Question: How is your PTO and it's fundraising being decided when your PTO has a federal ID number?

We were informed by our middle school principal that our school district is engangin The Comer Learning model. As such we were also informed that any PTO fundraising and the dispensement of funds has to be reviewed and approved by a school committee. Our PTO has a federal ID number (FEIN), which is separate from the school. We are not a 501c3. Is anyone else part of a school that engages the Comer model and is anyone getting approval from a school committee for all fundraising activities?

Asked by dgbrehon

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Craig writes:
The Comer School Development Program, aka the Comer Model, is named for James Comer, the Yale professor who created it in 1968. It can be a powerful force for school improvement. But it requires broadscale buy-in and commitment from teachers, administrators, and parents alike. The goal is to create a team approach to running the school that gets parents highly involved in their children's education. If this is going to be successful, the administration should be bringing you into the process rather than pushing you out. I'd recommend talking to the principal and telling him your PTO has the power to mobilize volunteers as well as raise funds, and you want to help. Involving the PTO in the planning from the start will allow you to be proactive rather than reactive. In other words, you can plan the activities, fundraisers, etc. that make the most sense for the school from the start rather than having the PTO plan and get excited about one thing while the school steering committees are going in a completely different direction.