrant learning program for all students and will be updated annually, or as needed. It is intended to provide district-wide consistency to parent-led associations regarding enrichment programming, events and activities they run in many of our elementary schools.

Facilities Use Agreement/Fees

BPS has policies and procedures for facilities use. Here are the guidelines of these policies and procedures, or visit www.bellinghamschools.org/facilities

• Events and activities sponsored by official parent-led associations are generally not subject to facility use fees unless the activity/use results in the district incurring extra utility, custodial, or supervision costs due to use outside of regular school/custodial hours.
• Each individual program or event must be registered annually with facilities using the calendar website, http://bham.tendem.co/. This includes after-school enrichment programs, general meetings and other routine parent-led association events.
• Schools have an internal process for approving parent-led association sponsored events. Generally, facility use is not involved beyond obtaining the facilities use agreement unless for large scale events and/or events that require staffing.
• Typically, events can be scheduled during the regular custodial shift without incurring additional custodial costs. If the event impacts normally scheduled duties, and the facilities department deems it necessary, some custodial time and cost may be assessed. This is a case-by-case basis. Anything outside of the regular custodial shift requires a custodian to be hired.
• A custodian must be onsite for the duration of the event. Parent volunteers are welcome to help tidy up, but a custodian will still be required.
• Overtime rates charged for custodial staff are calculated based on an average custodial rate set annually. The parent-led association will be billed for actual custodial reimbursement based on a formula of hours worked, wage and benefits. This is calculated once the custodian’s time summary has been submitted to payroll and can take up to 60 days or more to process.
• The duration of time the custodian might be required depends on size and scale of event, time to open and prepare building in advance, and time to evacuate, clean and secure the building afterward.

Liability Insurance Requirements for the District

Bellingham Public Schools requires a Certificate of Insurance with a general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence. You can request this from your insurance company.

• The certificate must name ‘Bellingham School District #501’ as additional insured for parent-led association events for the current school year.
• The certificate must have a separate endorsement which names the Bellingham School District as an additional insured per form CG 2010 or equivalent and be attached to the certificate.
• Certificate Holder – Bellingham School District #501, 1985 Barkley Boulevard, Bellingham, WA 98226.

Parent-led associations often have different insurance carriers. Check with your association insurance to determine what your specific policy covers including independent contracts and school events. If your policy does not cover contractors or events, you may want to ask that they carry you on their insurance.

The parent-led association is responsible for the hiring, supervision and payment of fees and club stipends, including applicable payroll benefit and tax deduction for all providers.  This applies to all instructors, including when a current BPS employee is hired as a provider.

Please click here to view a FAQ resource about movie licensing and showing movies at events.

Enrichment Program Funding

For the 2025-26 school year, Title I schools will receive $3,000, ($3,500 if non PTA/O program) and non-Title I schools will receive $500 towards enrichment programming. These funds should be used by Dec. 30, 2025 and may be used for the following:

• materials and supplies,
• outside vendors; and
• stipends for individual providers of classes.
• The allocation should not be used to pay for student scholarships.

To access these funds, send an invoice to the District Office c/o Sarah Curlin, Activities & Athletics Administrative Asst.  Invoices should include dates of service, description of services, receipts for materials and total amount requested. The invoice will be coded and sent to the Finance Office / Accounts Payable for processing and reimbursement.

Considerations for Student Safety & Program Operations

Students’ physical and emotional safety is paramount to a well-managed enrichment program. All enrichment programs should have an agreement between the enrichment provider and the sponsoring entity that lays out clear policies, expectations, rules and procedures regarding staff and student behavior. All enrichment vendors are required to hold liability insurance, including BPS staff who lead a club after school through a PTA/O program.

If a classroom teacher is leading an enrichment club they too must adhere to all BPS policies and procedures.  These agreements should reflect an understanding of each schools’ specific needs including safety protocols and procedures, student and staff behavior expectations and a communication/cancellation plan that are clearly presented to students, family members and providers. The following are recommended practices:

