Our monthly board meetings are open for all to attend and all minutes and the yearly budget are posted on our school website.
If we are lucky, we may get 2 non-board members at each meeting, never more than that. Our budget is drafted in April and reviewed in great detail at the May and June board meetings. It is approved in July of each year by the new board of directors.
The angry parent has never been to a meeting and never asked any questions before now. I really wanted advice on whether to put her on the agenda or conduct the meeting in private. I have had a conversation with the principal who has on numerous occasions talked with her staff about the budget cuts, but there are still a couple of teachers who are steaming over it.
I'm sorry that you guys are going through this. It can be very frustraing to work so hard and with such good intentions and then to be questioned or worse.
That said, it's also a fairly common part of the PTO deal. There's always someone or several who disagree and there's even commonly folks who disagree poorly or let the disagreement simmer and linger, hurting all for the long run. Sound slike you guys have a particularly bad case going on.
Couple of things:
1. This is when you guys need to rely on each other for support ("we know we tried our best to do right by all") and do all you can to maintain a very fair and welcoming public face. As tempted as you'll be to snipe back with a "well, then ehy don't you volunteer? retort, don't. That's a killer for long-term involvement building.
2. You mentioned the Board making the calls here. How? And also how come? There could be good answers for both those questions, but there also could be seeds of discontent in there. If parents/members don't feel empowered, that's when questioning often comes in. Did membership know you were facing these decisions and were they asked to offer their opinions on how to proceed? How about faculty and staff?
While transparency in all financial decision making is critical for a PTO to maintain a positive and healthy relationship with it's membership, the board meeting is not the place for an angry parent to raise his/her concerns. There is an agenda to maintain and re-hashing motions after the fact derails the new business that needs to be completed during the meeting. A parent's specific questions/concerns should be discussed privately in a meeting between the parent, the PTO president, and (if necessary) the school principal. Depending on the nature of the complaints, the president can bring in other applicable board members as needed.
The PTO doesn't and shouldn't cater to any one parent by scheduling repeat meetings with him/her. Once the parent's issue has been addressed privately once, that is sufficient even if he/she still doesn't agree with the board's decisions.
As always, the minutes and budget should be provided automatically (posted on your website) on a monthly basis for any parent to view.
Regarding the angry teachers, it sounds like the principal needs to step in and soothe some feathers. They are naturally angry over their situation (more kids, less money), but are taking it out on the PTO. They need reminding of what the PTO is providing and that it's being provided out of reserve funds, no less.
Hi there: I have been a lurker for many months now and find it's time I write in for advice! I am the president of an elementary school PTA with a population of about 600 children and an annual operating budget of about $200K.
With the education crises in California as well as our own local school district, our class sizes have increased to 31 students in grades 1, 2 and 3 this year. In an effort to get our teachers assistance in the classes, we underwent a fundraising campaign at the end of last year and received enough donations to fund 1 1/2 part time teaching assistants (our goal was 3 assistants). That's the good/great news...
Because our fundraising budget has decreased due to the economy, we had to reprioritze our operating expenses this year. In the past 4 years, we have given each of our teachers $650 per year to use as they wish for their classroom (prior to that they received $150 per year). To free up monies to fund the remaining 1 1/2 assistants, our board voted unanimously to adjust their annual stipend to $450. Other budget line items were adjusted as well. We are also using a chunk of our reserves to fund the assistants.
Disappointingly, some of the teachers are in an outrage over the fact that they have "lost" $200. They feel like they got a double whammy by having 11 more children in the class and $200 taken from them. They don't seem to be thankful for the extra 3 assistants our PTA is funding.
Naturally, our PTA board feels disappointed and discouraged that we dipped into our pta reserves to fund these extra positions only to have angry teachers and now a very angry and very vocal parent questioning every line item in our budget. How much do we engage parents who question the decisions of the board. Do we address it privately or in a public forum such as a board meeting?
Thanks for all the replies and for reading my novel.
