Putnam Schools Need Families To Fill Out Survey

Putnam Schools encouraging families to fill out surveys providing household and income information that the system needs for various forms of funding.

Federal Programs Supervisor Bridgett Carwile said the survey helps determine free and reduced lunch numbers as well as the amount of TISA funding received from the state. Carwile said the data is also a factor in how much money is allocated to all Title I schools in the district.

“We just want to make sure that our students are getting all the resources that they deserve and earn,” Carwile said. “And that’s the biggest reason behind it and the biggest push behind it. We’re just encouraging our parents to do this. It should take less than ten minutes to fill out the forms.”

Carwile said all families, whether they qualify for government assistance or not, need to fill out the surveys one time during the school year, to help the system. Carwile said the various programs that rely on these surveys affect before and after school programs, scholarship opportunities, college application fee waivers, and more. Carwile said parents can access the survey online through their school’s website.

“I think we’re trying to send it out once a month just to reinforce it,” Carwile said. “We’re not trying to be pushy or anything but it does help, just helps with funding and resources that, you know, any time we’re applying for grants we have to put percentages, we want to make sure that what we have is accurate.”

Carwile said the data also plays a role in the district’s discounted fees for ACT, SAT, and AP testing, health and wellness services, additional technology and internet access funding, and other resources for classrooms, teachers, and children. Carwile said it is important to make sure every family fills out the paperwork so everyone is properly represented and accounted for.

“If they need help, the school-level office can help,” Carwile said. “Call me at the central office, I’m willing to help just because we want to make sure we have all the resources that we provide to our students.”

Carwile said there is no concrete deadline to fill out the survey but the district is always trying to keep track of the constantly changing numbers. Carwile said the survey goes directly into the district’s system so school officials can see the different figures without needing to check the data for any specific family.

“Our enrollment changes month to month so we’re just trying to get a better picture,” Carwile said. “And most parents that have filled it out, we’re trying not to hit them again with it, but I know that sometimes happens and we’re trying to work on some those things so we’re not sending the same thing, asking the same things over and over.”

Carwile said families with students at a school not using the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) grant should also fill out a meals benefit application form. Carwile said that form will help determine if the remaining schools ever become eligible for the CEP grant.