Thanks for the update, writermom. The passwoord issue sounds more reasonable now - frustrating but at least not malicious. We also have our bank statement sent to the president's house. The president reviews it for any unusal items, signs off, and THEN GIVES IT TO THE TREASURER FOR RECONCILIATION AND FILING. It sounds like your president is keeping the bank file. That's the treasurer's responsibility. The treasurer should be reconciling against the printed bank statement and reviewing the returned checks. I guess you can reconcile from an online view, but doing it against a specific hardcopy report that has clear start/end dates is cleaner and more common. Your treasurer could use the lack of online access to justify why the president needs to pass along the complete bank statement (after she has reviewed it). It may not be your place to suggest this, but your inexperienced treasurer could benefit from reading the Treasurer Toolkit manual available here. It would build her confidence and help her understand the responsbilities that typically fall on the treasurer's plate.

And yes, if you are operating under the school's EIN, it seems your principal would be very interested in financial controls. At the same time, your PTO should be very interested in bylaws to try to protect the PTO's dollars from unexpected access by the school. It's not your money if you raise it and bank it under the school's EIN. The school is just giving you the courtesy of managing it. It's a gentleman's agreement. In theory, your principal or a future principal could take all your PTO's money for whatever use s/he sees fit. It's not yours unless it's managed under your group's own EIN. Bylaws alone won't change that, but maybe bylaws can help articulate the relationship between the school and your PTO. And maybe formalizing your bylaws will direct your PTO toward becoming an independent parent group, with its own EIN, who then actually owns its money.

[ 11-23-2005, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: Critter ]

Here's what happened: the treasurer tried to log in three times with the wrong password, thereby invalidating it. No one has reset it so no one can look at the online statement. The treas relies a lot on the pres for guidance because she is new, and the pres said she would reset the password. This happened two weeks ago and it has not been reset. So no conspiracy here. The pres has bank statements sent to her house so the only way the treas can see them to do her monthly financial report is online. If the password isn't reset sometime in the next ten days, the treas will not have her financial report for the next meeting.

The other three officers are on the account. I am not. I chose not to be but I could get on the account at any time. However, if I do that now,and deal with the password situation, I am sure I will be accused of overstepping my boundaries, and in many PTOs, I would be overstepping. But we have a serious lack of leadership, and I am walking a very fine line here. I feel like all I can do is what any member would do--bring up issues as they arise in a regular meeting.

We require two signatures on all checks. I am not worrying about money disappearing. That happened last year. I am worried about money being spent foolishly and without member approval. With no bylaws, there are no rules governing how money is spent.

It has been suggested to me by more than one person that the pres had something to do with the money that was stolen last year. I do not believe that was the case, I have said so, and discouraged that line of thought so no nasty rumors get started. I think she is enept, but I dont think she is a thief.

I would think that the principal would want good financial policies in place as we use the district's EIN and last year they had to deal with the embezzlement and reimburse the PTO. I think more than anything she just wishes the situation would go away.

We have never held elections. Whoever wants to be pres just steps up. This pres says she is stepping down after this year. At this point, I am just waiting the year out, volunteering wherever I can with a smile on my face, and trying the best I can to keep an eye on the money--like any good member would do.

YEAH--road trip!

Ouch! And I thought my bunch were a bad lot! While the PTA may not be perfect, I am very glad that we are one these days--at least I have a chain of command I'm climbing to make sure my school's unit gets back on track. If it were just up to our principal or BOE to get that done we'd really be introuble!

Perhaps this "president" of yours needs to read the bullying thread over in "Day to Day!" An anonymous note reminding her the term we're using here is "president" not "dictator" or "master" might be in order as well. I'm assuming she wasn't voted in--is she self-appointed, or was there a bloody coup d'etat? If she was elected--it might do well to remind her that as the democratic process got her in office, it can also serve to get her out.

No bylaws? What gives? Though I suppose they aren't REALLY necessary--at least not according to my officers. They're there more for "guidance."

So she changed the password--is it possible to get it from someone else? Is this broad the only one authorized to sign checks, etcetera? If she's not, make sure whoever is gets down to the bank ASAP to speak to the bank manager and get a copy of the records. Also--who's EIN are you using? The school's? If that's the case, make sure you get the principal involved by explaining the situation to her--she might be more interested in taking a stand once it's explained to her in terms of money that could go "buh-bye." Not that this megalomaniac necessarily has any plans to shuffle off to Buffalo (or Atlantic City as one PTA pres here in Jersey did) with the school's funds, but anyone that determined to keep questioning eyes away from the books is inviting trouble. If you are using the school's EIN, I'd get moving on setting up a true PTO or PTA unit with proper rules and guidelines to keep everyone in order.

Good luck--and always remember we here in the boards are always up for a road trip to help those in need!

If your Principal doesn't want to get involved, can you turn to a teacher or Vice Principal? The rest of the officers and a school rep should sit down and decide how, as a group, you want to pursue this. It's so important to get someone from within the school on your side. Only then may the principal decide its time to get involved.

As far as the principal goes, staying out of it might seem like a good thing, but burying your head in the sand is a big mistake!

And if all else fails, I'm up for a good road trip, give me her address and I'll knock some sense into her!

[ 11-22-2005, 12:27 PM: Message edited by: Bertha ]

I have asked for a sit down, we were supposed to have done it last week, she cancelled and said maybe after Thanksgiving.

I have just been informed that she hasn't had time to reset the password---meaning, I guess that NO ONE can get into the online account, including the treas. Banging head against wall time again.

Big red flag: changing the bank account password. It's time for a major sit down, hash out the frustrations, get it out on the table meeting with all the board members, president included. You may end up resigning, but NO ONE has the right to close the books, especially to another officer. She's WAY out of line.