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What is the 2021-22 budget for Townsend Harris and how does the school spend it?
Around $9.5 million. To see exactly how the school allocates its budget (for items such as salaries and supplies), please click here to see the breakdown.

That's plenty of money. I guess I don't have to contribute much, if anything, to the PTA.
Well, Townsend Harris uses around 97% of the budget on salaries, overtime for teachers and staff who oversee student activities and clubs, and other personnel expenses.
 
Wow . . . still, the remaining 3% is a lot of money for our students.
Just to let you know, the school uses the remaining 3% on supplies, electronic equipment, access to Naviance and PupilPath, copy machine leases, and books – all of which must be purchased from DOE-contracted vendors.
 
Doesn't the remaining 3% also cover most of the funding for clubs and activities, annual performances, college trips, and other student-centered expenses?
No, it doesn't.
 
Wait . . . so how does Townsend Harris pay for student-centered expenses?
The school relies heavily on the PTA to raise funds for activities not covered by the regular budget. They include the following items:
  • Annual Parent Handbook
  • Townsend Harris Brag Book
  • Club and activities
  • College trips
  • Staff holiday lunch
  • PSAL athletic teams
  • Athletic Team Awards Night
  • Door stops
  • Air conditioning repairs
  • Tee-shirts for new students
  • Hospitality for PTA meetings
  • Steelhawks Robotics team
  • Science Olympiad team
  • TI calculators
  • The school's website
  • Election Simulation
  • Phone Master – this is the system that allows the school to send out a single phone message to all of our students
  • Water and granola bars given to students during AP exams
  • Color programs for Festival of Nations (FON) and other theater productions
  • Costumes, musicians, and programs for school plays such SING! and The Wiz
  • Refreshments for representatives attending the College Fair
  • Refreshments for visitors from Shimoda High School (our sister school in Japan)
  • Refreshments for the open houses (Prospective Students and Accepted Students)
  • Recommendation letters for college (Given the time-intensive nature of this very important activity, guidance counselors receive compensation for the letters they write for our children.)
  • Specific departmental needs, including volleyballs and orange cones for the Physical Education Department; calculators for the Math Department; cellos, violas, and folders for the Music Department; and headsets for the Language Department, among other needs.
 
Doesn't this mean that every contribution to the PTA plays a crucial role in allowing our students to receive the full Townsend Harris experience?
Absolutely! Every dollar really does count. If you eliminated all of the activities listed above, Townsend Harris would be an ordinary high school where students just go to class and study. It wouldn't be the #1 public high school in the state of New York.
 
Do you have a breakdown of how the PTA uses its contributions?
Yes, you will find them in our annual budgets. To see them, please click here.
 
What is the fiscal year for Townsend Harris?
July 1 - June 30
 
Maybe I should contribute towards the end of the fiscal year?
To make the greatest impact, please donate at the beginning of the fiscal year. But we accept donations all year round!
 
How do I make a donation?
  • See the instructions below.
  • The Townsend Harris High School PTA is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. See our IRS Tax Exempt Status Letter by clicking here.
  • Check to see if your company provides matching gifts of your donation. Send us an email message if you need assistance with company matching gift opportunities. (Use EIN 13-2627228.)



FOUR WAYS TO DONATE

1 - via PayPal (using your PayPal account, or a Debit or Credit Card through PayPal) — If the PayPal link doesn't work, please try another browser.




 Or via PayPal using the Townsend Harris QR code below

 

2 - via Zelle by sending your donation to [email protected]. (Be sure to include your email address in the Memo section so that we can send you a receipt.) To learn more about Zelle, please click on the Zelle logo below.

Zelle app icon


3 - via Check

  • Complete and print out the 2021-22 Annual Appeal Form.
  • Make a check payable to THHS PTA;
  • Place the check and form into a sealed envelope (also labeled THHS PTA); and
  • Tell your child to deliver it to the PTA mailbox (Room 313).

Or you can mail the check and form to:

       Townsend Harris High School
       Attn: Parent Teacher Association
       149-11 Melbourne Ave.
       Flushing, NY 11367

4 - via AmazonSmile (See excerpts from the program below) – The name of our AmazonSmile organization is "Parent Teacher Association of Townsend Harris High School."
  • The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible smile.amazon.com purchases.
  • Tens of millions of products are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation."
  • Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible to generate donations.
  • After you place a qualifying smile.amazon.com order, it may take several days for the amount “you have generated” to update.
  • Do not log into your regular Amazon.com account or the mobile app.
  • Instead, you MUST log into Townsend Harris High School's special link to AmazonSmile. Or click on the banner below.

 


Files:
Please check what our sponsor KWELLER PREP is offering for our students to prepare for the SAT and ACT.
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DONATE TO THE PTA WHILE SHOPPING ON AMAZON. For more details, scroll down towards the bottom of the page.
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VISIT THE PTA'S FACEBOOK PAGE by clicking here.