Your problem sounds real similar to the one our PTO had been having at the start of this school year. Basically our former President and Treasurer did not want to let go of their officer status and kept putting our principal smack dab in the middle...every time I turned around they were having private meetings with him...At the beginning of the year I, as the new President stated that I would have only one fundraiser for the year (we had a ton of money that had be stock piled over the years and carried over)...we the former officers decided at that time to announce that they would be starting up "Market Day" at the school. They even tried to get the principal to MAKE us do this...Well I had to tell the principal that if he allowed this to continue I would resign before I even got started (he knows me well enough to realize I wasn't bluffing). I have stated at our general memebership meetings that this is not a PTO sponsered function and we have no authority or any knowledge of what this is used for. We did compromise...they are doing it...but not in the name of the pto. Now for your situation...the principal SHOULD have his own petty cash fund from his building account...perhaps he is too cheap to use the money allocated from his own fund. As long as they are not collecting the money in the name of the pto their isn't much that can be done...there are sometimes many different groups ie; band, boosters etc that hold fundraisers throughout the course of the year. Calling the Superintendant will probably haunt you though...too bad you couldn't have settled this in the building first...I have seen that when people go over the principal's head too soon it only creates and bad situation.

Run for president for next year and fix the problems. Find others who feel like you do and get them to run for the other officers.

Over the summer, develop a clear, comprehensive, and balanced proposed budget. You don't need your principal's involvement. Review the checkbook and any other records you have of how money has been earned and spent. Submit the proposed budget to your membership for vote at the first meeting of the school year and pass a bylaw ammendment, if necessary, to limit the power your Exec Board has to spend unplanned income (ours is $100 before it must come to a vote of the members). Ensure that 2 signatures are required on your checks - PTO officers only.

If you aren't able to be part of the solution, you should quietly resign your membership. I doubt no one would stop you from continuing to volunteer your time, and you wouldn't feel uncomfortable supporting fundraisers with which you disagree.

Here is our problem. We had a new principal hired in September of 1999. All seemed to go well for a while. A new PTO president took over in September 2000. He (yes, he!) wishes to have accountability for any fundraiser held at our school. It seems that two former officers and the principal have been having secret meetings each day. These two former PTO officers are badmouthing our new president to the principal and she is just taken in by it all. Well, it seems that fundraisers are being held at the school, without PTO knowledge, to benefit who knows what!!! A bake sale was held on Feb 2. At our PTO meeting on Feb 1, a parent asked what the funds were being raised for. She was told that funds were being raised to purchase "gifts" for the people that were conducting our forthcoming SALT visit (visit by the state to determine accredibility). I was not present at that meeting so I called the principal on the morning of the sale and asked her what the sale was funding. She advised me that the grades 1-3 were sponsoring the sale to make money for a "petty cash fund" to have on hand in case the school or students needed anything--now mind you that the night before, the PTO voted to give each teacher $200 towards classroom needs and $300 towards field trips. I certainly do not feel comfortable letting my son participate in raising funds to reward state employees for their review, nor do I feel comfortable letting my son give money towards a "petty cash fund". Let me also tell you that money raised by other classes has never been turned over to the PTO checking account to take care of, nor has any accounting of this money ever been done. I also feel that this principal has not been honest in advising me of the true reason of this fundraiser. The other two former PTO officers are behind all of this--they do not wish to be accountable for any of the money they are raising--they do not want to have to go through our current president to "get money" for whatever they want. Also, our principal has been known to be very rude to parents. I also notified the superintendant of this fact. I notified the superintendant of the questionable fundraising practices and of the rudeness of the principal. The superintendants secretary told the principal of this parents concern (I was an anonomous caller) and by that afternoon, no one was talking to me or even acknowledging my presence. It seems that this principal took it upon herself to speak to these two former officers and badmouth me. Also, she circulated a petition stating that she was not rude to that parent at the PTo meeting. Well, I feel violated-she had no right to discuss a concern with two parents who have nothing to do with anything and if she wasn't rude, why the petition??? I do not know where else to go. Has anyone out there a suggestion for me?? I am very concerned about the fundraising with no accountability. Please let me know where to turn.