The Purchasing Guide does not fit my needs for a particular category, spending limit, etc. Is there something I can do about this?

Yes! You can send in your notes directly to Step Up using their Purchasing Guide Feedback Form.

Step Up is ACTIVELY collecting parent feedback about the purchasing guide, so please reach out to them if you have a concern!

(For example, if you want computers or other electronic equipment added to the purchasing guide for next year, or are unhappy with a particular category's spending limit, reach out to Step Up and let them know!)

There will be another meeting in December to finalize the Purchasing Guide... so it's really important to submit that feedback to Step Up now so they can take it all into consideration when they make decisions for updating that Purchasing Guide.

Remember, Step Up has to follow the law. They are not the bad guys... they are trying to help parents. But they are also an organzation, and they make organizational decisions. (They also have to coordinate with AAA to make those final decisions in December. )

Push back and say what you need! Make a good case to Step Up for what you need, and they may add those things when they make the final changes.

UPDATE to this as of August 14, 2023:

If you believe something should be a qualified expense but it is not a category of purchases covered in statute (like laptops/computers, for example), you will need to contact your local legislators, not Step Up. Step Up must abide by the law, and are limited by what's in statute. The next legislative session meets in January, but the bills are worked on in committee sessions prior to that, starting in September/October/November... so now is the time to contact your legislators and let them know your needs!

Update 9/28/2023:

It seems Step Up has added some clarifying info to sections of their Purchasing Guide, including details on Field Trip/Theme Park admissions reimbursement info, and more. This new version is marked "Effective 9/22/2023" in the footer on the document, as a way of telling it apart from the older version. You can find the updated Purchasing Guide on our Downloads page (http://flhef.org/downloads), under the file name "updated 9/28/2023 FTC FES-EO Purchasing Guide 2023-24.pdf".