Well, it's officially upon us, the season of the year I most dread... tax credit season.
No other cause, no other endeavor, no other initiative that we undertake at Marshall School compels me to lose more sleep more than our annual tax credit drive. I worry way more about tax credit than I do about test scores. I worry more about tax credit than I do about free-and-reduced lunch counts. I worry more about tax credit than I do about our annual enrollment numbers. And trust me, I worry a lot about each of those things.
Why do I worry so much about tax credit? Because of the great, almost immeasurable value we place on every single tax credit dollar we receive. Because of the amazing opportunities we are able to provide to you and your students with every tax credit dollar we expend. Because of the huge benefit we are able to return to you and your classroom with every tax credit dollar we encumber for field-trips, materials, special one-of-a-kind extracurricular programs, residencies, curriculum, and even, on occasion, capital items.
Tax credit dollars are easy to spend. Every year we spend almost $40,000.
Tax credit dollars are hard to acquire. Every year we struggle in earnest up to the very last minute to get enough of them.
Every tax credit dollar that comes into the school comes after a direct personal appeal, a personal reminder, a personal plea that comes from one of us to the parents of our students, community stakeholders, close friends, and family members. Some schools are able to just sit back and watch the tax credit donations roll in. Not Marshall. We've learned over the years that our community needs to be reminded and often retaught about the tax advantages that come from making a donation to our school. And we've learned that this appeal is best heard and understood when it comes from you, from a member of our faculty and staff who understands the benefits our students derive from every single tax credit donation made to Marshall School.
I hope you'll make the effort to reach out to your students' parents, your friends, and your family members in the next few weeks to remind them about our need of their tax credit donations.
Below are a few items that many of us have found useful when making our annual appeals for tax credit donations.
This letter has been used with great success as a first step in making your direct appeals. Please feel free to download it and revise it to suit your needs.
This flyer was sent home earlier this week and will be sent home again and again between now and the mid-April tax filing deadline. Feel free to download it to include with the letter you sent to your friends and family members.
This page on the Marshall School Blog provides some helpful additional information about what Arizona's public school tax credit program is and its advantages for tax payers.
Also, newly updated full-color Marshall School brochures are available in the front office. We have nearly 500 of them. Not enough to send home with every kid, but certainly enough for you to include with your letters if you'd like to send them to folks far afield who might want to know more about who Marshall School is and what we're going to do with their donation.
Remember: tax credit works for anyone and everyone who pays taxes in the state of Arizona.
Thanks for your help and participation in this process.
FOSS
Now comes the time to make a decision about FOSS. Teachers, please spend a few minutes thoughtfully completing this short survey form to help us determine our next steps.
Thanks.
Canned Food Drive
Don't forget to encourage your students next week to bring in items. The parade will start at 9:00 on Friday morning. I suspect this may be the last year for our special guest since Mrs. Claus is retiring and all...
Grade Reports
Our on-site report card czar, Mrs. Overton, sent an email to all staff earlier in the week with important dates pertaining to the next iteration of our report cards. By way of reminder, some of them were as follows:
- Thursday 08 Dec.
- Early release for grading and report card preparation
- Friday 09 Dec.
- Special area grades entered by noon
- Friday 16 Dec.
- End of grade period
- Attendance roll-over at noon
- Thursday 05 Jan.
- Gradebook closes at 4:00
- Friday 06 Jan.
- Report cards go home with students at end of day
Field-trips
Just a reminder: please always send me an email so I can put your upcoming field-trips on the Master Calendar. We've had a few slip through the cracks of late.
Calendar
- Monday 05 Dec.
- Coe at Admin, 1:00
- Tuesday 06 Dec.
- 10% Tuesday for Marshall at both Fratelli Pizza locations, all day
- Grand Canyon Univ. recruiter luncheon in lounge, 11:30-1:00
- Site Council in the Library, 4:00
- Wednesday 07 Dec.
- Coe, Jimenez, Reasor at FUSD Business Office training, 9:30-1:00
- PTO in the Library, 6:30
- Thursday 08 Dec.
- Early dismissal for grading and report card prep, 12:25
- Friday 09 Dec.
- B-GDM in the Music room, 7:45
- Canned food drive parade, 9:00
Please acknowledge that you read this post.
