Jackson High School Parents, Boosters Raising $20K for Student Activities

"We serve a student population that is 97 percent free and reduced lunch," Michelle Newcome, a Jackson PTSA member, said.

"Our students need support in order to reach their potential."

Specifically, she said the funding effort, which has raised $675 in pledges, is earmarked toward:

•  Athletic Boosters – Our games are not well attended because there is no student discount for admittance. Our goal is to create a fund to give students a discount card to attend athletic events. We also aim to supply every varsity athlete at Maynard Jackson with a letter.
• Fine Arts Boosters – Our dance, music, visual arts, drama, and broadcasting programs have needs we can’t meet. We’d like to be able to provide instruments and funds for competitions and also for each student involved in fine arts to receive a special letter.
• Uniforms – We will be a fully uniformed school in the 2014–2015 school year. Many of our students do not have basic clothing items and a uniform helps to limit the differentiation that economic status can create. We want to be able to purchase uniforms to donate to students who are unable to purchase their own.
• Teacher Grants – Our faculty is also under transformation and we are attracting many dynamic new teachers with innovative ideas. We want to be able to support their work in the classroom by creating a system of grants to help fund innovative ideas not supported under the general academic budget.

The PTSA is a 501 C-3 organization and donations is tax-deductible.