It's K-4. Teachers were urged to take the kids on a "hike" after lunch. They do have PE and occasionally the PE teachers will do "free day" on the playground but not often. I think K gets recess 1 day a week for 15 minutes.
We are getting a new principal this year so hopefully we can get recess back. The parents had a petition but it was dismissed by the principal and school board. All the Director cares about is getting the scores up whatever the cost. But that's a whole other story.
I would have to agree with Critter. What exactly is the money being saved for and is there anything you could do with it? We had set aside some money for additional playground equipment(it's only three years old) but decided last week since we haven't done anything with it in over a year and a half we decided to take the funds and use them to cover fieldtrips this spring. No sense of money sitting there going unused. I would love to have $30,000 to help our school, we spend it as fast as we make it!!! But the kids are much happier this way....
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
It's legal, but is it the right thing for the kids!? Non-profit organzations can save money from year to year. But what is the PTO saving it for? Sounds like you may be asking the same questions.
I would have a very difficult time buying cookie dough from a PTO with an unallocated $30k in the bank. When would my kids ever benefit from all that money? Is there some big impact project the PTO could fund this year or early next? A major playground improvement? Some new technology for the media center or music program? A new reading series? I know our principal would have no problem spending that kind of money -- even 1/2 of that.
I am involved in a PTO that had been carrying over $30,000. Part of this was put into a fund where we could get it for emergencies and the other part was put into a CD (18 months I think). This happened before I came on board. We still did fundraisers through the year to fund the budget so we wouldn't have to get into the savings. We did have to take most of the short term money out though. The funds are not earmarked for any particular project. Is this legal?
We will be voting on whether to keep the CD or not this year. I don't think its ethical but not sure about legal.