It seems that you didn't really switch from a PTA to a PTO as much as you ceased the PTA and started a brand new organization called a PTO. In that case, the new organization needs to adopt its own bylaws, whether they are a revision of something old, or a completely fresh new set doesn't really matter (heck most of us started with someone else's bylaws and modified them for our own situation). If your new PTO has approved the new bylaws in accordance with parlimentary procedure, it seems your PTO has its bylaws, period.

Reading between the lines, I'm guessing that the warning about the $500 fee actually refers to the IRS's standard fee for a new 501c3 application. As a new PTO, your group probably wants to consider this step, but the fee has nothing directly to do with the fact that you have new bylaws - it has to do with the fact that you have a new ORGANIZATION.

Who is saying all your PTOs must be the same? Is the school board or school administration saying that? Sure there are districts where PTOs work closely together and maybe even operate as one big umbrella for all the schools, but I think the most common model is one PTO, one school. If your school admin wants the PTOs to be the same, you have to work that out with them. But there is no "rule" in the world of PTOs that every group in a school district must have the same bylaws or do anything the same at all. I don't live in Illinois. Maybe there are some unique circumstances that apply in that state. You're smart to question those who are "telling" your group this and that...get information from the right sources, not hearsay.

we've had some recent problems with getting access to our bylaws (we just switched from a PTA to a PTO)and someone volunteered to draft our new PTO bylaws.The new ones are excellent, but now the old ones have resurfaced, and we are being told they are PTO bylaws. We are also being told we voted on them even though our minutes do not reflect this. We are being told that to re-write our current bylaws will cost us $500.00 and could quite possibly change our filing status. We are also being told that ALL PTO's in our district have to be the same and approved by the superintendant of schools. Noone seems to be able to verify any of this information. The information we have is that PTO's are independant and each school may write their own bylaws. Are we being snowed? WE are in Illinois.