PTO Funds and Grants: What to Expect
Dear Baker Staff,
Thank you for all that you do for our children and for the Baker School community.
To show our appreciation and to support your professional needs and goals, the Baker PTO established PTO Funds and PTO Grants, which provides financial support for educational enrichment at Baker.
About PTO Funds and PTO Grants
PTO Funds are annual allowances available to full‑time teachers and full‑time specialists. PTO Grants are additional funding opportunities that require a formal request, review, and committee approval. Grants are generally reserved for educational and occasional operational needs that are not covered by the school’s annual budget.
All full‑time Baker classroom teachers, subject teachers, and specialists are eligible to request PTO Funds and PTO Grants. These resources exist to support educational enrichment, and teachers and specialists are encouraged to make use of them.
This “What to Expect” guide was created to:
Purchasing & Tax‑Exempt Information
As a tax‑exempt organization, the PTO asks that all purchases avoid sales tax whenever possible. When making purchases, please request tax exemption by providing our EIN (31‑1682431) and presenting our ST‑5 certificate, which we can share upon request.
New this year, we have established tax‑exempt accounts with Amazon, Target, and Lakeshore Learning. You are encouraged to use these accounts. Please contact the PTO in advance so we can enable access for you.
Before making purchases using your annual allowances, please consider whether sales tax can be avoided in order to maximize the value of these funding opportunities available to you.
A Final Note
PTO Funds and PTO Grants exists to support you and your inspiring work with students. Please note that fund and grant amounts are contingent upon our fundraising performance during the current fiscal year. As a volunteer‑run nonprofit organization with limited administrative capacity , we appreciate your patience, flexibility and understanding.
With appreciation and thanks,
Baker PTO Funds and PTO Grant Committee
Thank you for all that you do for our children and for the Baker School community.
To show our appreciation and to support your professional needs and goals, the Baker PTO established PTO Funds and PTO Grants, which provides financial support for educational enrichment at Baker.
About PTO Funds and PTO Grants
PTO Funds are annual allowances available to full‑time teachers and full‑time specialists. PTO Grants are additional funding opportunities that require a formal request, review, and committee approval. Grants are generally reserved for educational and occasional operational needs that are not covered by the school’s annual budget.
All full‑time Baker classroom teachers, subject teachers, and specialists are eligible to request PTO Funds and PTO Grants. These resources exist to support educational enrichment, and teachers and specialists are encouraged to make use of them.
This “What to Expect” guide was created to:
- Encourage full‑time teachers and specialists to apply for PTO Funds and PTO Grants, and
- Help staff understand how to request funding from the Baker PTO.
Purchasing & Tax‑Exempt Information
As a tax‑exempt organization, the PTO asks that all purchases avoid sales tax whenever possible. When making purchases, please request tax exemption by providing our EIN (31‑1682431) and presenting our ST‑5 certificate, which we can share upon request.
New this year, we have established tax‑exempt accounts with Amazon, Target, and Lakeshore Learning. You are encouraged to use these accounts. Please contact the PTO in advance so we can enable access for you.
Before making purchases using your annual allowances, please consider whether sales tax can be avoided in order to maximize the value of these funding opportunities available to you.
A Final Note
PTO Funds and PTO Grants exists to support you and your inspiring work with students. Please note that fund and grant amounts are contingent upon our fundraising performance during the current fiscal year. As a volunteer‑run nonprofit organization with limited administrative capacity , we appreciate your patience, flexibility and understanding.
With appreciation and thanks,
Baker PTO Funds and PTO Grant Committee
PTO Grant Committee Members
In the Brookline school system and at Baker, there are multiple funding opportunities to fulfill full-time teacher and full-time specialist requests. The informal list below is organized by type of request along with the suggested order of who/which department to contact first.
Office Supplies:
1) Office Reimbursement Form - Baker Office
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Art Supplies:
1) Office Reimbursement Form - Baker Office
2) Alicia Mitchell (Visual Arts, Brookline School Department) -[email protected]
3) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Athletic Equipment:
1) Director (Health & Fitness, Brookline School Department) - [email protected]
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Books and Library Materials:
1) Dominique Gonyer (Baker Librarian) - [email protected]
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Room Furnishings:
1) Saeed Ola(Baker Principal) - [email protected]
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Technology:
1) Deirdre Siegert (Baker Technology Coordinator) - [email protected]
2) We will not be funding software requests this year, as the PTO is working to build a town-wide coalition to leverage purchases.
How Cool Would It Be to Have THAT (material, program, etc.):
1) Saeed Ola(Baker Principal) - [email protected]
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
We hope this listing is helpful in getting your request funded as quickly and efficiently as possible!
Office Supplies:
1) Office Reimbursement Form - Baker Office
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Art Supplies:
1) Office Reimbursement Form - Baker Office
2) Alicia Mitchell (Visual Arts, Brookline School Department) -[email protected]
3) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Athletic Equipment:
1) Director (Health & Fitness, Brookline School Department) - [email protected]
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Books and Library Materials:
1) Dominique Gonyer (Baker Librarian) - [email protected]
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Room Furnishings:
1) Saeed Ola(Baker Principal) - [email protected]
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
Technology:
1) Deirdre Siegert (Baker Technology Coordinator) - [email protected]
2) We will not be funding software requests this year, as the PTO is working to build a town-wide coalition to leverage purchases.
