Chattering middle schoolers bounced around a table Tuesday, Aug. 31, all waiting to take home their own miniature rubber ducks from Poet Christian School.

The hubbub, overseen by four parent volunteers, was the kickoff of a fall fundraiser at the school that parents, teachers and staff hope will help the school cope with massive state-mandated budget cuts.

“We’re making up for school budget cuts and trying to meet the school’s basic needs,” said Kelli Goble, one of the volunteers handing out duckies to students.

Goble and other Poet Christian Parent-Teacher-Student Association members gave the tiny ducks — dressed as sports figures, swimmers and superheroes and suspended from lanyards — to kids who returned a mailing catalogue filled with the addresses of family and friends who might be interested in buying magazine subscriptions.

Through the middle of September, students who sell baked goods, jewelry and subscriptions will be awarded more ducks — one for each trio of sales.

Goble said the floating, squeaky toys are an incentive for girls and boys to get involved in the fundraiser that will help pay for field trips for each class, as well as basic school supplies, like paper, toner and upkeep for printers.

Tracy Unified School District trustees eliminated all money for field trips and office supplies as part of $12.5 million in overall cuts for the 2010-11 school year.

“The budget (for supplies) is zero,” parent volunteer Roxane Bernhard said.

If the Poet Christian fundraiser falls short, teachers and staff will have to foot the cost themselves.

“You hate to ask parents for money,” Principal Bill Maslyar said on his way to oversee a recess football game. “…We’ve been hit so bad by cuts, we almost have no money for anything.”

At Poet Christian, a former magnet school that lost its fine arts curriculum this year, that includes computers. The district removed 25 machines from the library, classrooms and administrative offices because they were simply too old to function properly, Maslyar said. And there’s no money, he added, to upgrade or buy new computers.

But Poet Christian isn’t the only school facing such a crunch, nor is it the only one turning to creative solutions.

“Every school is trying to do this,” Goble said.

Jessica Cardoza, a Tracy Unified School District spokeswoman, agreed, saying schools throughout the city are doing what they can to supplement slashed budgets.

Some school and parent-teacher-student groups, Cardoza said, are trying keep from losing offerings, like FFA at West and Tracy high schools. Others are scrimping to send kids on field trips and buy classroom supplies. Still others seek to resurrect classes that were budget-cut casualties.

“I think each site’s group has taken it upon themselves to ask the principal, ‘Where is the greatest need?’” she said.

Teams of parents and teachers have always put on fundraisers to supplement what schools could offer, Cardoza explained, but recent history has made them all the more necessary.

And it could get worse. More budget cuts are projected for the 2011-12 school year, which could mean schools will lean even more on the efforts of students and the generosity of parents.

But at least for Susan Heinrich, who helped Poet Christian students choose their first rubber ducks Tuesday, the kids’ enthusiasm has given everyone hope that those challenges can be met, including this year’s $20,000 goal.

“It’s definitely the most excitement I’ve seen from middle school students,” she said.