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Schools

Will Ice Cream and Prizes Draw Parents to PTA Meeting?

Manchester PTA tries a new approach to lure parents to budget/election meeting.

The Manchester Township Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is offering ice cream and prizes to entice parents and community members to attend its 7 p.m.  April 11 general meeting at the middle school media center. 

"We don't always have an ice cream social,"  said Sheryl Claus, the  outgoing Manchester PTA president.

"We had heard other towns do something to try to get people interested in coming and have it be a more social occasion. Budget meetings sometimes can be very somber," she said.

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 The Municipal Alliance's Project Graduation raffle winners are always pulled at the April meeting and tickets can be purchased at the meeting, said Claus.

Proceeds fund an alcohol free evening of fun for seniors. First prize is a $1,000 Visa gift card, second prize is a weekend at Angels of the Sea Bed & Breakfast in Cape May, and third prize is a $250 Stop & Shop gift card, she said.

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"We would like as many people there as possible when we pull that," Claus said. 

"The April meeting is always three-fold: It's the budget presentation, it's Municipal Alliance's raffle drawing, and it's the opportunity for interested PTA members to put forth their name for consideration for board positions," she said. 

Manchester Schools Superintendent David Trethaway said this meeting is especially important because the school board vote is critical this year.

"Last year we lost 22 positions. This year we have a 2 percent cap and increases in benefits and fuel, among other things. Really the result was a $1 million shortfall, but we were able to make changes in our benefits package that allowed us to get that $1 million back,"  Trethaway said.

"Right now, all our programs are intact and all our staff is intact, but if there any more cuts now, it will automatically be programs and staff. It will either be sports teams or physical teaching staff," he explained.

"We've had a number of budget presentations, but the attendance wasn't as great as we'd hoped for. That's one of the reasons why we're trying to get people out," he said.

Claus said the PTA has vice presidents in every school building in the district, sends out a newsletter, and has a website that is updated daily and linked to the district website.

"People will only be as informed as they make up their minds to be. If they don't know there's a meeting, they live in a cave," she said.

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