It really makes me angry when a person works at the school and has a child at the school but doesn't want to help the school out. No volunteer should try to take money away from the PTO. The funds that the PTO raises benefits every child and the school. The nerve of some people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In our district, food services are totally outsourced so the school has no jurisdiction over the kitchen. Issues include the contract terms, state health rules for food service, liability, plus the worry about expensive equipment and inventory.

In elementary school, the head cafeteria lady was also a mom. Her youngest is now in middle school, but she still makes the kitchen available a lot more than she's probably supposed to (mostly the serving area). And she almost always volunteers her time.

In middle school, I'm not sure what the arrangement is. It's all part of the third party outsourcing. We never have access to the kitchen itself - that's always locked. But there's a separate snack bar that's a small area where they sell pizza and such during lunch. The principal arranges for THAT area to be used for food when we have events.

Whether it's part of the contract or whether he's just worked it out, I'm not sure.

Good luck.

[ 11-20-2006, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: JHB ]

Our principal has no control of kitchen use either. We have to sign a usage agreement with the head of food services and pay for a kitchen staff member to work with us during the event. However, I think this person was totally out of line. Unless it's district policy to have kitchen staff present(as it is for us) then it should be up to the principal and the parent group to decide if they need the help or not.

I'd speak with the principal and any other related persons about the matter and get it in writing as to exactly what is required for kitchen use by the school parent group. Can't fix what's already happened, but will help you in the future.

Shawn has some good points so I thought I would share what we have to do in our district. Although you would think the principal has the final say it isnt that way in our building. Anytime anyone wants to use the kitchen they have to have permission from the districts main office, if you are preparing food the manager has to be there...no if's and's or but's. Even the principal has to follow this.....

The principal needs to put this/these person in her place.

Maybe your school is different but the kitchen is considered part of the school and the Principal is in charge, correct?

The district food services had rules and regulation we had to abide by (and our Cafeteria mgr WAS Awesome) but ultimately I would think if the Principal says its OK the others should adibe by his/her rules


I'd a fired this person on the spot


Demand a formal apology from the chief and that administrative action be taken and policy be put in place so that this person and others like them know what policy is and how principal can be reached wuicker to avoid this kind of mess.

[ 11-20-2006, 04:52 AM: Message edited by: Shawn ]

This is my first year as Co-chair of the PTO at my children's school. I am also Head of one of our biggest funraisers. This fundraiser is huge, and a lot of work!The mess I need help on is, this year we looked at saving some money and the area we felt we were spending money that we didn't need to,was the kitchen staff. The kitchen has a new manager and a new cheif. Last year's fundraiser we had to pay both of them to work. It was alot of money! The scarey thing is they are both parents of children in this school! We work on a voluntary basis.
This year we spoke to the prinicpal and told him we were having prepared food delivered and felt we didn't need the kitchen staff. He agreed. Well, the kitchen cheif, who I know personally, didn't like that at all and told me she was going to lock the kitchen so we couldn't use it. The prinicpal was called and we were told all was taken care of. The night be for the fundraiser we set everything up for the next day. A parent member of the PTO told us we wouldn't be able to use the kitchen. The head cheif told the parent that, said the principal told her we wouldn't be permitted to use the kitchen. We went home, called the secratary of the school. (we don't know the principal's home phone number) The secratary called us back, said he didn't know what she was talking about and we had his permission to use the kitchen. The next moring we are ready to go and she shows up and tells the parent who volunteered, she was to move everything out, said that we didn't have permission to be there. It was such a mess we ended up in a argument in front of everyone. We had to call the secratary again and she called the principal and he had to come in and calm the situation. She was told she need to leave. She finished what she was doing and left.
We have so many volunteers to help with this funraiser and everyone of them enjoys it. The real irony of this whole thing is, she has a child in the school, she should be volunteering for this fundraiser instead of trying to take money away from the PTO!!
I am requesting a meeting with her and the manager of the kitchen and the principal. I really feel that nothing will be resolved only because this isn't the first time that either one of these ladies has caused a huge problem in the school.
Does anyone have any advice? At this point I am ready to call it quits with this fundraiser. It would be a shame, due to the fact it raised several thousand dollars!