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PTO supply drive expands
- Published: July 4, 2025
Summer is heating up, but the Mills Lawn PTO is already looking ahead to an expansion of one of its largest annual efforts — the back-to-school supply drive.
This year’s supply drive continues the PTO’s tradition of providing free school supplies to families who need them, but also introduces a new option for all Mills Lawn families to order bulk school supplies through the PTO.
Additionally, for the first time, a portion of donated supplies will be directed toward students at McKinney and YS High schools — a move PTO members told the News last week they hope will mark the beginning of broader support for students across the district.
“Last year we provided supplies to close to 60 kids for free,” PTO Vice President Emily Gray said. “Based on the numbers we’ve gotten so far, this year it might be closer to 75. And this year, parents can also place orders through us.”
Parents who opt in to bulk ordering will receive their school supplies ready to go at the annual back-to-school open house.
“When you buy supplies yourself, you often have to buy extras or hunt for specific things,” PTO President Liz Hohl said. “We think this will end up being cost-saving and time-saving for families.”
The supply ordering program is available for elementary families only, but the PTO’s ongoing supply drive, which is funded through community donations, is expanding to benefit students in higher grades as well.
“We’re sending supplies to 10 students at the high school and middle school this year,” Gray said. “That’s something we haven’t done before.”
Community members can support the supply drive by donating through Venmo — @MillsLawnPto-MillsLawnPto — or sending checks to Mills Lawn PTO at 200 S. Walnut St.
“We’re really lucky to have the support we do from the community,” Hohl said. “It lets us keep doing these things.”
While the supply drive is front and center this summer, the PTO’s work spans the entire school year, and much of it focuses on supporting teachers.
“We do a lot of outreach to the teachers to make sure they know what’s available,” PTO member Megan Meier said. “Every teacher gets a direct stipend each year just to buy whatever they need for their classrooms.”
Sometimes those purchases are basic supplies, but they also fund projects and experiences. Recent examples include a cotton candy cart tied into a science lesson and goat yoga for third graders.
“Teachers are getting more comfortable asking us for funds,” Hohl said. “At first, I think they were so used to doing everything themselves that they didn’t realize they could ask.”
In addition to the stipends and supply drive, the PTO organizes a range of events throughout the year, from the annual skating party to teacher appreciation lunches and restocking the Mills Lawn staff lounge with snacks. The group raises much of its funding by managing paid Street Fair parking on the Mills Lawn grounds.
One popular event, Grandfriends Day, which was established in 2023, will take a pause due to construction at the elementary school this school year, when space will be limited.
“But we’ll still do something to make our grandfriends feel appreciated without being in the building,” Hohl said.
Looking further ahead, the PTO hopes to grow into a district-wide organization that can support all Yellow Springs students and teachers. To that end, the PTO is always working to expand its ranks.
“A lot still falls on the same eight or ten people,” Hohl said.
One initiative for the coming year will recruit a “classroom parent” for each class to act as a liaison between teachers, families and the PTO — and, hopefully, encourage more parents to get involved.
“It’ll be a good way to connect with parents a little bit more,” Hohl said.
For more information on the PTO, how to participate or how to donate to this year’s supply drive, go to http://www.millslawnpto.com.
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