Local News | McGilvra PTA contract over, but large donations live on | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | McGilvra PTA contract over, but large donations live on | Seattle Times Newspaper:

McGilvra PTA contract over, but large donations live on

Of all the quirks of the parent fundraising system in Seattle schools, the story of McGilvra Elementary may take the cake.

By Brian M. Rosenthal

Seattle Times education reporter

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How can Seattle turn down the efforts of the PTA in trying to improve the local learnin... (January 28, 2012, by Kitsaper) MORE

Not sure where you get your information. Last year the McGilvra PTA raised just under... (January 28, 2012, by sad but true) MORE

I do not see the logic of how preventing one schools PTA from donating time and money i...(January 29, 2012, by Upper Decker) MORE

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Last year, Seattle Public Schools gave $60,000 to a group of parents at McGilvra Elementary to — in essence — stop them from donating so much money.

Still, parents say they will continue to raise massive amounts of money for the school.

"We just want to, kind of despite the district, provide a really excellent elementary school," said Scott Powers, who has a daughter in 4th grade there.

McGilvra's story perhaps illustrates the quirks of Seattle's parent-fundraising system better than anywhere else.

The oddity started in 2000, when parents at the small and then-low-performing school in Madison Park negotiated a unique contract: The PTA would buy two portable classrooms for about $120,000