Pizza or Bowling? Vote on K-12 Events That Matter Most to Your School

If you have a child in school, you know the large number of events are scheduled throughout the year.

Fundraisers gain particular attention because of what they say about the school district’s fiscal health.

It is all but inevitable that fundraising event discussions also touch on, or reveal, a community’s values. This is a good thing.

As a parent wrote on Facebook recently:

Does your child’s middle school participate in fundraisers? If so, what kind of incentive does the school/PTA/PTO offer to motivate students to participate? Gift cards, money, electronics? I am looking specifically for grades 6-8. If you are a middle school teacher, what could we do to get you to help motivate students? If you are a middle school student, what would you like to see offered?

The responses to this parent’s post included suggestions for fundraising events. Others expressed frustration at some common event fundraising tactics, especially when it involves kids selling unnecessary items. Other commenters made suggestions about external events, such as bake sales or pizza parties, to motivate students and raise funds from the community.

Discussion of student events is a common theme amongst parents and educators throughout the country. Why is this, and how can these decisions be made?

K-12 Students Aren’t the Only Beneficiaries

It may not be obvious but K-12 events aren’t just for students.

Events are best considered as a tool for community outreach, engagement, and support. Planned properly, they can be economical and educational.

One economical tool to reach parents and volunteers is by hosting a vote. Online voting is far cheaper than printing and mailing ballots, especially when you consider that most software includes educational discounts.

Today, the best way to reach parents is online or through their phones. Here, online voting shines. Polls asking for a vote can be set up and distributed within minutes once a system is established. Results can be viewed immediately.

How schools can use voting for maximum community benefit:

• Voting by parents to choose between fundraiser options

• Voting by students to determine a field trip destination
  
  
• Voting by faculty to select students for recognition or topics for the next faculty meeting

• Voting by the school system administrators on testing locations

• Voting by the public concerning facility upgrades or groundskeeping options
  
  
• ...and other decision making situations, depending on location and circumstance

The Benefits of Voting Online to Determine K-12 Events

Voting can be applied to many situations, as outlined above. There are more benefits, still.

One big benefit is the ability to use online voting to engage multiple communities while still preserving privacy.

For example, a school could set a vote that is only accessible to students of a particular grade, or restricted to parents and teachers. Or, a school could set up a vote that the community at large, with restrictions. This flexibility allows for external community input but preserves privacy.

There are additional advantages to online voting:

• Voting models good civic behavior; by voting online using an iPad or a mobile phone parents can have a conversation with children about the importance of voting.

• Online voting is increasingly common in corporate America and in other adult contexts. Examples include participation in a homeowners association, as active member of the PTA/PTO, or as a parent in a homeschooling co-op. By hosting an online election schools can help prepare K-12 students for lifetime voting.

• A secure voting platform means that a school system can poll audiences based on grade level or affiliation. Examples include sending a vote exclusively to sport team parents or to parents of school alumni.

• Online voting can be an economical communication and promotional tool, too. Elections that poll preferences between choice A and choice B can also be used to highlight the previous successes of both choices.

Distributing a ballot is an easy solution to K-12 event planning. Browse some best practices for K-12 voters in our use case.

eBallot can help any school of any size host an election. Contact us below to discuss your needs and your educational discount.