Deb,
IMHO, just sell them. Your original post made total sense. You got everyone at your school involved, your parents want to buy them to support the school and you don't see any direct infringement on the HS selling theirs. I would though, heed others advise and the next time, check with your school board before initiating a fundraiser like this.
In our town, we have lots of competing fundraisers and everyone somehow makes money on their own.
Good luck.

Critter---
Pocket Peelers retail for 10.00 and they are the size of a credit card. They have a cost of 5.00. So your organization makes 5.00 per card. THey have little sticker coupons that have discounts on them The best one (the most popular one) is Home Depot which gives you 10% off your entire purchase. And to top that off---Lowes will honor it. ANd there are 4 of those coupons for Home Depot. I believe the website is PocketPeelers.com Or if you search Pocket Peelers you should find them. I know they are offered in more than my state of WI. On mine there is Rocky Rococo's, Cousins Subs, Subway, Unos, and a lot more. There is a Fall one and a Spring one. And people typically buy more than 1. My husband uses the HD ones for work--so we usually get at least 4 cards...and still could use more. ANd so many parents use it for landscaping stuff, yard stuff...etc. So as you can imagine---they are sought after big time. If they do not have them in your area----it is a good business idea.
Our principal was in on the voting and the discussions last spring. So he was aware of what we were selling. I talked to the District Admin and he is on our side---but is getting blasted by a select group of people who are making his life a nightmare. This group likes to control everything in our district---and so far are suceeding. We (PTO) have decided that we will step back slighty and offer a different option in the fundraising packet instead of pocket peelers. BUT we are not going to let this small group dictate how we exactly do things...so we are also sending home a seperate paper that states due to a large amount of requests we are offering Pocket Peelers to all Families to purchase. That they should make out their checks to PTO and to let us know the quantity they wish to order. If parents chose to sell them at work---so be it. And then this way we can appease our families that want them, and we can make ourselves feel better that we did not completely turn our tail and run.

We try to be sensitive to the timing of the fundraisers in our prior and next schools, and wouldnt use the same catalog exactly, but we don't have to get the principal's or district's or school board's approval since we are an independent org. Sounds like you did your homework and went into your sale knowing the situation and its issues and risks. That should count for something when the district folk start poking their noses in.

All this makes me wonder, what is a pocket peeler and how can I get one?

I'd encourage you seeking the participation of the Principal or Assistant Principal involved in future meetings. Getting the Principal involved early will allow you to know what they know and get buy in as you go. Then as they receive emails, they will already be in a position of having not previously objected. This may cause better communication between the board and the Principal and ultimately your organization and the school.

While is is tempting to go ahead with the sale, this could make enemies of people from whom you could use cooperation in the future.

Good luck. I realize you're in a tough position. Seek their empathy. Perhaps they can suggest a good remedy. If it's their idea, they're likely to approve it.

If they are selling first I would just go with your original plan and sell them. In our school district we have 4 schools and then all the booster it would be impossible to not cross over someone else selling something. We all try our best not to, buti it happens.
As for PTO fundraisers we have it set up that each school goes at different times. Primary(me) goes first, then Intermediate, Middle, the High School really just has all the boosters. We know what each of the individual PTO's are doing and we can't do theirs as for booster there would be no way.

Also like you said we have done some of the High School things knowing that most parents don't have a High Schooler and elementary child.

I agree with one of the other posters that it was just one person with the issue and it was voted on knowing all the issues that I would do it anyway.

Good Luck

Okay---my head is now a little clearer. I have checked our district policy--there is not a non-compete clause. As for fundraiser approval---the district and prior PTO's have never gotten approval of fundraisers. Which in turn makes this a "funny" situation. In the past, PTO has tried to do fundraisers that are different items or at different times, so that the same items were not out there. With this fundraiser, with so many parents asking for this item---since they do not have older kids and the other group that sells is a small booster club, we put it to a vote. A vast majority of our parents have never even heard of this group or that they sell this item. We as a PTO board have found that this sale is ending prior to ours. So in reality we are not competing---and at the most would be affecting our sales.

We, and the parents looked at this as that we are not competing since our market is not the same as their market. We have parents selling at work in other districts and to their own families. They have kids going door to door or selling at events at HS. They don't tend to overlap. Those small group of parents who still have kids at the elementary level and kids in this small booster group can choose not to sell the item when we sell it. They have 2 other options or---the sale is not mandatory either.

I contacted the District Admin...left a message, he called me back and after explaining---some of our thoughts and concepts--he cut me off and said he woudl get back to me. I now just have to wait and see. Thanks for the advice and allowing me to sound off.