PTO Grants Bring $40,000 in Impact to the High School

When the high school’s PTO voted on September 24, it approved about $40,000 in enrichment grants, funding 23 projects across athletics, special education, the arts and everyday school life. The grants are open to more than just teachers: “all UHS staff and students may apply for the grant,” said PTO Co-President Anna Marcotte.

Notable changes will occur in the athletic training room. According to the PTO’s grant presentation, the department administers over 9,000 treatments a year, yet it does not currently have an ultrasound machine. A new $2,767 unit that combines ultrasound and electrical stimulation will now support injury treatment and rehabilitation in every sport and season. Coaches of about 15 teams will also save time at practices and halftimes with new magnetic dry erase boards in the locker rooms.

Students who need extra support will benefit as well. A $5,000 award will help buy iPads for 14 special education teachers to use in individualized instruction with 229 students. In the Life Skills program, students will gain work experience running The Commons Cafe and use adaptive kitchen tools that let them cook without an adult guiding each step. The new Academic Center will receive furniture and supplies so it can host academic coaching and peer tutoring for up to 20 students per period.

The grants will also change how students learn in class. More than 250 band students will tune with standalone tuners instead of their phones, removing a distraction during rehearsal. Mr. Thomas Bogusch received $3,270 to launch Engineering the Guitar, a new course in which students take a guitar from computer design to final setup.

Most of the money comes from two community events: the Unionville Art Gala, now in its 50th year, and the UHS Used Book Sale. “The Used Book Sale is our most successful fundraiser and takes the effort of a small army of volunteers,” said Marcotte. The PTO also seeks business sponsors at both events, and Marcotte said this year’s grant total is similar to last year’s. According to the PTO’s website, this year’s Art Gala runs November 20-21.

Applications for the grant go out through the principal’s office and are usually due by the end of September. The principal checks that each request suits school use and is not already funded elsewhere. The PTO executive board then makes recommendations, and the full PTO membership, open to any parent or guardian of a student at the high school, casts the final vote. “There is no fee or application to join,” Marcotte said.

Reviewers consider how many students an item will reach, whether the applicant has been funded before and the size of the request. “What happens if we do not approve funding?” is another question they ask, Marcotte said. According to the PTO’s grant guidelines, grants favor items that last multiple years and do not cover field trips, food, prizes or single-use items. Four requests received partial funding, including the fitness equipment request, which asked for $11,733 and received $3,500 to match funding from the school district.

Some grants pay for items the school might normally buy, but Marcotte said department budgets are limited, so the PTO considers everything it funds an enrichment. Last year, for example, the PTO bought a snow blower that made custodians’ jobs easier and the grounds safer for students, she said.

The PTO hopes more ideas will come from students themselves. “We encourage our students to consider applying for grants and to think about what they would find beneficial in school that might not exist currently,” said Marcotte.