I was looking around and I found these too. It's a PTA in Maryland.

herndonmiddleschoolpta.com/hms_bylaws_2001.html

I'm sorry , but I found another one.
www.angelfire.com/mi/BraceLederlePTA/bylaws.html
I'll stop now. Niko

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>I can't emphasize enough the importance of considering the future in your by-laws. What if they redistrict? What if the school closes? What if the district merges with another? All of these things have happened in our area recently. PTO's need to be prepared.<hr></blockquote>

We've seen the same thing. The district closed the next school over, and 3/4 of the students are now in our school. Our PTA bylaws make no provision for considering the parent's service at that school in determining eligibility for things like officers and honorary life memberships. We are due for a by-law review, and this is one item that is on the agenda to be addressed.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>They claimed that we were a new group so they didn't have to leave us any $.<hr></blockquote>

At the risk of seeming cold hearted, tcsew, look at it from their viewpoint. From where they sit it looks like their old school no longer exists. The fact that another school is going to start using their old facility is irrelevant to their viewpoint. Imagine the building had been sold to the local Catholic parish, and your new elementary there was a parochial school. Would you expect them to leave behind the residual PTO funds in that case?

I'm not saying your desire for some startup funds was an unreasonable request. If a new school in our district were to request such a donation from our PTA, I would entertain the request. I'm just trying to present their viewpoint.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of considering the future in your by-laws. What if they redistrict? What if the school closes? What if the district merges with another? All of these things have happened in our area recently. PTO's need to be prepared.

Our area redistricted. Our building went from an intermediate school to an elementary school. And the area the school was drawn from was different. The previous parent group did not anticipate this happening and their by-laws did not address it. So they just cleaned out their treasury! Left us just a few hundred $ because we begged. The rest of the $ went to the school their kids were being sent to. We asked about carry-over funds from year to year. the tradition in this area is about $1000. They claimed that we were a new group so they didn't have to leave us any $.

We are writing new by-laws. We will anticipate the future and try to prepare for it. I would not want to leave another parent group in the mess we were in.

HA.Mom --- This site (pto today)is truly wonderful for information....go to the pto practicalities link....then also check out 'starting a pto', go to www.nonprofitlaw.com also see www.ncnb.org (national center for nonprofit boards)..."how do we become a nonprofit organization?" lists a checklist. And of course, www.irs.gov forms and publications, find Form 1023.
I just found this site today and have forwarded the link to our pto president and other members. We've just found out we're not non-profit, after many years. And my info shows we'll have to pay a $500 fee (Form 8718), but other advice we've rec'd says we only need to file in our state. Our fundraisers do bring in over $10K.
Oh well, my headache. God Bless you!!!

[ 07-12-2005, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: NancySousa ]

I am thinking about trying to start a PTO or a Home and School Association at our Catholic grade school. Is there a good web site or other organization that I could access detailed information on the process of starting one in our school? I have already checked out by-laws from schools but would really like start up information. I would like to know how involved the organization can be, how to get one up and running and proper procedure and what type of activities we can be involved in for the school.