After years of repeatedly asking parents, relatives and businesses for money via raffles, selling and other means, the Parent Teacher Organizations across the Oxford School District came up with a different plan.

For the 2018 school year, OSD debuted the Check It Chargers campaign, which allowed parents, other individuals and businesses to show their support to Oxford’s schools with a one-time donation for the 2018-2019 school year.

The campaign has raised over $105,000.

“The reason behind the fundraiser was to make fundraising for the schools simple and easy and available to everyone in the school,” Oxford Middle School PTO President Mary Margaret Case said. “During the week of Meet Your Mac (in August), parents were given information from the school that their child attends. The information included how they could donate to their PTO, and through the donation form they can also sign up to volunteer for certain activities personalized for their school.”

The form sent to parents features five boxes to choose from, each with a different donation level. Parents could also elect a ‘Power Parent’ option that allows an individual to join the PTO free of cost.

“You can also mark a one and done box that meant you have given your allotted amount of money and do not want to volunteer for anything else the rest of the year,” Case said.

Bramlett Elementary and Oxford Elementary raised the most money, with Bramlett surpassing their goal of $30,000. Della Davidson raised $24,644.75.

“We needed that money just to sustain what we already do,” Bramlett Elementary PTO President Amy Cole said. “It will allow us to do one big PTO project, and that is most likely going to be building an awning for the walkway so that our car riders don’t have to get out in the rain. It will also sustain the projects that we already have.”

The amount of money raised through the campaign speaks to the support that the parents and the community provide to the district, OSD Superintendent Brian Harvey said.

“OSD is fortunate to have strong parent organizations that provide our campuses with additional resources to meet new goals each year. Parental engagement and support is imperative to the success of our students’ educational experience,” Harvey said.

The fundraiser’s object is to do what PTO’s do best, Case said.

“Our main goal at every PTO at every school is to raise enough money for our teachers. Our teachers are there for the betterment of your kids and when the teachers are happy, the kids are happy,” Case said.

Currently, the district has plans to continue the Check It Chargers fundraiser for the next school year, though the parameters of the campaign have not been set yet.

Regardless, Cole said she expects the community support will remain the same.

“Our community as a whole is just very involved in our public school system and is just very generous to give. I can’t say enough wonderful things about our community and the way they support our school system,” Cole said.