PSS director of finance Richard Waldo made the announcement to parents during a parent summit held Friday in the Tanapag Elementary School cafeteria. Also present were teachers and PSS officials.
Waldo said PSS has to put a stop to all school-organized fundraisers because of the health hazards they pose when children sell snacks that violate the PSS health and nutrition guidelines.
He said fundraisers were also among the concerns of the federal government which provides PSS $9 million yearly for school breakfast and lunch program.
“We want to make sure that we don’t violate federal programs which give us over $9 million yearly on food for breakfast and lunch. That’s one of the major reasons why we put a stop on these fundraisers by schools,” said Waldo.
PSS granted full authorization to the PTAs to lead all fundraising campaigns but only for specific and PSS-approved tasks.
Students interviewed by this reporter are not satisfied.
“I know people who are alumni from Kagman and Marianas High School. There are so many stories of fundraisers and carnivals that were held on campus without restriction. I just want to know, why stop it now? Was this a ‘policy’ that was sitting on its behind for years until someone with enough backbone came around to enforce it?” vented a Marianas High School senior who requested anonymity.
Members of the junior and senior classes said they will be the hardest hit because they’ve actually experienced the joy of having on-campus fundraisers.
“Nowadays, the school is getting really strict but bear in mind, leaders, that there is a limit as to how much hold your government has on us,” the senior student said.
The new policy surprised some of the alumni.
“Policies and penalties were less than severe back then,” said Kagman High School alumnus Brandon Cepeda. “I guess it’s because of the declining economy that leaders are really looking into every nook and cranny for a better way to save every penny. It is obvious no one cared about our business on campus when the money kept flowing in back then.”
Cepeda added, “The students still need answers though.”
