[aisle] Scholastic Book Fair Fuel Surcharge Meeting

[Laura Bollin]

Please add me to your concerns:

We are a small Catholic school in Chicago and my ONLY budget for the year
comes from the book fair.

Given the new fuel surcharge, it’s unlikely we will make any money for the
school at all.

Sincerely,

Laura Davis
Chicago, IL

On Mon, Oct 17, 2022 at 2:36 PM Ranftl, Kelly via AISLE <
aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> 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
>
> MAILMAN_MIMEDEFANG
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-- 
Sincerely,

Laura Bollin Davis

773.860.8322

bollin.laura1 at gmail.com
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