How Cool Would It Be to Have THAT (material, program, etc.):
1) Saeed Ola(Baker Principal) - [email protected]
2) PTO Grants - Baker PTO Grant Committee
We hope this listing is helpful in getting your request funded as quickly and efficiently as possible!
PTO FUNDS (ANNUAL ALLOWANCES) - Submit or reconcile by or before June 8, 2026
START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FUNDS or SSYF (for Full-Time Teachers and Full-Time Specialists)
To welcome Baker teaching staff back to school and to show our appreciation for all that staff members do for our children, the PTO provides $200 to full-time classroom and subject teachers. Full-time specialists are currently being offered up to $150, contingent on available resources.
For full-time classroom and subject teachers NEW to Baker School, we offer an additional $200 reimbursement for classroom supplies (including appropriate books for classroom libraries).
Allocation of the Start of the School Year Funds (SSYF) are to be used by teachers to fund educational materials/programs.
The Brookline Public School Department has requested that all district PTOs use a receipt -based grants process. This means that all staff members must submit receipts for reimbursements instead of receiving a check for the seed amount, as in previous years. The Baker PTO asks that all Staff Support expenses include ALL supporting receipts.
To Be Reimbursed for SSYF:
The PTO Funds Reimbursement Form is available for download online under the "Form" tab. Reimbursement checks will be cut no later than 2 weeks after receipt of request. Reimbursement payment checks from the PTO will be sent to the school unless otherwise requested. The last day to request reimbursement for SSYF is June 8, 2026.
GRADE-LEVEL FUNDS (for Full-Time K-8 Teachers)
Grade-Level Funding can be used for grade-level educational enrichment. Grade Levels (K-8) are each allocated $600-$1,000 per year (depending on section numbers).
To Be Reimbursed Grade-Level Funds:
The PTO Funds Reimbursement Form is available for download online under the "Form" tab. Reimbursement checks will be cut no later than 2 weeks after receipt of request. Reimbursement payment checks from the PTO will be sent to the school unless otherwise requested. The last day to request reimbursement for Grade-Level Funds is June 8, 2026.
Funds (allowances) can be requested throughout the school year, from the first day of school in September, up until June 1st.
For Grade Level Grants that exceed the $600-800 per year, additional grants may be made available from School-wide Grants.
To Make a School-wide Grant Request: The Baker PTO Grant Request Form is available for download online under the "Form" tab.
LIBRARY FUNDS (for Librarian)
Library is allocated $1,400.
To Be Reimbursed for Library Funds:
The PTO Funds Reimbursement Form is available for download online under the "Form" tab. Reimbursement checks will be cut no later than 2 weeks after receipt of request. Reimbursement payment checks from the PTO will be sent to the school unless otherwise requested. The last day to request reimbursement for Library Funds is June 8, 2026.
PTO GRANTS (REQUIRES APPROVAL) - Initiate by or before May 18, 2026
SCHOOL-WIDE GRANTS
Schoolwide Grants support educational enrichment that benefits the broader school community. Requests may be submitted throughout the school year beginning on the first day of school in September. The last day to initiate a grant request is May 18, 2026.
To Make a School-wide Grant Request:
The PTO Grant Request Form is available for download online under the "Form" tab.
SPECIALISTS GRANTS
Specialists Grants support educational enrichment related to specialist areas. Requests may be submitted throughout the school year beginning on the first day of school in September. The last day to initiate a grant request is May 18, 2026.
To Make a Specialists Grant Request:
The PTO Grant Request Form is available for download online under the "Form" tab.
STUDENT ACTIVITY GRANTS
Student Activity Grants support educational enrichment for student clubs, activities, and programs. Requests may be submitted throughout the school year beginning on the first day of school in September. The last day to initiate a grant request is May 18, 2026.
To Make a Student Activity Grant Request:
The PTO Grant Request Form is available for download online under the "Form" tab.
What to Expect After Grant Request Has Been Submitted
Staff members will be contacted to confirm receipt of Grant Request Forms submitted within one week. If you have not heard back, please feel free to follow-up to make sure that your form was successfully received. The PTO Grants Committee will review the grant request and will follow up within two weeks. (If there are special circumstances that could extend the two week schedule, staff members will be notified of the special circumstances when receipt of grant request is confirmed.)
Staff members will be contacted to confirm receipt of Grant Request Forms submitted within one week. If you have not heard back, please feel free to follow-up to make sure that your form was successfully received. The PTO Grants Committee will review the grant request and will follow up within two weeks. (If there are special circumstances that could extend the two week schedule, staff members will be notified of the special circumstances when receipt of grant request is confirmed.)
Please contact the PTO at [email protected] if you have any questions.
