Sag Harbor Meeting Minutes, 11/6/26

Sag Harbor Elementary PTA meeting 11/06/26

Location: The Learning Center

135 Division St, Sag Harbor, NY 11963

9:15 a.m.

Board Present: Lissette Silva, Renee Forys, Emily King, Maggie Holdsworth

Attendees: Evan Tessler, LuAnne Geffen, Daniel Hernandez, Nicole Lipp, Yesenia Quichimbo, Ana Gambuto, Kiley DeMarco, Summer Romeo

Topics Covered: PTA Budget Deficit, Fundraising Strategy, and Event Operations.

1. Budget, Financial Records, and Funding Requirements

The updated PTA budget indicates that pizza purchases are projected to cost approximately $37,000 for the full school year (excluding February sign-ups), leaving a shortfall of at least $14,000 to cover planned commitments by year-end. Financial reports show a bank balance of $48,000 as of the day before the meeting. However, several accounting entries require clarification, including the source and purpose of certain reimbursement checks (potentially related to Picture Day, Yearbook Day, Simon, or other programs) and checks carried over from the prior tax year.

Action Items

●Hold a dedicated meeting focused entirely on fundraising strategy. -- PTA / Unassigned

●Raise at least $14,000 to cover planned commitments by the end of the school year. -- PTA / Unassigned

●Find out what the unclear reimbursement checks are for and determine whether they relate to Picture Day, Yearbook Day, Simon, or another source. Unassigned

 ● Send the previous year’s gingerbread-house profit and loss statement to the group for review.

2. General Fundraising Campaigns & Initiatives

The group evaluated several new revenue generation opportunities:

●Grade-Level Competition: Each grade organizes its own independent, alcohol-free fundraiser across a three-month window, competing to raise the most pooled proceeds for the school.

●Local Business Outreach: Direct outreach to Sag Harbor businesses via letter or phone requesting a flat donation of $500 per business, utilizing an existing contact spreadsheet.

●Newsletter Advertising: Offering paid front-page placement in the monthly newsletter reaching over 300 families.

●School-Supply Fund: Consolidating teacher supply requests (scissors, pencils, crayons) into a bulk order funded through parental contributions.

Action Items

●Email the grade-level fundraising competition proposal to sagharborPTA@gmail.com for formal consideration.

●Ask volunteers submitting ideas if they are willing to help organize, and recruit backup volunteers without overcommitting participants.

●If approved, establish rules, pooling structures, and a 3-month timeline for grade-level competitions.

●Contact Sag Harbor businesses by phone or letter requesting $500 donations.

●Connect with Ann to coordinate the business outreach strategy.

●Share the existing business email contact spreadsheet with the outreach coordinators.

●Explore newsletter advertising options and rate structures.

●Develop a plan to consolidate school supply

3. Major Fundraiser Venue & Event Options

The committee compared options for a major adult fundraiser event, reviewing past success at the Clubhouse (recalled as $50/ticket, $250 door prize, $3,000 expenses, and approx. $15,000 net proceeds) against other venues:

●Captain Jacks: Lower ticket option ($35/person), though parking is constrained (under 50 cars).

●Alternative Locations: Buckskill (winter skating), Corner Bar, local church, fire department community room, or school facilities (which involve custodial, staffing, and liability constraints).

Action Items

●Share previous quote and financial data for the Clubhouse fundraiser to evaluate repeating the event. -- Speaker 1

●Brainstorm and compare Clubhouse figures against other event proposals. -- Speaker 1, Speaker 4

●Inquire with Captain Jacks regarding attendance capacity and parking constraints. -- Speaker 1

4. Annual Gingerbread Operations & Scheduling:

The PTA plans to purchase 200 gingerbread houses at a cost of $3,000, with potential revenue approaching $6,000. To streamline operations, sales will be conducted strictly in advance with pickup at the event. Operational plans favor background music over a movie, a potential photo opportunity, and a possible corporate sponsorship from Target.

