Okay. They did it. A teacher stood up at Open House and ask parents to join a PTO that has no board members yet. She assured us that she was working on the by-laws and they would be done soon. This year the school would pick the board members (they hadn't found any takers so far)but we would get to vote next year. This is a 9th grade only school. How many of us will have a 9th grader 2 years in a row? And then she ended her appeal with we "really, really need your money". That went over real well from the grumblings I heard around me. So, as you can probably guess, there wasn't a big stampede to join the PTO that night. The principal is not interested in sharing funds with the rest of the high school so not joint PTO with the rest if the high school across the street. We are even having a 9th grade only homecoming dance so that the school can keep all the ticket money. One of the BOE members has a 9th grader and was present. I can't wait until I run into him and get his opinion

That definitely sounds like a viable alternative. Excellent suggestion!

The 9th grade school was built as a solution to the overcrowding at the high school. We are across the street from the main campus and supposed to be a part of the high school but we have a full admininstrative staff (principal & 3 assistants)and lots of other duplicate services. My suggestion to the principal is going to be that we have ninth grade parents as representatives on the high school PTO board and we divide the money, giving 1/4 to the 9th grade school.

Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never has and it never will.

Frederick Douglass

[ 08-23-2006, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: Shawn ]

I'll second.

Shawn is right, this guy is fishy. I'm guessing you're a new charter high school, building up to a full 9th - 12th over the next four year?

You need to take time to establish your group, establish trust with the parents and staff and work together to create the kind of PTO that's best for your community. If you start off on the wrong foot you might never get it turned around.

Without bylaws, how can you even define membership, dues and the benefits of being a member. I personally wouldn't give my money to that kind of group.

Maybe you can approach the principal with another kind of fundraising idea. At my son's new school, the prinicpal very candidly explained that they have expenses that the BOE doesn't cover. He asked parents to donate an average of $20 per family to help meet those expenses.

Honesty is the best policy.

[ 08-23-2006, 05:00 PM: Message edited by: CrewChief ]

Time to call his supervisor, BOE or whatever... Sounds way fishy to me.

I move to vote on this issue... Do I have a second? Yea or Nays?