About the antique table purchased by the principal, have you thought about auctioning it off to raise money for your school? Or selling chance tickets, if you can do that in your area? That would be a way to get at least some of that money back, and the table would no longer be around to offend anyone.
Maybe you should rethink your gift to the school policy. Our PTA's often give monetary gifts to the school but... never without knowing what will be purchased. It was the blank check thing that caused the problem. The school submits their wish list or item they would like to purchase or have help paying for. We vote on that expenditure at a meeting and either pay the bill ourselves or write them a check for our portion of the bill. We donate $500.00 to our school which helps defray the cost of student planners and paid the bill for $171.00 for student achievement (bumper stickers). No guess work there on how principal will spend the $.
Three years ago our elementary school opened and the PTO gave the principal money to help "decorate" the school to give it warmth. HOWEVER, the principal purchased a $400.00 antique table for the entry way to the school. I don't think the bomb exploded until she thanked all of the parents at a "Meet the teacher" night for the new $400.00 table. Needless to say, many people ran to the front lobby, after they picked their jaw up off the floor, to see "THE TABLE". The comments are still flying around. Should I attempt get rid of the table? I feel this affects our fundraising ability. How should I get rid of it? Should I tell everyone if we do sell the table or should I just let this go? (It is a beautiful oval wood table...I'll sell it to you for $400.00, anyone want it? HA,HA)
I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you that the principal is the FORMER principal. Even the current principal's jaw dropped.
[This message has been edited by volprez (edited 07-26-2001).]