Laura B. Anderson Elementary School fundraising to support attendance issues

Without the support of a parent-teacher association (PTA) or organization (PTO), Laura B. Anderson Elementary School assistant principal Chris Bierle is taking matters into his own hands.

The matters at hand? Fundraising.

LBA is one of 10 schools in the Sioux Falls School District qualifying as a Title I school, meaning it has one of the highest levels of poverty as determined by the percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school gets all of its needs and some of its “wants” funded by the district and state aid, but there are certain “wants” that aren’t funded through those routes alone, or through community partners and nonprofits, Bierle explained.

A school’s PTA or PTO usually runs fundraisers such as the one LBA is planning for 5-7 p.m. May 16, a “Bee Healthy Fun Run,” but LBA doesn’t have a parent group yet. Bierle said foundation of an LBA PTA is in the works for the future, though.

“I’m leaning on some very talented people within the district and within our building to make that work,” Bierle said of planning the event, estimating schools without a Title I designation typically raise $50,000 to $100,000 in fundraisers like these. “We are trying to even the playing field for Title I buildings.”

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Right now, the school is working to fundraise to purchase more STEAM activities (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) like a 3D printer and robotics; improvements to the playground, and; parent development and career advancement training for families.

Some of the fundraiser will go toward the issue of attendance, which has been down across the U.S. after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bierle said.

“We’re trying to get (attendance) up and create a place no kid wants to miss,” Bierle said. “We want to get things in place that make this school so awesome.”

To give to LBA’s cause, visit the Facebook page “LBA’s Fun Run.” You can give a flat donation or give an amount that will be multiplied by each lap run, Bierle explained.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Laura B. Anderson Elementary School fundraising for fun run