The central mission of the SMS PTA is to help provide the school's instructional professionals with the resources they need to educate students. Our ability to do this is limited by the money we are able to raise through membership dues and fundraisers.

Funds for certain projects are set aside on an annual basis, in our budget, as we are aware of ongoing needs in certain areas. We also have funds set aside for "Start-up Reimbursement" and "Educational Grants." Eligibility for these funds is determined by one's title / area of responsibility. If you are a teacher, counselor, and/or other type of full-time educational professional in the categories listed below, you are eligible to request funds. If you are not sure, please reach out to the school's principal or the PTA Board.

Please note that SMS teachers and other eligible to request the funds must be a member of the PTA to request these funds. 

If you are a full-time, licensed teacher* or educational professional at SMS working under one or more of the following categories, you are eligible for the reimbursement request and the instructional grant program. If you have a question about your eligibility, please contact the school principal and/or the PTA Board.

SUBJECT AREA / FINE ART / HEALTH & PE / CAREER & TECH ED

• Computer

• Drama & Chorus

• Family and Consumer Science

• Healthful Living / Phys. Ed.

• Language Arts

• Math

• Music / Band

• Science

• Social Studies

• Spanish

• Technology and Innovation

• Visual Art

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT

• Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG)

• Alternative Learning Center (ALC)

• English as a Second Language

• Instructional Facilitator / Intervention & Testing Coordinator

• Librarian / Instructional Technology

• Math Intervention

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

• Autism Support / Behavior Support

• Cross Categorical Resource (CCR) Special Education

• Extended Content Standards (ECS)

• In Class Resource (ICR)

• MU Teacher

COUNSELORS & STUDENT SERVICES

• School Counselor

• Career Development Coordinator (CDC)

See "Eligibility" above. SMS employees who are eligible have to be a PTA member to receive these funds.

Application Deadline: October 15

Details: In its annual budget for the past several years, the PTA has set aside $100 per eligible professional (see above) to reimburse them for "start-up" costs. As a change from past years, we are requesting that you submit receipts to receive reimbursement. Once the grant application is approved the reimbursement monies will be made available via check which will be delivered to the requestor's mail box at SMS or mailed to them at their request. 

Application Process:

        Submit this online form (no paper forms will be accepted) before the deadline.

See "Eligibility" above. SMS employees who are eligible have to be a PTA member to receive these funds.

Details: Individual who are eligible (see above), or teams of such individuals, can submit one instructional grant per year. Please consider:

• There is a limited amount of funding set aside, so not all grant requests can be approved. You are requested to limiting your request to $400, though amounts over that will be considered.

• Grants are considered on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis. If the budget allotment for instructional grants is used by the middle of the academic year, then applications for funding will not be considered until the next academic year begins OR until the current year budget is revised.

Application window: The PTA will accept grant requests from Sept 1 to April 30 each academic year.

Application process:  

1. Check your eligibility for reimbursement by consulting the list above

2. Please submit the Online form to apply for a PTA Instructional Grant. If you wish to print out and complete the paper-based form "Instructional Grant Form" you can do so, but be sure to contact us via email to let us know that it's there. 

3. If necessary, attach any additional supporting text, budget statement, or materials that clarify the purpose of the grant and place the completed form in the PTA Box in the SMS Mail room.

Approval Process: Applications will be reviewed by PTA Board (which includes SMS Leadership) approximately once per month.  If approved (for all or part of the amount), the PTA leadership will notify the applicant via email. The PTA Board will consider all requests on a monthly basis.

Media Announcements: All approved grants will be announced via social media and other communication mechanisms the PTA uses. We will use your name in the announcement unless you specifically request otherwise. The PTA board may also ask you or your team for a brief statement regarding the implementation of whatever the grant has funded. We feel such exposure is important as it keeps the parents informed of the important work going on at SMS and their role in it.

There are some cases when school personnel have a special request that falls outside reimbursement or instructional grants. For example, in 2019-2020, we became aware of an instructional technology need no longer being met by Wake County Public Schools. A number of teachers had specifically requested a subscription to the instructional site due to their regular use of it in the past. Based on the requests (which were indicated on a school survey), the PTA allocated money from the fall fundraiser to cover the annual subscription. Of course it is not possible to fund all requests each year, but if the PTA has funds, and if the impact can be felt school-wide, then we are certainly open to requests. We will discuss all such requests with the PTA board and school leadership.

Please print out, or make an electronic copy, of this form: PTA Reimbursement Request

Electronic Form & Receipts

      If you have an electronic version of the request, please create attachments and email it along with scanned receipts/invoices to us (or, alternatively, you can put it in a shared folder and send that link). If you are sending it electronically, a single PDF file is preferred, but is not required. 

Physical Form & Receipts

     If you have a physical version of the form, please attach your receipts to it and put it in the SMS PTA mailbox at the school. BE SURE that you email us to let us know you've submitted this form.