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THE RIVER SCHOOL - PS 281 PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION
New York, NY · EIN 901020071 · Form 990 · FY2019 · Small ($100K-$1M) · ps281.org
revenue
$188K
expenses
$151K
net assets
$260K
employees
0
program ratio
0%
mission · from form 990

SUPPORT OF MANHATTAN PUBLIC SCHOOL PS281, THE RIVER SCHOOL

profile · synthesized from sources

Parent-Teacher Association supporting PS 281, The River School, a public elementary school in Manhattan, New York. The PTA fosters school community through events and funds enrichment programs, classroom supplies, teacher development, and special initiatives. It operates primarily through parent volunteerism and donations.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2019

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $17K
    Mathematics Program
  2. #2 $2K
    Behavior Management
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

After School Program
Partners with the Imogen Foundation to offer afterschool programming focused on social-emotional learning, project-based learning, and literacy.
Community Events
Organizes school-wide events including Thanksgiving Potluck, Valentine’s Dance, Spring Benefit, and International Night to build community.
Enrichment Programs
Provides grade-specific enrichment including Art Farm (Pre-K), Little Flower Yoga (K), NYC Ballet (Grade 1), Take Two Film Academy (Grade 2), Launch Coding (Grade 3), and Launch Robotics (Grades 4-5).
Family Fund
Annual fundraising campaign to support enrichment programs, classroom supplies, teacher development, and school-wide initiatives.
activities · 12 groups

What they do

  • After-School Academic and Enrichment Programs 2 activities
    • Identifies and evaluates enrichment and after-school programs
      Identifies, evaluates, and recommends afterschool and enrichment programs for student participation to enhance educational and developmental opportunities.
    • Partners on after-school programming
      Partners with the Imogen Foundation to deliver a comprehensive after-school program for students at PS 281, The River School.
  • School-Specific Educational Support 2 activities
    • Organizes and funds school enrichment programs
      Provides in-class enrichment programs and technology instruction for all students at PS 281, The River School, supplementing the city-funded curriculum and addressing educational gaps. These programs were funded through parent donations and the Family Fund during the 2019-20 school year.
    • Supports student behavior and mathematics programs
      Operates a mathematics program and provides behavior management support services at PS 281, The River School, as part of its direct educational and student support initiatives.
  • Public School Support Fundraising 1 activity
    • Conducts grant research and applications
      Conducts research and submits applications for external grants to support PTA initiatives and expand funding opportunities.
  • Campus and Residential Safety Services 1 activity
    • Coordinates school safety initiatives
      Collaborates with school staff on safety-related activities to support a secure and safe school environment for students and staff.
  • Organization Website and Online Platform Management 1 activity
    • Facilitates school communication and information access
      Uses ParentSquare to communicate news and community events to families and maintains and updates the official school website, ps281.org, to ensure current and accurate information is available.
  • Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 1 activity
    • Implements environmental sustainability initiatives
      Executes environmental projects such as recycling programs, flower plantings at the school entrance, and construction of a roof garden to educate students about environmental protection and sustainability.
  • Nonprofit Retail and Merchandise Sales 1 activity
    • Manages school store and merchandise sales
      Operates a school store that sells River School-branded apparel and merchandise, including items featuring the school mascot, the River Shark, and manages related inventory and sales.
  • Universal In-School Meal Service 1 activity
    • Operates school meal programs
      Provides free daily breakfast and lunch to all students at PS 281, The River School, and offers Grab & Go meals for remote learners to ensure consistent access to nutritious meals.
  • School and School-Community Events 1 activity
    • Organizes community and family engagement events
      Plans and executes community-building events such as the Thanksgiving Potluck, Valentine's Dance, Spring Benefit, Silent Auction, and International Night, engaging families and volunteers to strengthen school community ties.
  • Youth-Led Student Publications 1 activity
    • Produces school publications
      Produces and publishes a school yearbook and cookbook by collecting photos and materials, designing content, and selling advertisements to support community engagement and fundraising.
  • Language Access Services 1 activity
    • Provides family support and inclusion services
      Offers mentorship and translation support for new and non-English-speaking families to promote inclusion and ensure equitable participation in school activities.
  • School Governance & Strategic Oversight 1 activity
    • Supports school planning and budgeting
      Develops the school’s annual Comprehensive Educational Plan, aligns the school budget with its goals, and supports financial planning through collaboration with the treasurer and internal financial reviews.
financials · form 990 · fy2019
revenue
Total revenue$188K
Contributions & grants$164K87%
Program service revenue$7K4%
Investment income$1K1%
Other revenue$15K
expenses
Total expenses$151K
Program expenses0%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$260K
Cash$260K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$260K
Liquid reserves20.7 mo
1 years on record · 2019–2019
relationships · 17

