Posted 11:30 pm Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Tyler Foundation Suspends School Discount Card Sales
By EMILY GUEVARA
Staff Writer
After eight years of discount card sales, Tyler elementary school students will take a break this year.
The cards provided people with discounts at more than 20 Tyler area locations and served as a fundraiser for the participating schools and the Tyler ISD Foundation.
Staff Writer
After eight years of discount card sales, Tyler elementary school students will take a break this year.
The cards provided people with discounts at more than 20 Tyler area locations and served as a fundraiser for the participating schools and the Tyler ISD Foundation.
Participating vendors included restaurants, entertainment and service companies such as oil changes, hair salons/barbers and dry cleaners, among other locations.
The TISD Foundation has led the campaign, but decided to suspend it this year because of poor sales last year and other priorities at the elementary schools.
The way the program worked is that an outside company contacted vendors to include their discounts as part of the cards.
The way the program worked is that an outside company contacted vendors to include their discounts as part of the cards.
Students and parents sold the cards and the school earned one-fourth of the profits, the foundation earned one-fourth of the profits and the company earned half of the profits.
TISD Foundation executive director Larry Goddard said last year's sales earned the foundation $10,000, half the profits of the previous year. Another $10,000 was spread among the participating elementary schools.
TISD Foundation executive director Larry Goddard said last year's sales earned the foundation $10,000, half the profits of the previous year. Another $10,000 was spread among the participating elementary schools.
“For the amount of time put into it by parents and teachers and students, it wasn't worth it,” Goddard said.
He also said elementary school parents, students and teachers have a lot on their plates this year with the new state assessments.
“The elementary campus principals told us that they would do the discount card sales to help the foundation,” Goddard said in a statement. “We were impressed with the generous, dedicated benevolent spirit of our elementary principals — they do everything so well — but we want to change the vendor company and make it so that the card sales provide more dollars to the campuses for their discretionary spending.”
He said the foundation is investigating other companies so that it can offer the cards and possibly additional fundraising opportunities next school year.
He also said elementary school parents, students and teachers have a lot on their plates this year with the new state assessments.
“The elementary campus principals told us that they would do the discount card sales to help the foundation,” Goddard said in a statement. “We were impressed with the generous, dedicated benevolent spirit of our elementary principals — they do everything so well — but we want to change the vendor company and make it so that the card sales provide more dollars to the campuses for their discretionary spending.”
He said the foundation is investigating other companies so that it can offer the cards and possibly additional fundraising opportunities next school year.
