Our school is also a PTO and we also do not have dues - all parents are members even if they never attend or volunteer. For many years our Teacher's Reimbursement was $50/semester. When state budget cuts went into effect about two years ago we voted at a regular meeting to increase it to $75/semester which is very appreciated by our teachers.
We require our teachers to fill out a reimbursement request (from Critter's wonderful color coded forms) for out of pocket expenses each semester.
I also agree that most teacher's go above and beyond to teach their students. Although it is ultimately up to your group, I would not recommend charging them dues. Maybe you could even add that all teachers are members (without paying dues) - I don't know if that would work with a PTA, though.
We're not a PTA, we're a PTO and all parents are members, there are no dues and we wouldn't dream of making our teachers pay anything....that's just my .02. I think all those teachers deserve that money because, to tell the truth, they probably spend more than that out of their own pockets that they're never reimbursed for.
I don't know how other groups work, but we would not ever ask them to pay something.
Shelly
IT HAS BEEN TRADITION AT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR THE TEACHERS TO GET REIMBURSED FOR $35.OO THAT THEY HAVE SPENT ON SUPPLIES.(I KNOW IT'S NOT MUCH BUT WE ARE A TITLE I SCHOOL AND A LOW INCOME COMMUNITY) THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR AS PRESIDENT AND SEVERAL OF THE OFFICERS ARE NEW ALSO. WE ARE OK WITH DOING THE REIMBURSEMENTS AND HAVE CHECKED OUT IRS GUIDELINES FOR THIS TYPE OF THING. WHAT I AM WONDERING IS HOW DO OTHER PTA'S HANDLE WHEN SOME OF THE TEACHERS DON'T EVEN JOIN THE PTA? I FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD BE A MEMBER TO RECEIVE THIS. I KNOW THAT $35.00 ISN'T ALOT BUT WE NEVER TURN DOWN ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FOR SPECIAL AWARDS, PROGRAMS ETC. WE HAVE INCREASED OUR PTA FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR AND HAVE RECEIVED SOME OF THE BEST CROWDS THAT PTA FUNCTIONS IN OUR SCHOOL HAVE RECEIVED. THE MISSING LINK WOULD BE THE TEACHERS!! WHAT DO YOU THINK?
