Tired of catalogs, schools seek new ways of fundraising

Students asking relatives and friends to buy such things as gift wrap, magazines or cookie dough are as much a part of the school year as report cards and parent-teacher conferences.

But some PTA officials are saying enough is enough. They're searching for alternatives to catalog sales that emphasize education and improving the school community, rather than raising the most money.

In suburban Kansas City, that's been the goal at Franklin Elementary School in the Liberty School District for the last three years, where the PTA has replaced catalog sales with a four-week read-a-thon, with students getting pledges for the number of minutes they read. More...