Duct Tape the Principal: Lee Elementary PTA's Milestone Fundraising Fun

LOS ALAMITOS, CA — What do you get when you surpass your goal of enthusiastic elementary school parents joining the PTA? In Los Alamitos Unified School District's Lee Elementary School? Principal Amy Laughlin allowed herself to be duct taped to the wall.

For this duct tape-the-principal-challenge, Laughlin agreed to the taping if more than 525 Lee Elementary School parents would join the school's PTA by her deadline.

That threshold was beat by students, community members, families and teachers, with 537 registering to the national organization by the deadline after only eight weeks. To celebrate the feat, the PTA then did its part and taped up the principal in the schoolyard.

Tables with strips of duct tape were set up by the PTA members' sign-up station, and Laughlin prepared herself to be taped.

"Some of the kids were hesitant to add tape to the wall because they felt badly for me," Laughlin said with a laugh. "Lee has the sweetest students."

The massive duct tape-sticking event brought the school principal to laughter when they removed her footstool.

"I wasn’t sure if I’d actually stay up," she said. "The kids cheered and waved the whole time."

Wendy Wood, a second grade teacher and administrative designee, captured the event on film. Each PTA parent and child came to the school for the event, all able to swipe a strip of duct tape and further secure Laughlin to the wall.

It takes a while to apply more than 530 strips of the sticky tape.

Throughout the application process, Laughlin was adorned in a hat to shade her from the Los Alamitos sunshine, and she was given water to drink on the warm, November day.

Of the event, and the growing PTA presence at Lee, Laughlin discussed the sense of family with the parents and students.

"Our school community makes us who we are. I am incredibly grateful to our PTA for supporting the students at Lee," she said.

The PTA is the oldest and largest child advocacy association in America, according to its website. It is dedicated to children’s educational success, health and well-being through strong family and community engagement. In addition, the PTA funds school assemblies, student field trips, technology, school supplies and more. It also provides fun and silly fundraising ideas like duct tape the principal.

"Lee Elementary is so grateful for the support of their PTA," Wood said.

So, apparently, is Laughlin, who was safely removed from being suspended over the blacktop by piles and piles of industrial strength tape.

Photos credit: Wendy Wood, Lee Elementary School, Los Alamitos School District.