Question: Merging PTO's/The principals idea

Our school district currently has 2 separate and very different elementary schools and PTO's. Our new principal seems determined to merge the two PTO's into one primary PTO. Can he force the issue or is it up to the parents/PTO boardmembers to vote on it?

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Craig writes:
Why does he want to combine the PTOs? Maybe you can address his concerns in other ways than a full-on merger. For example, maybe you could have regular coordinating meetings where the officers of the two PTOs get together to share ideas, plan calendars to make sure fundraisers, etc. don't overlap, and see where there are areas that you could help each other out.

If you do end up with a PTO covering two schools, you'll find you have two separate sets of volunteers for each school. Coordination might be more streamlined, but there are trade-offs, including a push and pull between the schools as to which gets what resources (time and attention, in particular).

It's certainly possible to have one PTO for two schools, and many groups function successfully that way. But I'd suggest that the push for that needs to come from within -- it's a lot of work, and it won't work very well if everyone would rather be paying attention to just one school.

Community Advice

pat sutton writes:
THIS IS TRUE; AND IT IS A PARENT CHOICE. DO PARENTS HAVE KIDS IN BOTH SCHOOLS. PLUS ONE SET OF RULES, ETC IS MUCH MORE BENEFICIAL TO PARENTS, SIBLINGS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. IS THERE ONE PRINCIPAL FOR BOTH SCHOOLS, ONE A LITTLE MORE INVOLVED, CONTROLLING/.im working on the same line we have 5 elementary schools all rund differently, low parent involvement, controlled managed by principals and other staff. we volunteer and they get paid doing pto stuff during working hours and most times compensate with time or money for helping after hours with pto functions. we/all must remember PARENT/teacher organization these are parent choices, were non-profit and though our functions are for the school/children/teachers benefit,WE ARE A SEPERATE ORGANIZATION FROM THE SCHOOL system, do can they control/run the other non profits that benefit them? stand up and speak up they have to work with us as we have to work with them . Some schools are merging with the educational foundations and becoming a stronger force to accomplish more.