Our Executive Boards (current year and upcoming year) and Budget Committee get together after elections in March to write a budget for the upcoming year based on things that have previously been done, ideas that the new board would like to implement, and any needs of the school that haven't previously been addressed. We include EVERYTHING that we think we might spend money on, and always overestimate expenses a little bit while underestimating income so that we're covered if something unforseen comes up.
Once we have a budget that everyone is happy with, we present it at the April general membership meeting for discussion and voting from the membership. If the membership has no objections to the budget at the April meeting then it becomes official and takes effect beginning on July 1st (the first day of our fiscal year). If an approval isn't obtained, then the Executive Boards and the Budget Committee get together again, rewrite based on the discussion and objections at the membership meeting, and present another budget at the May meeting. If that weren't approved we'd probably convene a special meeting every month until we got one through, although that's never actually happened.
Any surplus in our funds at the end of the year stays in the general fund, unless it's more than $5000, in which case we would present a motion at the May or September meeting to move the rest to either the savings account or any special fund we are working on such as the Playground fund.
Throughout the year, if anything comes up that isn't already on the budget, the person making the request fills out a budget request form and it goes to the budget committee. If the budget committee recommends approval then it goes to the next general membership meeting for a vote. If the budget committee doesn't approve of the request it goes no farther, although in the past when that has happened, the requester has been known to appeal their cause to a general membership meeting anyway.
Wow, when I look at all that written out our group seems kinda complicated!
We have a budget that sets most of what we spend, based on what we've done in the past: field trips, in-school enrichment programs, class supply reimbursement, 5th-grade "graduation" party, etc.
Any surplus is computed at the end of the year, and everyone is welcome to make a suggestion at the May meeting (though the principal generally collects the staff wishes and prioritizes them); we then vote in June.
I am interested in learning about how PTO's decide how to spend the money they raise and who decided. I don't know that our group does it like others and I just wanted to check with everyone else.
