I strongly agree with twinptomom. Go to the school board meeting and speak with the board of directors. I attend our school board meetings about once a month and am one of the few "regulars". I've changed a few things just by speaking up. In our district, the superintendant is hired by the school board and although he makes recommendations to them, it's the boards vote that effects change. good luck!
In our District, the Superintendent is hired by the School Board; his contract term is four years. Depending on how your District operates... going to the School Board meetings, making appointments with the Board members is probably a good idea. Contracts can be terminated for cause. If your District is set up in a simliar manner, under terms of the Freedom of Information Act you as a tax payer can get a copy of the superintendent's contract, absent personal information.
Remind your superintendent that he holds an elected position and if he would like to hold his job after the next election he had better get his butt in gear and get with the elementary school program. Attend the next school board meeting with 100 of your best friends and let him know you mean business. And as far as your PTO money belonging to the school, it doesn't unless you do not have your own EIN number. Anyway you look at it, whether it is yours or the schools, it most definately is not his. Remind him that that money belongs to the students, given by the community to do with as needed, to fund field trips, pumpkin patches, computers, whatever your mission statement allows for.
We have had a similar experience with our principal. The PTO would vote on a matter (with him present) and then the following week he would come back and say no.
We are now trying to sit down with him periodically to update him on ideas and get feedback prior to making any decisions. Also try sending him a copy of the meeting agenda ahead of time to find out if he has any burning issues with the topics. Our principal seems to need the extra time to think about the issues and get his two cents in in more of a one-on-one setting.
Our PTO is in a small school and we are finding our selves being punished by the superintentent for our district not wanting to consolidate. We normally pay for the students K-5 to go to the pumpkin patch every year, but the superintendent tells us this year that we can not go because it is not educationally based. He also went on to state that there will be no field trips this year due to the money situation. We have offered to pay for these trips and he still has said no. I also found out that he considers our money as school money. And that he can tell us no to any and all things. The city of Emmett gave our PTO $250.00 so that the children of Emmett may go on these trips. Is he right to be able to tell us no on these things??? He stated too that we would not be able to do any activities after the school period with the parents helping us. WHAT CAN WE DO?? This is only my second year of this and I am at a complete loss. If some one can please help me you would be our schools life saver!