When money for floor puzzles or space exploration videos wears thin throughout the year, teachers at Valley Elementary School call in the reserves.

Like many schools in the county every year, Valley Elementary School&8217;s PTO supplies much-needed extra funding for copy machine expenses, teacher workshops, and classroom and administration needs. The money goes straight into the school&8217;s general fund, and pays for extras the state resource base won&8217;t cover.

The resource base of $525 per year is given each teacher for specific classroom purchases, but rules out items including rugs, TV&8217;s, in-class printers and &8220;treasure box&8221; goodies, things now considered a staple in many classrooms. Though the state&8217;s classroom allowance has increased from $425 offered last year, &8220;With more money, we can do more things,&8221; said Sherri Fauer, PTO president. &8220;We try to fill needs when they come up.&8221;

Raising money for the school isn&8217;t always easy, but can be fun. Last Saturday, the Valley Elementary PTO held their annual Fall Festival, to make money for their proposed $30,000 budget. Last year, the festival brought in over $12,000, and this year, PTO members hope to do even better.

With the festival held at Pelham City Park instead of school grounds, members from all over the Pelham community came out to support the school.

&8220;The festival just brings together the community as a whole and of course the elementary school,&8221; Fauer said.

Businesses helped by sponsoring the festival, particularly in the concession stand. Texas Roadhouse provided hamburgers meals for $4 this year, and Publix offered hotdog meals for $3.

With 750 students in kindergarten through second grade at Valley Elementary, the Fall Festival was estimated attract over 3,000 people. Students and parents from each class set up and ran booths, and local high-school students volunteered their help throughout the festival.

Young and old alike played games, cakewalked and ate tasty concessions, easing the strain not only of a long week, but of beat-up educational board games and well-worn floor puzzles