No real secrets just education and incentives. Education:
- We post on our website:
theblakeschoolplantation.com
And on our PTO site:
www.orgsites.com/fl/blakepto/

-Meeting Flyers go home the friday before in folders and lunchboxes.

-PTO Board on Traffic duty on morning and afternoon of PTO meeting( A minimum of 2 Executive board members opening doors and greeting kids and reminding parents about the meeting.

-Electronic sign at entrance reminding everyone

-Put meeting on marquis in front of school

-Email every parent at school and let them know about the meeting.

Incentives:

- By Parent attending PTO meeting the children are allowed to wear Jeans + T-Shirts the next school day

- Teachers that attend the meeting can also wear jeans the next day

- Monthly challenge -Class with the highest % of parents at meeting get bowling, movie or dairy queen passes.

- We offer Free babysitting during meeting.(PTO pays to sit the kids.)

All these are Ideas from the Pto Today Magazine that comes in the mail every month or so. It is the reason why we have switched from PTA to PTO. I look forward to being more involved.

It also helps if your members really care and are not just going through the motions. Not everyone can do everything, but everyone can do something.

If I can help any of u ever...please drop a line.

Did I read your post right?
You have 165 kids in your school and you get 40-50 parents to attend monthly meetings???
Please share your secret in getting this kind of attendance.

My daughter attends a 2 grade middle school, 1200 kids, approximately 1200 familys and I have attended monthly meetings where there was ONE OTHER PERSON IN THE AUDIENCE BESIDES ME.

I could see why you would do 1 vote per family with the set up you have BUT I don't think I would like it if my husband actually attended meetings because there are many things we do not see eye to eye on. I try to tell him I right I usually am, but he won't listen. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I am glad it works for your school, after hearing the student count and that you are a private school I can see how it works. I can imagine it helping you start off=)

Well, the issue of raising dues was brought up by the parents. We live in an area where there are 4 schools within a 2 mile radius (our k-8 private, 2 elementary, 1 middle and a high school) The winter and spring fundraising books are a pain. Everyone is walking around with the same items for sale! Parents just want to sign a check and be done. Membership is discounted to 20.00 if they sign up at the back 2 school bbq. Our enrollment of students is 165 with an average 87% of their famalies in the PTO we get about 40-50 parents / meeting. We have done things to get the parents into coming in like "Wear your jeans/t-shirt day, open challenges for the older grades, etc. I am shooting for 100% across all grades this year, and yes they can afford it, they brought it up. It gives us a nice start to the year.

not to change the subject michael but have you always charged so much for dues? Just wondering how that works and how many active members you have? thanks for sharing