“You got a call from the White House,” the school secretary informed me yesterday as I walked into a leadership team meeting. “I told Mrs. Obama’s secretary that I couldn’t give out your phone number … but I gave her your e-mail.”

I smiled. Times being what they are, protecting the privacy of parent volunteers (who labor to bring in the additional funding schools need for luxuries like science and athletic equipment as well as books) is every bit as important as cooperating with the First Lady’s social secretary. Next time, I told her, it was okay to give the woman my cell. I was pretty sure there would be a next time … because I was pretty sure I knew why she was calling.

In February, South Arbor Booster Club held its annual Spring Auction and raised almost $10,000 in badly needed funding for our school, the second-highest ranking charter school in the state of Michigan (our sister school in Canton is first). As president of Boosters, I wrote to the First Lady to request autographed books from President Obama and herself for our autograph table. Knowing his support for charter schools, I thought it likely that they might be willing to make a token gesture — and I was pretty sure a signed book from Michelle Obama would bring a nice donation.

To sweeten the deal a bit, I offered the biggest incentive I could think of: I would remove the McCain bumper sticker from my van (anyone who knows me can appreciate the weight of this particular olive branch) if they would help us out. “In times like this, we need to be working together to help our children, the future leaders of our country.”

Three days before the auction, I got a form rejection letter from Mrs. Obama’s office (having spent so many years in publishing, I can spot a form letter a mile away). Apparently one of the undersecretaries thought I was being glib. But nothing could have been farther from the truth. “You should write the President,” one of the school office staff, a die-hard Obama fan, told me when she saw how upset I was. “He would understand.”

So I did. And apparently, this one actually reached the desk of the intended recipient.

We never did get the books. And we’re still trying to reach our Booster Goal for the year (at present we’re trying to raise $4,000 to give our teachers a classroom spending allowance for supplies and recess equipment). I still don’t know if the White House will do anything to help us … but at least I got their attention.

Stay tuned …

Heidi Hess Saxton is president of the South Arbor Booster Club, creator of the Extraordinary Moms Network and author of “My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories.” Email Heidi at heidi.hess.saxton@gmail.com.