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Quakertown FBLA asks district to cover adviser lodging, committee agrees to send request to full board
Summary
High school FBLA leaders described growth and competitive opportunities and requested $12,500 to help cover adviser and transportation costs for state and national conferences; finance committee agreed to forward the request to the full board for consideration.
Quakertown students and advisers asked the school district’s finance committee on March 3 to help offset adviser lodging and transportation costs for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) trips to regional and state competitions.
The request came during the finance committee’s public-comment slot, when FBLA members and their adviser presented the chapter’s activities, membership growth and a budget summary. "If I wasn't able to lodge, I wouldn't be able to attend this 3 day event at Hershey. It's as simple as that," student Mariana Piola said about the state leadership conference where she will compete in impromptu speaking.
Adviser Miss Frisch described the chapter’s expansion from 11 members in 2017–18 to more than 40 members in 2024–25, and outlined typical expenses: member dues ($16 per student), registration ($108 for state conference), transportation, lodging, meals and project supplies. She said students pay their own dues and most travel costs; the school requested district support primarily for adviser expenses and some transportation. "Last year I asked for up to $7,000 of funding ... this year, I asked for $12,500," Frisch said, citing inflation and modest increases in registration and travel costs.
Board members and committee members expressed support for the program as career-focused and suggested reclassifying FBLA from a club to an activity (a designation that could affect stipend and funding rules). Mr. Spear told the presenters, "programs like this ... are very important for the students," and said he supported moving the request to the full board. Committee members flagged follow-up items — whether fundraising or Perkins funding could offset costs and whether a middle-school chapter could be established — but did not set a formal funding decision at the committee meeting.
The finance committee directed staff to place the FBLA funding request on the next regular board agenda for consideration; no final appropriation was approved at the committee meeting.
