What would you pay for this?

[patchick]

You should get a new headmaster who takes the initiative to explore every avenue of fundraising. Selling parking spaces is no different than selling naming rights to campus buildings which I'm sure your guy has no issue with. The auction I referenced raises $2-4 million each year which helps reduce tuition, the ultimate leveler of the playing field, by about $3,000 per student while bolstering an incredible financial aid program that assists 400+ students. On top of that, the school funds transportation for its students to various charitable endeavors throughout the year so students can perform their 100+ hours of community service required to graduate. ...no need to clean dishes. So, as unseemly and hair raising such auctions may sound to some, their impact can be transforming for the entire school population and their families.
I truly wonder if the parents driving their Range Rovers to drop off at your school would really be so off-put by such a blood curdling demonstration of wealth as an auctioned parking space?

I get what you're saying, but you're tilting at a straw man here (pardon the mixed metaphors). It's an urban high school, there is no "campus," I've never seen a donor name on anything, and the kids get to school via public transit. The robust community service requirement is separate from the in-school service requirement, and full financial aid is provided for every student who needs it. Somehow, against all odds, the school has managed to cultivate an atmosphere where families give generously in private, rather than strutting around draped in dollar signs vying for status. And I'm seriously grateful for it.

 

[Wheelman]

I'll give you 2 peanuts and a pack of bubblicious.

It's a fair price, what ya say? Can I have it?

 

[Joker]

"my offer is this...nothing"

 

[Jackson 2]

i would never consider stepping foot in mexico. to dangerous.

But you'd go to Detroit or Oakland?

 

[BTTA]

Winning bid: $8,500

 

[Tony2046]

Winning bid: $8,500

Wow.

 

[Clonamery]

Winning bid: $8,500

That's great for your wife and the nonprofit that is trying to defeat that gala (disease I presume). I hope she's not an auctioneer, though, as that could lead to some awkward situations (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more).

 

[nabwong]

Winning bid: $8,500

$8500. Wow. For that money, I could buy an 80" tv and still have $5000 leftover.

 

[BTTA]

That's great for your wife and the nonprofit that is trying to defeat that gala (disease I presume). I hope she's not an auctioneer, though, as that could lead to some awkward situations (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more).

This one, where she works on staff: About

The most fun auction item this year was two hours of private personal coaching on how to pitch from Max Scherzer, at Nats stadium, plus a hitting lesson and attending a game in special team seats. It went for $13,500. His wife, who attended the gala, texted him during the auction and he was so pleased that he offered to do it twice, thus raising $27,000 in about 4 minutes. It was amazing to watch.

 

[patchick]

This all reminds me of when a friend of mine told me that her kids' elementary school auction always had some impressive Patriots-related items because one of the parents was involved in the Patriots organization. It turned out that parent was Jonathan Kraft.

For a brief moment I was actually tempted to attend somebody else's school auction, until I remembered I'd be bidding against the likes of Jonathan Kraft.

 

[BTTA]

Then remember the games that are played in London this year. A weekend trip for four to see the Ravens game at Wembley including airfare from Boston and a stay at the Wembley Hilton would run you close to $7,000.

That's why I included this link. JetBlue | Where We Jet: Flight Destinations
It is a regulating factor in this whole deal.

 

[BTTA]

Your hair-raising tale makes me want to go hug the headmaster of my kids' school. Even though there are some seriously wealthy families in the parent community, he has absolutely ruled out holding an auction because they're such freaking nightmares. This school goes to great lengths to level the playing field for all students, and every kid has to do service shifts around the school like post-lunch cleaning, etc. The very idea of special parking spots set aside for the richest families would curdle the headmaster's blood.

You should get a new headmaster who takes the initiative to explore every avenue of fundraising. Selling parking spaces is no different than selling naming rights to campus buildings which I'm sure your guy has no issue with. The auction I referenced raises $2-4 million each year which helps reduce tuition, the ultimate leveler of the playing field, by about $3,000 per student while bolstering an incredible financial aid program that assists 400+ students. On top of that, the school funds transportation for its students to various charitable endeavors throughout the year so students can perform their 100+ hours of community service required to graduate. ...no need to clean dishes. So, as unseemly and hair raising such auctions may sound to some, their impact can be transforming for the entire school population and their families.

This is a tough call for a private school leadership (staff and Board). On the one hand, you highlight the class differences in the school through the auction and visible reminders of it like labeled parking spaces. On the other, you make a bunch of money that can be dedicated to the less fortunate families and kids.

 

[zoostation]

Personally I'd go to the Denver game. The Raider game will be good, but you won't get the true fan experience there. Not sure how many games you make it to at Gillette but being local my choice would be road a game. My second choice would be the Squeelers. Either way you can't go wrong.

 

[Tony2046]

This is a tough call for a private school leadership (staff and Board). On the one hand, you highlight the class differences in the school through the auction and visible reminders of it like labeled parking spaces. On the other, you make a bunch of money that can be dedicated to the less fortunate families and kids.

I understand the concern but class differences exist after school as well. Companies have designated parking spaces, people fly first class, people buy premium seating tickets and so on. The only difference is that the auctioned parking space at a school benefited all of the children because someone who had the money paid for it. I would be thankful. I would tell my children to be grateful. Not that it means they should bow down and kiss some kids ass in school but being grateful recognizes the good deed regardless if it was done to claim some kind of elite social status or not.

People earn more money than I do because generally they work harder than I do, are smarter at making money than I am or are luckier than I am. It doesn't bother me. I'm happy with what I have. My kids know that. They also know I've put them in a fantastic school system so that they can choose which opportunity they wish to take rather than take the only opportunity offered to them. They know if they want the big house or the "parking spot" they'll be able to do so.

 

[patchick]

I understand the concern but class differences exist after school as well.

Absolutely, you can't erase the reality of social differences, but it's a core obligation of a school to treat all its students equally. I guess that's why the exclusive parking space kind of shocked me and seems different from other normal honors like named scholarships, donated squares on a walkway, etc. It's not just honoring a family, but granting that family a school privilege that others don't have. (A parking space probably seems trivial, until you find yourself late for teacher conferences or the school play because you spent 20 minutes circling for parking. Most school parking lots aren't nearly big enough.)

Once you start auctioning off school privileges to the highest bidder IMO you're on an awfully slippery slope.

 

[Tony2046]

Absolutely, you can't erase the reality of social differences, but it's a core obligation of a school to treat all its students equally. I guess that's why the exclusive parking space kind of shocked me and seems different from other normal honors like named scholarships, donated squares on a walkway, etc. It's not just honoring a family, but granting that family a school privilege that others don't have. (A parking space probably seems trivial, until you find yourself late for teacher conferences or the school play because you spent 20 minutes circling for parking. Most school parking lots aren't nearly big enough.)

Once you start auctioning off school privileges to the highest bidder IMO you're on an awfully slippery slope.

I am not saying that the concerns are off base because they're not. I think class status in a society can be healthy as it creates incentives which, imo, is necessary for an evolving society. Capitalism at its best spurs innovation, creativity etc.... which can lead to jobs etc....but unfortunately there is a downside to it as well so the concerns are real.

On a joking side note: In my experience the one saved parking spot would not save me the hassles of trying to find a spot during teacher conferences. However my 4x4 gas guzzler does.