ACT FUND FAQs
What is ACT Fund?
Assistants for Classroom Teachers (ACT Fund) is an initiative created by our PTO in collaboration with school administration to raise funds to hire additional support staff whose main goal is to assist in the classroom. It is completely confidential and fully voluntary, but strongly encouraged.
Why do we need ACT Fund?
The answer is simple, for our kids!! There are SO many reasons having an assistant in the classroom is so important from having an extra adult in the classroom to the invaluable support they offer all around campus. They help the little ones with monitoring the bathroom breaks and tying shoes and becoming role models and friends to the teenage middle schoolers. An extra set of hands, eyes, and ears will ALWAYS benefit every single person in our school. The assistants provide extra instructional help in smaller group settings, giving the teachers the opportunity to teach while they handle the mundane tasks of copies and filing. They assist with proctoring exams, recess, arrival and dismissal safety, and so much more!
Where does my money go?
Your money goes directly towards your child's grade. All funds collected are tracked by grade level and held by the PTO and a large lump sum donation is given to the school to reimburse them for the salaries throughout the year.
How does it work?
Kinder-2nd grades would be $500 per student for a potential full time 100% assistant in each classroom.
3rd-5th grades would be $350 for a potential part-time assistant, who would spend approximately 45-65% of the time in each classroom.
6th-8th grades would be $250 per student for a potential flex time assistant who would be split by grade and spend about 20-40% of the time in each classroom.
Why is my grade not getting a full time assistant?
Everything has changed drastically over the last 2 years, and sadly there are staffing shortages in every industry. We have to be realistic with our goals and accepting of the circumstances that surround us. We cannot make false promises and you cannot have false expectations. We want to be clear from the start of the year what goal we are working towards, which is what prompted a change in the 3 tiers.
We have spoken to administration, done research and compared to other schools in the area. We feel strongly that this new approach will work in the best interest and benefit all age groups.
How much does an assistant cost?
That depends on so many factors. Just like every job not all pay is equal. An assistant's pay depends on education level (high school diploma, associates, bachelors, certifications, etc.), years of experience, years at SoBay, etc. As a reminder the minimum wage is $11 effective 9/2022. The range of pay at SoBay is $12-16 /hour. They work about 7 hours per day and about 180 school days. That's an annual pay of $15,120.00 - $20,160.00 per assistant, excluding any potential overtime and teacher workdays.
With an average of 24 students per class, that would be an estimated collection of 12,000.00 for lower elementary classes, 8400.00 for upper elementary, and 6,000.00 for middle school classes.
What happens if our class raises more than half, but not the full amount?
Administration will do it's best to fairly distribute assistants based on the collected amounts. They will ensure assistants are placed appropriately within the grade levels. This is why shared assistants are in place, to ensure that every grade gets some level of support.
I paid in full and my child's class didn't get a full time assistant, now what? Remember this is a group effort by your entire grade level. It's meant to create equality/unity amongst the grade and work together as a team towards a common goal. If your grade did not fulfill the 100% goal, the grade will have shared assistants.
I feel obligated and pressured to pay and I don't think that is fair.
This is a completely voluntary fundraising campaign. It is strongly encouraged by faculty, staff, and the PTO, as well as many vocal parents who firmly support and promote the ACT Fund. We would love to see everyone motivated and engaged, working together to see their dollars put to good use.
As a reminder, the ACT Fund donors are completely confidential. Only the PTO Treasurer and President have access to track the payments. A general list (excluding payment details) is turned into administration for hours awarded. Only the parents who paid in full by a certain date get hours, so that maintains the integrity as many parents do in fact pay, just not by the hours award deadline. Administration, teachers, and room moms will never know who truly pays or doesn't.
Why can't ACT Fund be made mandatory?
As much as we understand that would make life more fair and more simple, life isn't that black and white and definitely not that easy. We are a tuition free public charter school. We cannot mandate a payment from our student body.
What are the payment options?
We will be accepting payments as always to our Venmo account @sobay-pto We can accept check to be delivered to our pto mailbox in the main office, or cash payment can be arranged by special request. We are super excited to introduce our new payment plan option with credit card right here on our shopify store.
Always include your child’s name and current grade/teacher when making any payments.
Can I get a refund?
This is a non-refundable payment to the pto/school. Administration uses the collected amounts to determine the hiring and placement of assistants. Refunds will only be granted within the first 2 weeks of school if confirmation of withdrawal is received from the school office.