Who they work with

  • Art Farm Partner — Partner organization providing enrichment programming for Pre-K students.
  • Imogen Foundation Partner — Partnership to build and deliver a comprehensive after-school program for The River School community.
  • Launch Coding Partner — Partner organization providing coding enrichment programming for Grade 3 students.
  • Launch Robotics Partner — Partner organization providing robotics enrichment programming for Grades 4-5 students.
  • Little Flower Yoga Partner — Partner organization providing yoga enrichment programming for Kindergarten students.
  • Loop Sports Partner — Provides off-campus sports programs including ice skating, bowling, and outdoor sports for students.
  • NYC Ballet Partner — Partner organization providing ballet enrichment programming for Grade 1 students.
  • New York City Department of Education Government — Partners with the Department of Education for student enrollment processes.
  • PS 281 Network — PTA is an integral part of PS 281, operating as the school's parent-teacher association.
  • ParentSquare Partner — Partnered to provide a unified communication platform for school and PTA updates.
  • ParentSquare Partner — Platform used by The River School to communicate news and community events to families.
  • Professional Taekwondo Partner — Offers taekwondo classes, including virtual and offsite options, to students.
  • SchoolFood NYC Government — Provider of school meal menus and likely administrator of federal school nutrition programs for the school.
  • TD Bank Partner — Partner in TD Bank’s Affinity Membership Program, earning annual cash contributions based on account openings and balances.
  • Take Two Film Academy Partner — Partner organization providing film enrichment programming for Grade 2 students.
  • United Federation of Teachers Partner — UFT chapter leader is a mandatory member of the School Leadership Team.
  • ps281.org Partner — Collaborates with the school website to maintain and update information for the community.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Family-Funded Model to Bridge Resource Gaps
    methodology: family-funded_model
    By relying on parent donations and family-funded financing, the PTA supports essential educational programs not covered by public funding, because sustained family investment enables the enhancement of student learning and school resources in under-resourced contexts.
  • Partnership-Based Programming to Expand Student Opportunities
    methodology: partnership-based_programming
    By building after-school programming through partnerships with external organizations, the PTA expands access to comprehensive enrichment activities, because leveraging external expertise and resources allows for a broader, more sustainable range of offerings than the school could provide alone.
  • Peer Mentorship and Translation Support to Foster Inclusion
    methodology: peer-mentorship-and-translation-support
    By pairing new and non-English-speaking families with parent mentors and providing translation services, the PTA supports family integration and school engagement, because peer-led support reduces isolation and builds trust, enabling more equitable participation in school life.
  • Shared Governance for Inclusive Decision-Making
    methodology: shared_governance
    By using a shared governance model with equal parent and staff representation, the PTA ensures that school leadership decisions reflect diverse perspectives and strengthen community ownership, because inclusive decision-making leads to greater trust, engagement, and alignment with family needs.
  • Universal Free Meals to Support Participation and Equity
    methodology: universal_free_meals
    By providing universal free breakfast and lunch, the PTA increases meal accessibility and participation while reducing stigma, because removing financial and social barriers ensures all students are nourished and ready to learn, regardless of background.