I think the PTO should be the decision maker on what fundraiser they do or don't. It sounds like your PTO does not have a voice. I would tell the Superintendent/Principal no and that you would investigate into better suitable money making ventures. Right now the schools are hestitant to allow the students to sell anything. However, the other forms don't make as much money.
We faced a similar situation a couple of years ago when the district hired a consultant (a paid consultant who used to be a volunteer in her kids' school in our district) to help with fundraising. She decided the PTO's needed her help with boxtops. I was soooo appalled. Like we unpaid volunteers couldn't handle it ourselves like we've been doing for years. I was president at the time and put my foot down with the principal and this gal's boss (assistant super). No thank you, we don't need her help with box tops. And when she took on another project that we didn't already do, we just stood back and let her handle all the paperwork and advertising and made it clear any phone calls went to her. PTO stayed out of it completely. The project made the school a little money, but not all that much. In the end, thankfully the district administrators realized the PTO's are pretty good at raising money in their own schools and they let this gal's contract expire.
If the "district", whatever that means in your schools, wants to run a fundraiser, the district staff can do it, with the school principal's blessing. I'd keep the PTO out of it. I'd also be sure the money they made went directly to the school, not to the PTO so there's no blur of responsibility.
You absolutely have the right to pass. If the PTO's all agree that they don't want to run it, I would say that is the end of the conversation. If I did not feel comfortable or think the pros outweighed the cons, I would not participate. If the district or some of the schools in the district want to do this fundraiser, is there is no reason they cannot run the program on their own. Free computers & internet access is a pretty sweet deal, but I'm of the opinion that anything the PTO does should benefit all students, not just a small portion. Be aware, though, that if the district/schools are really pushing for this & you all decide to opt out, you may get some resistance when it is time to do your next project. One would hope that the adminstration would be adults & get on with their lives, but we all know how grudges can be held, sometimes for a long time. If you really feel strongly about this, stick to your guns, but know that every action has an opposite reaction.
Here's a rather sticky question, and I'm interested in people's opinions.
Our school district is proposing a district wide fundraiser that they want the school PTOs to be in charge of. None of the PTOs really feel this is a good fundraiser, or that the parents will be interested. It benefits a tiny percentage of district families - giving them free computers and internet access. We don't feel the idea has been thought through, and maybe computer labs in each school is a better idea.
My question is this: Should we say "no"? PTOs technically represent the parents, right? So if the parents in general don't like this fundraiser and don't think we should support it, do the PTOs have a right to pass?
I'm currently doing an informal survey of each school's PTO/PTA in our district to find out how they feel, but the HS is against it, the JrHS is against it, and at least 1 of the 4 elementary schools are against it.
What would you do? I am not comfortable supporting a fundraiser I don't agree with, especially since the district thinks our particular school PTO should be in charge.
