Ultimately, if I were at the beginning of an organization with committed officers willing to undertake the tasks of correctly organizing, I'd probably pick PTO. But I'd look really long and hard at the the work involved.

I currently belong to two PTOs. One we reorganized from the ground up and did (almost) everything by the book. The other operates "off radar" and has done none of the official steps. Yet looking at their level of activity and parent involvement (or lack thereof, middle school) - legal or not, I wouldn't suggest they jump through the hoops for 501(c)(3) and the other steps. They'd never maintain it. I can't imagine it would bring anything but grief. (Note - while I help this second PTO as a parent, I'm not willing to risk my own liability by being an officer.)

While I think it's important to consider the dollars in PTA or PTO, that wouldn't be a key decision maker for us. I don't know about other states, but I believe in Texas each PTA unit allocates $1 of membership to national and $1 to state. So assume 200 memberships (for us), that's only $400. When you look at the insurance discounts, the forms, the processes, 501(c)(3) already being done, the training for officers, expert assistance - that's CHEAP.

I, who suppposedly knew what I was doing, checked the wrong box on our IRS 990 filing and subsequently got a penalty letter saying we owed about $2000. I was able to straighten it out (in six months), but it sure would have been nice to have had more expert assistance.

To me the biggest "service" the PTA offers is officer training, guidebooks, and procedures. This forum is a great resource - you can certainly build your own structure and there are lots here who will share.

I just think you need to go into it with your eyes open, look at the tradeoffs, and choose the right model for your group.

[ 01-13-2004, 09:35 AM: Message edited by: JHB ]

Thanks SO MUCH, everyone!

I agree that some may feel we are on an island, so having someone from a PTO speak to the board would be a good idea.

Not too thrilled about inviting council president, however. She (and it) is one of the primary reasons I want out of PTA. She is a lifer, and I'm sure won't give up without a fight. However, of course someone from PTA would definitely be appropriate.

Also like the idea of a spreadsheet (or 2 [img]smile.gif[/img] ) - and thanks for the emails with attachments. MUCH APPRECIATED and very useful. Of course, each thing I see shows me how much more homework I have to do (e.g. need to find out pertinent PTO stats for CA). But I have to keep in mind that all the work is just groundwork, and only temporary. Then it's just regular old parent volunteer work.

Can't say enough about how great it is to have people who genuinely want to help others. Wonderful, refreshing, and comforting in "the eye of a the storm". [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] Thanks again....

Greetings! I definitely would not use the PTA vs. PTO article, because, to be fair, you'd have to use the PTA vs. PTO page from pta.org, and it's more slanted to PTA than the PTO article is to PTO. So there's no way to be fair to either side with their content.

If you have a PTO in your area, having someone from the group (President, past President, or even Principal of that school) come and discuss what they see as advantages would be better. At the same time, invite your County or City Council PTA President to appear before the board, too.

We went from PTA to PTO almost a year ago; any answers/help I can provide, I'd be glad to. Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Good luck!

I firmly believe that the single best thing you can do is to have a representative from a local PTO come by and talk to your group. I'm sending you a couple of documents that you can feel free to modify to suit your needs, but when my group had this conversation, the thing that killed the PTO was clearly the lack of any PTO representative at the meeting. In the area I am in, there is only one other public school that is a PTO, and, although I had someone from there scheduled to come and talk the night of the vote, she got a flat tire and couldn't make it. People were scared that it was too much work to take on by ourselves, and that we were going to be an island. We belonged to the NPN, we had a lawyer and an accountant who had volunteered their time to get our setup taken care of, but it was still too scary for some people. The "voice of experience" from another PTO person would have made a world of difference.

Just one site? Like oreos are just chocolate cookies...lol...

Seriously, approach this 'problem' with a professional attitude, don't attack the PTA or pump up PTO's. Explain the pros and cons fairly and that should be plenty.

If it were me, the first thing I would do is a budget sheet. Show them in black and white where their money goes, how much of it goes there, what they are getting for that money and how that money could be better spent at your own school. You might even consider making your PTO No Cost (without dues) so that everyone can join, a big point seller with many families.

Good Luck!

I think your idea of preparing something BRIEF that hits the main pros and cons is a good one. While the article may be good background material, it's too long for the meeting. (And, while it's a good overview, it is slightly pro-PTO. To be totally fair, you'd need to include an article written from the PTA viewpoint.)

I have been working on something that may halp you. I'll email it to you.

Good luck.