First of all, I agree with all who have posted to you, none2007 They have given good advice. I might also add 2 more points.

First, try good ole fashioned kindness. Regardless of her personality, the truth is she's given a lot to the school and probably feels very unappreciated ( don't we all! [img]smile.gif[/img] ) It's hard to give up the reigns after a long haul.. the job becomes your " baby". So, depsite all the things she has done wrong.. why not just have flowers sent to her, on behalf of the PTO...( i guess you'll have to wait to get reimbursed.. LOL)... Anway, with a kind note that thanks her for her years of service, and you wish her well as she moves on to new things in her life!


Next, check your by laws and see why you don't have a Treasurer as part of your Board, if you don't, then work on adding one to your team. There's a reason that there are " Boards" and why more than one person should be accountable for the business of doing business, and you have run into the reason why.

Whether or not you can elect a Treasurer and get him/her on Board, I would start by opening a new checking account that requires TWO signatures for a check. ( that is pretty common practice for schools). I would then get 4 people who are eligible to sign. I suggest 2 people on your board ( preferably the treasurer), and then perhaps the school secretary, and maybe a seasoned, well respected teacher. In any event, this means that ANY TIME a check has to be written, at least 2 of those 4 people need to sign that check in order for it to be cashed.

I would recommend that the signers NOT be the school principal, or the PTO President.. there's too much liability for the " ones in control"... and I have heard awful stories about presidents or principals " bullying" boards to get funds they want/need.


Once that is in place, I would transfer the funds, and close that first account. You can THEN send her a letter informing her of the PTO's new check policy, and that the old account has been closed, and that you need the old checkbook records for tax purposes, as " I am sure, Mrs ex-PTO President that you don't want the responsibility of handling any tax issues with the IRS, should they arise"... ( of course that only works if you actually do deal with the IRS! ) [img]smile.gif[/img]

good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!

We have a same but different situation. We are lucky in that our overbearing one hasn't tried to represent herself as our group-in fact has absolutly nothing to do w/any fundraising or activities. But before she "decided" to become uninvolved, she alienated so many people that we now have a hard time getting anyone to be involved w/our group. The bad reputation aquired from a few years ago still follows us. Dlf is soo right. Nip it in the bud.

I started reading your post and thought it sounded like I wrote it. The same exact thing happened to me and my friend when we took over our PTO. The past president even ordered advertising and had the bill sent to her home. A school year later she put a collection letter in a folder at the bottom of a box of donated items she placed in the office for us to use at the Santa Shop. Then she left a nasty gram in our mailbox about paying it. We hadn't "received" the bill (didn't find it inside the folder until the Santa Shop). We ended up calling the newspaper to which she stated the bill was from. Upon learning when the advertising took place and all, we advised the newspaper that she was not a board member on that date and was no longer a part of the PTO. We advised them to send the bill to her, as they had been doing, and a letter stating that we informed them she had no autority to place this ad and we would not pay it, therefore she would be responsible to pay it herself. Prior to this, (while she was still refusing to give up the checkbook), she planned a shopping bus trip out of state on a chartered bus. On the morning it was suppose to take place,(without our knowledge), she called us like we knew all about it and told us to get there as fast as we could because her volunteers cancelled. She also told us to bring $25.00 each to pay for our trip. I am the more blunt of the two of us new gals, but I got my composure and stated rather professionally, "I appologize if there has been an oversight in this matter. However, I do not recall any discussions, votes, authorization for this fundraiser. I do not regret the fact I cannot help you today, as I believe it to be an unauthorized function. Maybe you should rethink your position or lack of one before you proceed in the future." My friend who is the reserved one was not so nice. She said "I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant, with 2 other children to care for and you are calling me at 5:30 am to come and pay $25.00 to save your "behind". Are you nuts?! You dug your own hole lady, I'm not feeling like being the ladder that helps you out. Have a nice trip." We later discovered how much money she lost on the trip (when she finally turned over the checkbook). After both of these incidents we called and or wrote to every company we could come up with, that PTO had done business with prior and changed our contact information and made it clear that she had no authority to access our accounts or use our name to place orders, do business, etc. Needless to say, after a short period of time, we have had no further problems from her. We did hear from a few companies that she had tried to do business as our President, but they informed her they had been notified and she would have to start her own account (w/o the non-profit status). My advice: Make sure it is very clear to everyone your PTO has done business with in the past is informed of the change in officers. Make sure they know that she is no longer involved. Just write a nice letter giving autorization to you present board and ask them kindly to remove her name and any others from your account and or association to the PTO. By the way, she has found new direction to try to control positions she once held, with respect to our school. She is now on the school board! YE-HA! Good luck to you!!!

My thoughts exactly! dlf gives great advice.

I would add to this post but I think that DLF said everything that I would have.

Good luck.

How can she be making decisions and about what. First thing I'd do is get an email out to all the teachers and staff letting them know the makeup of the current board and the procedure to decisions and actions. Don't speak ill of the President but if someone says "she decided so and so" just say simply "I'm sorry she is no longer on the board and doesn't have the authority to speak for the PTO". I'd probably just ignore her actually...start to go forward with the current boards decisions and don't empower her by paying her any mind. If she doesn't like the programs, she doesn't have to come. If there's no follow up on the "decisions" she makes then there was no decision. If you hear of one she's made, call up the individual ask her about the "issue" and then tell her you're going to take it to the board for discussion and action and you'll get back to them. Don't say "well we'll let it go this time"...nip it in the bud right now and take over the reins of the group. If you cannot get the checkbook, cancel the checks she has and order a new one. Basically just move on and thank her for her assistance....d