School photos sometimes include hidden costs
When two children in different Wake County elementary schools were charged different prices for the same package of school pictures, one mother began asking questions.
Posted — UpdatedKelly, who didn’t want to use her last name, has one child at Raleigh’s Powell Elementary School and another at Cary’s Weatherstone Elementary School. The picture package she wanted cost $37 at Weatherstone Elementary and $55 at Powell Elementary.
"I found that very odd," Kelly said about the discrepancy.
She started asking questions to school leaders and was eventually contacted by a representative for Lifetouch, the company that provides the photography service. The company told her some schools opt for photo packages that include a fundraising component, which can raise the price for parents.
“I know the value of education, and I know that it takes money,” Kelly said about funding challenges at many schools.
But she said she isn’t a fan of raising money for the school without knowing it.
"I believe a lot of parents could be in the dark about this," she said.
“I don’t think about it as a fundraiser. I see it more as just a commission,” Powell Elementary Principal Curtis Brower said.
Brower said he adopted the same deal with Lifetouch that his predecessor used, though he does meet annually with a Lifetouch representative about other perks the company can provide. Aside from the commission, which amounts to about $500, the school receives items like award certificates and student photo identification cards.
The commission goes into Powell Elementary's general fund to fill budget shortfalls or other classroom needs like supplies, he said.
Brower said this is the first time he’s heard a parent raise questions about the picture process. The head of the school’s Parent Teacher Association, which leads school fundraising efforts, was also unaware the school made money off of pictures.
Brower said he would meet with PTA leadership to see if any changes are necessary in the future. In the end, he said, it’s a parental choice whether or not to buy pictures.
"I don't push 'Buy a package, buy a package' because I want our school to get more money," he said. "We say this when the pictures are, send home the fliers and, again, parents have the option to purchase or not purchase."
Kelly said she just wants more transparency when schools are getting a cut from a project.
"None of that was announced. They didn’t announce that there were doing it all. They didn’t announce how much money they raised, and so it seemed very suspicious to me," she said.
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