[aisle] Scholastic Book Fair Fuel Surcharge Meeting

[Ranftl, Kelly]

Hi Fellow Librarians,
Scholastic Book Fairs lit an angry fire under me when they explained the
fuel surcharge they are applying to book fairs. I did my research, replied
(see below), and Scholastic Book Fairs Leadership is now asking me to have
a phone meeting regarding my "strong feelings". If you also have "strong
feelings" about the fuel surcharge or would like to share how it is
impacting your school/students, please let me know. I would love to share
your concerns with Scholastic leadership.
~Kelly Ranftl

My email to Scholastic:
Dear xxxxx,
Our problem is with the unjust practice of a BILLION dollar company
essentially charging schools to run your fairs. Scholastic is NOT a mom &
pop shop struggling with inflation. The fuel charge is about company
bigwigs making more cash. I find it greedy and immoral for business owners
to nickel and dime schools and children, especially when the company has
had record-breaking earnings the previous year.  Scholastic is not in
financial trouble, as the quotes below prove.

"Scholastic recorded significant revenue and operating income gains in both
reporting periods, led by increased in-person book fairs and record
revenue-per-fair levels in the U.S. book fairs channel, as well as strong
demand for the Company's educational offerings."

"...Board of Directors also approved a 33% increase in its regular
quarterly cash dividend to $0.20 per share from $0.15 per share on the
Company's Class A and Common Stock for the first quarter of fiscal 2023."


Citation:

Scholastic Corporation. “Scholastic Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2022
Results Led by Record Revenue per Fair Levels and Strong Education
Solutions Sales.” *SCHOLASTIC REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FISCAL 2022
RESULTS LED BY RECORD REVENUE PER FAIR LEVELS AND STRONG EDUCATION
SOLUTIONS SALES*, 21 July 2022,
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scholastic-reports-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-2022-results-led-by-record-revenue-per-fair-levels-and-strong-education-solutions-sales-301591281.html


Durkin Park has decided to go with a book fair company that has similar
offerings, similar prices, better rewards structure, and most importantly,
is not charging a fuel surcharge to ANY school as a cash grab. Feel free to
forward my email to Sasha Quinton, President of Book Fairs, who made
$1,697,980 in total compensation in 2022.

Source:
https://www.salary.com/tools/executive-compensation-calculator/sasha-quinton-salary-bonus-stock-options-for-scholastic-corp?year=2022

I know I am not the only one canceling book fairs due to this cash grab.
Librarians across multiple Facebook groups are livid, and many small-town
and low-income school librarians are feeling this surcharge hit their book
budgets. My hope is that if the people in charge realise what they are
doing to schools is WRONG, a change will be made.

-- 
All the best,
Kelly Ranftl
Durkin Park Library Information Specialist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
klranftl at cps.edu
Support my Classroom with Donors Choose: Early Childhood Storytellers
<https://www.donorschoose.org/project/early-childhood-storytellers/6810970/?utm_source=dc&utm_medium=directlink&utm_campaign=project&utm_term=teacher_2587578&rf=directlink-dc-2022-09-project-teacher_2587578&challengeid=20495476>
<klranftl at cps.edu>“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading,
to make reading one of his needs, is good for him.”
 – Maya Angelou
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