• Instructor fingerprinting:  To ensure the safety of all students participating in parent-led enrichment programming, instructors are required to be fingerprinted through BPS Human Resources Department.  See details below.
• Building safety: Provide all enrichment instructors with information about location of  emergency procedures for school evacuation in case of an emergency.  In addition, each instructor should always wear a ‘Enrichment Instructor’ badge while on school campus and be directed to use the adult bathrooms (not student).
• Class rosters: All instructors should have clear knowledge of which children are under their care, ideally including a written list of parent contact information. Distribute this list to all providers at the start of each new session.  In addition, classroom teachers should also receive a list of students participating in after school programming so they may remind their students at the end of the school day.
• Allergies/health concerns: Collect info on health concerns and allergies on the enrichment program student registration form and students’ rosters for instructors. Health services or access to medication after school hours is not available.  It is the parent/guardian responsibility to provide medication and/or training to enrichment instructors if their student has a health concern.
• Emotional safety: All efforts should be made to ensure the environment is free from harassment, intimidation, or bullying.
• Code of conduct: Provide clear guidelines on behavior expectations in the student registration form and include with provider contract regarding student expectations. A dismissal policy should include that students who do not meet behavior expectations may be subject to removal from class.
• Managing behaviors: Align behavior expectations and systems with that of the school. Work with school personnel to understand what students are used to during the school day.  Instructors should consider the following as best practice when working with a struggling student:
• No shame-based interventions,
• Provide positive, constructive, and kind interactions,
• Provide positive reinforcement and
• Stay calm and be clear and consistent with instruction.

The enrichment instructor should contact the school coordinator or parent/guardian if unable to resolve behavior.

• Check in/out system: It is recommended that all students participating in after-school programming meet in one designated area at the end of the school day for attendance and snacks (if available). Instructors may pick up students from the designated area and return them at the end of class.  Parents or designated pick-up person should be required to enter the school building and sign out students before leaving the building.  One-time pick-up and the consequence of being late should also be stressed in this procedural policy.
• Attendance:  Ask parents to call the program coordinator if a student will be absent, picked up early or no longer wishes to attend the program. Parents/Guardians should also be responsible for reminding their student about their enrichment programming on the day it occurs.  A refund policy should also be included in this section.
• Class cancellation: Inform parents of the class cancellation policy, inclement weather and whether the program will operate upon early dismissals or late starts to the school day. All efforts should be made to notify parents regarding class schedules, cancellations, location changes, etc.
• Instructor training:  When possible, it is best practice to meet with all instructors prior to the program start date to review expectations and answer any questions. If not feasible then this information should be included in their contract agreement.
• Gymnasium/Classroom maintenance: All instructors should be instructed to leave the space clean and free of debris before exiting. No food inside classrooms.
• Photography/video policy: Instructors must receive permission from parents/guardians before taking photos or videos of students during enrichment.  The purpose of these images must also be conveyed to parents/guardians.

Beginning September 1, 2023, elementary school enrichment Instructors are required to be fingerprinted and processed through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) prior to working with Bellingham Public School students.

Fingerprinting enrichment instructors continues to be a district requirement for all teaching clubs within our schools. Please instruct new providers to complete the volunteer application and choose “Enrichment Instructor” as the type of volunteer.  This will provide them with a link to schedule fingerprinting at the District Office located at 1985 Barkley Blvd.

The fee is $70 and fingerprints are valid for two years. Instructors must complete both the application and fingerprint process before clubs begin.

If you have already been fingerprinted through the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), MERIT or other state or federal agencies, submit proof of completion to the volunteer coordinator Jennifer Gaer to receive a waiver for this requirement. Proof must include the instructor's name, date of birth, and cleared or approval status.

Please contact Jennifer Gaer at 360-647-6848 if you have any questions about the fingerprinting process.

We do not expect our parent/guardian volunteers to work alone.  If you need help or have questions, we encourage you to check first with your school’s principal, then reach out to anyone on this list for support with your questions.

Need directory information?
Parent groups often need directory information for their school. The first step is to fill out the Agreement of Student Information Release form and have your principal sign it.

If you have additional questions about retrieving this data, contact school information systems technician Jeanne Banks.

Other useful contacts:

Facilities use and rental: 360-676-6500, facilities@bellinghamschools.org

Activities and Athletics Program:  360-676-2786  (Sarah Curlin, administrative assistant)

Department of Teaching and Learning: 360-676-6512  (Polly Johnson, administrative assistant)

Language Access Support and Department of Communications and Community Relations: 360-676-6520

Volunteer support and safety: 360-647-6848 (Jennifer Gaer, volunteer coordinator)

Insurance: 360-676-6522

Grant writer: 360-676-6470 x 2204 (Amelia Vader)

Other parent group contacts: https://bellinghamschools.org/partners-in-funding/elementary-contacts/

Bellingham Public Schools Foundation (grants): 360-676-6479 (Sam Gearhart, executive director)

Who Funds What (PDF)

Fundraising Checklist (PDF version)

Celebrations and fundraising guidelines (PDF)