HI!!! It was suggested to me from these message boards & is something I will be looking into... A program called Adopt-A-Classroom. Their web site is www.adoptaclassroom.com for more info. Good luck!!! Also it is not the PTO's responsibilties to provide funds for office supplies for school use. The PTO is responsibil for its own office supplies but is there for the students & teachers needs for classroom learning, not the school staff.

thanks for the responses! I need to research the tax id thing-I also need to have a sit down with the board since they also do not like to change anything-thus paying for school fees, supplies we normally have never had to pay for. we are a public school.Maybe giving a little on our end will make the image of our PTO better~ now if I can just get the teachers to participate!

Are you a public or private school? Do you operate under the school district's tax id or are you an IRS recognized non-profit organization?

He could at the very least make it difficult for you to operate within the school. He could refuse to let you meet on school property, refuse to distribute materials and information you need to send home. Just pretty much make your life miserable. Of course by doing that he's hurting himself, his staff and most importantly the students.

Try to get a sitdown meeting with him and some of your board members and figure out a compromise. Take a look at your budget together. Is he totally aware of what you have coming in and going out? If he wants money for the office, what is he willing to sacrifice to get it? Our organization exists to improve the educational opportunities for our children. Do you have a mission statement? Does your group's mission match up with what he is wanting to finance?

He cannot terminate your group, but we he can do is not allow your group to function within the school. If you can't function within the school it makes it next to impossible for your group to function. Plus he could and probably would try to establish a new parent organization.

Obviously you can only do what you can do. Being in a poorer district and in a school that had a previous terrible year puts you at a disadvantage as to what you can provide. Plus fighting with the Principal certainly helps no one or solves anything. My advice to you would be to open the lines of communication with him. Let him tell you what he really needs from you and tell him you will do your best to oblige assuming he is not asking for anything off the wall. The bottom line is that you can't get blood from a stone and you can only provide whatever you are financially capable of providing.

A principal can never disband a PTA/PTO (as long as it is a separate entity) but can limit access to school grounds, use of facilities, sending home information.

Your principal needs to get his head out of his @^#$.

I'd ask for a list of ideas, needs and wants (there is a difference), then if need be go over his head (shouldnt be too hard, hence its current placement) and get information from district superintendent on what is expected of Parent/Teacher groups in your district. Contact other groups close by to your school to see what/ how they are doing.


Hope this helps

[ 09-20-2005, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: Shawn ]

If you are a separate organization with your own tax ID and bank account, he cannot control you in any way. However, he does have a say in whether or not you use the building or any of its facilities, which could make it difficult for you to operate. It's a tough situation when he is making demands of you that you don't have the resources to meet. It would be ideal if you could sit down and talk things out, and try to reach some kind of agreement about what support the PTO can give to the school, and what support the school can give to the PTO. Without some kind of partnership, I don't see how you can get your PTO work done, but legally no, he cannot disband you IF you are a separate entity. Someone please correct me if I am wrong here...