Question: PTO purchased equipment

Our PTO has purchased many different pieces of equipment (IE popcorn machine, sno cone machine, etc). We used these machines at our fundraisers and school functions. My question is who is "in charge" of the equipment. Is it the school's now or is it the PTO's? Box Top money is what was used to purchase the equipment. I ask because our sister school borrowed the popcorn machine. They did not ask the principal and she was furious. I am trying to find out how to define it...

Asked by sgephart

Answers:

Community Advice

lhardwick writes:
Technically, the PTO owns the equipment. What I suggest though is that the PTO and school work together as a team. This means that if any other school or organization wants to borrow anything have a system in place where they ask the principal first and the the principal in turn brings it to the PTO for approval. This way everyone feels important and the no one is made to feel purposely left out.

Community Advice

ChMSPTO writes:
When our PTO makes a purchase, we include a sticker that says ... "Donated by the ChMS PTO," or "Property of ChMS PTO." Items donated to the school become the responsibility of the school. Items that are PTO property are maintained by various members of our Board. For example, our large coffee maker is the responsibility of the Food and Concessions Chair.

Community Advice

jenilou28 writes:
Our school district has a "manual" which covers the districts rules and regulations regarding "school support groups." Check with your school district to see if it has something similar. Our district's rule, which I DO NOT agree with, is that items such as this that are purchased by our PTO become DISTRICT property, even though items remain housed at our school and we control who uses it. If our PTO were to be dissolved, the school district would, by it's rules, take possession of the equipment.