Scheduling requires adjustments due to calendar conflicts on the proposed date, including the first night of Hanukkah wharf candle lighting (4:30 PM), Shabbat services (6:00 PM), and regional swim team invitationals on December 11th.

Action Items

●Restrict gingerbread house sales to advance orders with event pickup to eliminate on-site tracking issues. -- PTA / Unassigned

●Send event invitations and recruit sufficient volunteers for event staffing and supervision. -- PTA / Unassigned

●Include clear behavior guidelines in event notices to protect delicate donated gingerbread displays. --

PTA / Unassigned

●Coordinate background music rather than a film screening. -- PTA / Unassigned

●Assess volunteer capacity to operate a gingerbread photo opportunity. -- PTA / Unassigned

●Inquire with Leanna regarding potential Target event sponsorship. -- PTA / Unassigned

●Review the school and community calendars to resolve scheduling conflicts and evaluate moving the event time (e.g., after-school ending by 5:30 PM, or starting at 5:15 PM) or changing dates. -- Speaker 1, Speaker 3  

5. PTA Visibility, Operations, and Wi-Fi Connectivity To eliminate misconceptions that joining the PTA requires mandatory meeting attendance, the PTA will display framed QR codes at all school functions for instant membership registration and donation processing.

To resolve on-site transaction failures via Wix caused by weak school Wi-Fi, the PTA is evaluating the procurement of a Starlink Mini kit ($149 upfront + $20 shipping + $55/month or $12.41/month over 12 months, within the 720budget)versuscellularhotspotplans(90/month), pending school IT review.

Action Items

●Create and frame QR codes for streamlined membership signup and donation processing at events. -- Speaker 3

●Consult with John Patel regarding school IT provisions and network access before purchasing external Wi-Fi hardware. -- Speaker 7

6. Community Engagement, Service Programs, and Food Drive

The PTA is developing a comprehensive community engagement strategy in collaboration with local groups (e.g., Boyac Civic Council, Boy Scouts) to organize family volunteer activities, such an eelgrass/seagrass planting (up to 50 participants) and school grounds cleanup. Additionally, the annual food drive is scheduled from November 2 to November 17, 2026.

Action Items

●Draft an overall strategy and communication framework for community engagement and civic partnerships. -- Speaker 1

●Establish an accessible signup and tracking system to verify student and family service hours. -- PTA / Unassigned

●Increase promotion for the food drive (November 2–17, 2026). -- PTA / Unassigned

●Determine whether to invite a food pantry representative to speak at a morning school program. -- PTA / Unassigned

AI Suggestions & Unresolved Issues

The following items remain unresolved from the meetings and require formal decisions and ownership:

1. Budget Deficit & Long-Term Fundraising Strategy: The PTA has not established a finalized plan or designated leads to close the $14,000 budget deficit. Ideas such as recurring trivia nights, monthly parent mingles, Turkey Trot fun runs, Google corporate matching, and newsletter advertising lack confirmed pricing, timelines, and coordinators.

2. Financial Verification: The historical Clubhouse revenue numbers ($19,000 raised vs. $3,000 cost vs. $15,000 net) are mathematically inconsistent and must be verified before setting event budgets. Unclear reimbursement check sources also require an assigned owner to resolve.

3. Gingerbread Event Timing & Staffing: The final date and time for the Gingerbread event remain unresolved amidst community holiday conflicts (Hanukkah, Shabbat) and athletic invitationals. Volunteer staffing numbers for display protection and photo ops remain unassigned.

4. Hardware & Infrastructure Decision: Approval to purchase Starlink Mini hardware or cellular hotspots remains contingent upon official feedback from John Patel regarding school network access.

5. Community Service Structure: The PTA must decide whether student community-service participation will be mandatory or voluntary, and define the official process for logging completed service hours.

6. Local Business Outreach Execution: The $500 direct business solicitation campaign requires a firm deadline, a designated contact list manager, and a centralized donation tracking system.