The school secretary collects any money coming in for PTO and then keeps it in the school safe until one of our officers can pick it up. This isn't part of her job, but something she does to participate in the PTO. We also have a mailbox, but since it is open and located in an accessible area we don't use it for money.
We have our own "mail box" in the front office for such an event. Any monies recieved will be kept in an inter office envelope and the board is responsible for checking the box. Now if one of us can't get to the school (or rather inside) that day the enevelope is locked in the school's accountants office.
We also make a copy of every check we recieve and submit a deposit form to the school and our books BUT THAT is a whole other story! [img]smile.gif[/img]
At the PTO conference last spring, Jim Carpenter told us that money ownership is dependent on Care, Custody, and Control. He said that if the PTO stores PTO money in the school safe, the school could claim the money is its custody, therefore could be considered the school's money, not the PTO's. I hope no school would react that way, but it gave us something to consider.
No matter how frequently the treasurer makes deposits, there will always be money dropped off at the school which must sit there for a day or two.
I support the lockbox idea, or a locking file drawer (which our school has). Give the secretary a key so she can drop envelopes in, but have the treasurer do pickups. Or have someone cut a large slot in the top of the cabinet. Don't expect the secretary to make change or followup on orders. Just have her handle the envelopes/orders like she would sort regular mail. It just happens that the PTO pizza envelopes will go in a locking cabinet.
Personally, I'd avoid bringing district people into this situation. I respect our district administration, but I don't to give them the idea we might want to "share" our money with them.
Is your secretary on your PTO board? Does the PTO pay her anything for her duties? If not then it is not her responsibility to keep PTO money, she has the right to decline.
Our treasurer takes care of all our money needs. She has a lock box and keeps it in a locked cabinet. Perhaps if you do not have one of these things and cannot afford one your principal may find money in another fund to purchase your parent group one to place in a "safe" place. Where only a few people have access to it.
Our school secretary also acts as a school nurse among many other things. She is extremely helpful to the PTO, she does keep money for us long enough to give it to the treasurer. She is a jewel, but like me, she doesn't like handling money that is not hers or the money she gets paid to handle. She has probably seen enough situations where people was falsely accused of "disappearing" money.
If your school secretary does not want to accept responibility for having money and orders dropped off in her office, sorry but that is her choice! It's a shame but I can understand why she may not want to. Ours works with us very closely and we trust her competely!
Perhaps you need a large box with a lock on it placed where people can drop things like this into which, someone will need to check and clear daily (it's an idea at least).
We run fundraisers through the school. We keep certain things in the school to sell. The secretary usually takes the order form/money and puts them into one large envelope. The chairperson either stops in the office every day to pick up the envelope or they send the large envelop home with the child. Our secretary usually does not keep large amounts of money in the office either, but she does give it to the appropriate person daily. We're a small school, so maybe that's way she can handle it.
