Sorry KS Involved Mom, but the next poster ALSO wants to know what Jenizme is doing that raises 100K :eek: in one shot? Hearing that makes me want to pee my pants! I'm assuming you either have a VERY dedicated community, a LOT of wealthy sponsors, or I just have no imagination!

Jenizme...Not to get off the subject at hand, but I think in the interest of all previous posting parents, we need to know what type of fundraiser your school does that potentially earns 100K. Would you like to share...please? Sorry to jump off the topic but next post can get back on track! Thanks

Just know that you are not alone.
Our PTO currently pays the salary of 2 faculty at our school due to budget cuts, and we are facing a huge cut for next year.
Our fall fundraiser is our biggie, which raises over $100K of which we retain 1/2. We have another fundraiser in the spring.
Our budget is paying for more and more stuff that we shouldn't have to that the district can't or won't. We do it because otherwise the school suffers. I'm afraid of what is going to happen for 04/05...times are tough!

[ 02-28-2004, 04:14 PM: Message edited by: Jenizme ]

We are dealing with big budget cuts in our school district and our principal has asked us to cover a huge chunk of her budget for next year. We made it clear up front that we will not cut any of our existing enrichment activities (assemblies, art program, etc.) since we believe that is what we exist for. We are willing to pick up the slack and help buy supplies and pay for the copy machine, but we are not willing to pick up salaries for staff. Once you take on salaries it is very difficult to ever get them off your "payroll". We are looking at asking every parent to donate a fixed amount of money per student to try and make up some of this money. This would be in addition to our annual pledge drive. We are concerned about running a supply drive - we want the supplies to be distributed equally among the teachers and also there's no guarantee on the quality of what would be donated. It's a sad day when your kids go to public school, you pay MAJOR taxes, and you still have to pay so much extra just to get them crayons and text books.

Critter,
You almost sounded like you were from Connecticut. Our lottery was started many, many years ago to help fund education. And we're still waiting for the money.

KS - there's alot of discussion and advice here for us all to consider. But in your specific case, I like sak's advice about looking at your existing bylaws for guidance, especially on the elections timing which may be clear-cut. The restriction on such a big donation may not be so clear. But as much as you personally may dislike the idea of a $20k grant to your principal, it's really the decision of your group.

Does your PTO operate with an annual budget? If so, then that $20k in your bank is already allocated to other programs. To give it to the principal now would mean cutting assemblies, reducing the staff appreciation program, eliminating the end of the year picnic, cancelling the art appreciation program, etc (depending of course on your group's specific plans). How would that reality play to your members?? And even if you don't have a predefined budget, don't you at least have an idea of how the PTO wants to spend that money. If it's really surplus, the pain won't be as obvious to your members and there might be agreement that it should go to the principal. The average member won't take the time to consider the philosophical implications of having the PTO cover school budget shortfalls, so you'll have to educate on both sides.

Consider this reality: in our state, a lottery was approved about 10 years ago on the premise that the profits would go "to education". People thought that was a great idea - we'll have the best schools in the country!! Millions and millions of dollars are raised in lottery money, and legally lottery money is applied to education. But at the same time, money from the general fund that had been going to education was moved to other areas. So, in effect, there was no wind fall for education - they just moved $$ around. To compare: if the PTO starts funding the school budget, the crisis is over. When the admin budgets in the future, they'll just see the actual expenditures by the school - may not really consider the source of that money. No need to panic or add more money since the school looks fine. A slippery slope indeed.