Family Fun Nights are a highlight of the school year for many Ben Rush students and their families. These events, held monthly, give the community a chance to gather for fun and camaraderie. Family Fun Nights include the Ice Cream Social, Bingo Night, Skate King Nights, the Sock Hop, the Carnival, and more. Family Fun Nights are funded by "user fees"; what you pay for the evening covers the cost of the event and nothing more. These are not fund-raisers. For example, it costs the PTA about $1 per person to put on the Sock Hop, so that is what we charge. Similarly, when you buy a piece of pottery at Pottery Night, the price you pay includes the cost of the piece itself, the glazes, and firing. It cost the PTA almost $13 per child to run the Carnival, so that is what we charged.
When the cost of an event is not an exact dollar amount, we "round up". This additional money covers overhead costs--like photocopying--that support Family Fun Nights. Also, the little bit extra covers the cost of the Ice Cream Social, which has free admission and free ice cream for the community each year.
Why not subsidize the cost of Family Fun Nights with money brought in by the Auction or other fundraisers? The PTA board decided years ago that, because Family Fun Nights are not directly supporting the education of our children, the cost of Family Fun Nights should be borne by those who attend. Monies raised from the Auction and other fundraisers are spend on educational needs, including art education, field trips, and staff "wish-list" items. Changing this policy would require a vote of the PTA General Membership because the amount of money involved is more than $1000; a simple Board vote is not allowed.
The PTA budget is available elsewhere on this website, and is posted in the hallway outside the PTA room at school.
Scholarship money is available for a child or family who could otherwise not attend a Family Fun Night; please contact the school counselor for more information.