Co-op FAQ

Each WMS family is responsible for 25 Co-op hours (regardless of how many children you have enrolled at the school). Hours will be pro-rated for those families who enter WMS after the beginning of the school year.

Your yearly Co-op requirement begins September 1 and ends June 15. Co-op participation requested between the last day of school and September 1 may be applied to the requirement for the upcoming school year (with staff approval), but completed hours may not otherwise be carried over from year to year.

Although Co-op hours are not transferable from family to family, anyone in the family (parent, aunt, sibling, grandparent, etc.) may assist in the completion of the time requirement.

New for the 2023-24 school year: Families can enter and track their number of completed Co-op hours through the FACTS Family Portal (District code: WM-DE).

You may also request an update on your submitted Co-op hours by contacting co-op@wmsde.org. At the end of the school year, the business office will issue bills for incomplete hours.

Co-op hours may be reported for requests made through your child’s teacher, homeroom representative or as posted on Bloomz.

Some examples of participation that may be reported for Co-op hours are:

• Classroom support - Your child’s teachers and classroom will provide a list of classroom jobs via Bloomz throughout the school year. Families are also welcome to suggest ideas to the teacher, including sharing presentations about their family traditions, culture or career with the class.
• Event support - planning committees, set-up, providing food, publicity, etc.
• Maintenance support - gardening, small repairs, carpentry, etc.
• Program support - Assisting with the library, musical performances, sports activities, etc.
• Administrative/Office support - Board participation, fundraising, copying, laminating, printing grant-writing, graphic design, technology assistance, etc.

When purchasing items for classroom, event or program support, the general guideline is that one Co-op hour equals $30 spent. In order to receive Co-op credit for requested purchases, a receipt must be submitted to co-op@wmsde.org. Families will only receive Co-op credit for $100 in purchases per year. Classroom teachers must approve all purchases up to $100. Purchases of $100 or more must be pre-approved by the Business Office. Purchases made for Co-op credit will not be reimbursed.
 

Many valuable contributions of time and talents are made because parents wish to be supportive of their child’s classroom activities and of the school in general. Some examples of participation that may not be reported for Co-op hours are:

• Attending classroom parties or other celebrations
• Donated furniture and technology: As much as we appreciate your consideration, donated items such as furniture and computers cannot be included as Co-op time. We would suggest that you complete a tax-deductible donation form (available at the Front Desk) for these items. Like you, we have limited storage, so please check before bringing items into school.
• Donations for teacher gifts

• Actual time spent: It is not always clear how long it will take a parent to complete a project. In those cases, families are asked to track their time expenditure and report the number of hours actually spent on the task.
• Time spent plus supplies purchased: If a family member spends two hours making curtains for a classroom, plus $30 in fabric or other supplies, they may claim a total of three Co-op hours. 
• Year-long commitments: It is recognized that certain Co-op jobs include extensive responsibilities and time commitments, and may be assigned an hour value. For example, a parent serving as a classroom ambassador or board member may claim 25 Co-op hours.

• Bloomz: The majority  of WMS Co-op opportunities (both classroom and school-wide) are posted on our Bloomz site. 
• Wednesday Weekly: Opportunities for Co-op participation are often communicated to families through the Wednesday Weekly newsletter.

Yes, many Co-op jobs, such as making materials, virtual family education programs and graphic design, may be done from your home.

All Co-op hours should be reported online through the FACTS Family Portal. To receive Co-op credit for purchases (up to a total of $100 per year), receipts should be scanned and submitted via email to co-op@wmsde.org. 

Please submit reports for all completed Co-op jobs as you finish them, even if you have already fulfilled your Co-op requirement for the year. As valuable resources, families' donations of time and purchases are tracked and help the school with funding for grants. You may also need this information for tax purposes. More importantly, your support throughout the year is vital to the functioning of the school. Many of the school’s largest events happen in the spring, and their success depends on our families’ time and talents.

If you are unable to complete your family’s Co-op requirement before June 15, you will be billed for the incomplete hours, as stated on the annual Co-op Agreement. Families that are unable to complete their Co-op hours by the end of the school year but wish to do so over the summer may contact co-op@wmsde.org to make arrangements.

If you have any questions about the Family Co-op Program at WMS, please email co-op@wmsde.org or call 302-475-0555. Families are invited and encouraged to make suggestions for Co-op participation. Your ideas are important to us!

Parents and other family members may complete many Co-op jobs in the school between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on school days.

Important
If families bring children into the school after hours, they must follow the same rule that applies to all employees of the school regarding child supervision: Children should never be left unsupervised in any area of the school at any time.