Parents of students in three Coral Springs elementary schools have joined hands to make life a little bit easier for students and teachers in the schools.

“Ten for Ten,” a joint fundraiser between the PTO and PTA Boards at Riverside Elementary, Eagle Ridge Elementary and Coral Park Elementary, is aimed at providing supplies or new technology to classrooms. The idea is to ask parents to donate up to $10 per child for 10 months; all the money raised will go directly into the classroom.

Elisa Wolfe, Riverside Elementary Parent Teacher Organization vice president, is hoping the fundraiser gets good support from parents. “Schools have had to cut money for supplies and technology to save jobs. Teachers spend a lot of their own money on supplies for the classroom. We don’t want that happening. Teachers this time are not getting raises like they did in previous years.”

The idea of joining hands came up when the budget cuts came through, Wolfe said. “Each school is losing about half a million dollars. This fundraiser is a direct response to budget cuts. The principals in all three schools have approved the idea. The donation is completely voluntary. We are well aware of economic restraints and don’t want anyone to donate if they don’t have the money.”

Money collected in a school will stay within the school, said Melissa Reid, Coral Park Elementary Parent Teacher Association corresponding secretary. “We are trying to do this as a community. The situation has never been this bad.”

Contact Elisa Wolfe at 954-701-5312, Denise Straus at 954-899-1680, or Melissa Reid at 954-254-1188.