I'm in a preschool & we're currently being "" bullied"" by our director stating that Preschool education committee has advised that she should be signor on acct -- But we [vp,treas, other committee members] feel that is not a smart idea, now we've discovered we have no bylaws, so that's where we've started thanks to other areas of this site we have written up some simplistic bylaws that we will vote in soon once we have 501 (c) (3) we are going to add a 2nd signor on account immediately as precaution.. our treasurer is very trustworthy but as i read above who knows what will happen next yr or in future as her & vp are gone in June on to kindergarten ---- So gald to be able to find this topic thaks for your help all
We authorize 3 officers (Prez, Trez, VP)to sign, 2 per every check. Our principal is not authorized. Per our bylaws, he is a voting member of our Exec Board. Even with the 2 signature control, I wouldn't recommend a principal be a signer. We give him dominion over several of our budget categories. That's enough access for our principal. He is a great friend to PTO and very supportive, but it works best for us to have that financial separation.
Our school district has the policy that no teacher or staff member may be an officer of or be on the accounts of any of the PTO's in the district. They have actually told a couple of the principals that were signers to get off the accounts.
Our group does require 2 signatures on every check and all of the officers are signers on the account.
Our current principal would be no problem, but we have had some that definitely would have been.
Our principal is a very involved, very important part of our PTO - not an enemy to be guarded against. The principal holds a position on the Board and is one of the possible check signers. It's very convenient. Like the others, we require two signatures and have an audit each year. The treasurer issues checks and controls the checkbook. The second signature - often the Principal - is the checks and balances.
I forgot,,,all signers must be board members;
the signers must be somehow held accountable to the group, so if secty and or principal are NOT on the parent group board, they should in no way have check signing authority. These types of things are usualy stipulated in groups bylaws.
I feel for you...having a heavy-handed principal can be a real misery.
In my experience (15 years, two school districts, four PTOs) giving check-signing authority to principals is NOT the norm. I'm kind of surprised that your school district allows it...fertile ground for the appearance of impropriety, or worse. Having someone else on staff also able to co-sign sets off all kinds of accounting alarms.
Allowing a principal or other administrator to have a hand in your operations is risky business for other reasons. PTOs are advocates and forums for parents and their students, not extensions of schools. Ideally, PTOs should remain distinctly separate but work cooperatively with schools. Maintaining autonomy is important, particularly when parents and schools/administrators have a difference of opinion.
