We have the same problem which is driving me nuts! I'm working on getting our bylaws changed to approve the budge in April or May along with voting for Board members. Glad to know it isn't just our PTO!
How we have it set up to work is: Board nominations occur in March, voted on in April. The newly elected board hasn't taken office yet, but must come up with a budget for "their" school year by the May meeting. Then they present it to the board/ members for a vote. Our new officers take office July 1st and that's when the new budget takes affect also. (This is when our school has their change over also). This allows the the old board to get all the receipts turned in by the end of June (graduation stuff) and the new board the month of July to get things ready for our August kick off party!
Hope that helps!
I was wondering the same thing myself. Our general budget is approved in mid-September and that drives me nuts. It helps me to know that others feel the need to have a budget presented and voted on in May. Our by-laws need amending in many ways, I can just add this to the list.
It is definitely something that has to be addressed here, and my concern as well is what is done over the couple months where we technically have no budget.
I like the idea of the outgoing treasurer drafting a budget for the incoming year. It could always be amended should things change during summer planning, but at least allows things to be done "officially".
PartTimeParli is right on (as usual). This is one of the changes I pushed for when I joined my PTO board; our bylaws now say that the treasurer must present a budget proposal at our last meeting of the year (in May) for approval at that meeting. That's also the meeting at which we elect officers for the following school year, so those incoming officers can be heard on the budget before it's approved. We've had to amend it a few times, but never in a big way.
Theoretically you could even get into legal trouble for spending money in a new fiscal year without any budget, since your bylaws probably say the board can't spend more than a certain amount on unbudgeted items without approval from the membership.
Push for bylaws amendments that require the next year's budget to be approved before the end of the school year.
