What is your mission statement? that should tell you what direction your group should be going to. Our mission statement is geared all toward family oriented opportunities and bringing together home, school and community. Therefore we spend 99% of our money on family events that we offer free to them.

We use about 20% of the money we raise each fall for PTO programs and the rest is allocated back to the schools for a wide variety of things. We've funded equipment, supplies, assemblies, books, playground equipment and more.

One reason our community is so supportive and we are able to raise a *very* substantial amount of money each year is that we are upfront about how we have used the money in the past and expect to use the money in the current year. As a matter of fact, the allocations lists are a bigger selling point for our fundraiser than the PTO programs!

Lainyf;132091 wrote: I need some help. We have some parents in our PTO that are getting upset about our Principal asking for money at the meetings each month. They feel that the money we raise in PTO is to be spent on FUN things for the students. I feel that if we can improve their school experience in any way, academically or socially that we are doing our job. We have spent about 50%of our $ this year on things like Textbooks, busses for fieldtrips, after school programs etc. and the other 50% on a new playground for our Kindergarten and instruments for the band. I just want to share with them what other schools are spending money on because I don't think that we are the only ones that supplement our schools budget. What do you spend on?

The mission for the XYZ PTO is to identify curriculum and programs deemed by the membership* in its sole discretion to be vital to affect the richest educational experience possible for our children; to maximize the role of the school itself in fulfilling these objectives; and to plan, organize and execute events and programs which generate the resources and mechanisms necessary to fulfill these objectives.

This an example from one of my old PTA's - it encompasses everything events, fundraisers, fun. We set up a budget each year of programs, events, supplies etc; butschool, teachers, principal could request additional funds for other not covered in budget.


In the past we've covered

1. Books and Beyond reading- books and prizes
2. Fieldtrips
3. Assemblies
4. books library and textbooks
5. School store supplies
6. Garden supplies and curriclum
7. Care and share
8. Christmas shoppe
9. Hoilday program
10. Sockhop
11. PE Equipment
12. Schools equip- computers, typing keyboards, hearing impared devices
13. Disaster/Earthquake kits
14. Teacher appreciation
15. Grade level equipment (ie Digital camera)
16. Volunteer thank yous
17. Teacher supplies (grants)

Do your bylaws or mission statement say anything to help with this? Our mission statement is very broad "To promote the academic, physical, social, and personal well-being of ___________ youth while developing a closer relationship between home, school, and community and to provide resources for the school in addition to those provided within the school budget.

Anyone can request money for anything as often as they want to. Typically, the teachers and principal know at the beginning of the year what they'd like to have or what would help. Therefore, in time for the Sept PTO meeting, we ask for a WISH LIST. Items range from $10 to several thousand. At the Sept meeting we review the list and ask for suggestions from members and add those to the list. We also send a parent survey asking what they'd like to see at the school. We add those items to the list. We ask for a field trip total in September as well.

Then, in October, we decide what MAJOR purchases we plan to fundraise for after the field trip fund is all set and rank the top three after a PTO vote. We have had some luck getting wish list items donated so we cross those off the list. We go after every grant we can find. Then if there is $ left over after the MAJOR projects or we find we haven't raised enough for major projects by March, we go straight to the WISH and try to purchase whatever we can.

If there is a request for $ that could absolutely not have been known in Sept or it is an emergency, we vote whether or not to spend the $. Otherwise, whatever the request is gets added to the WISH LIST. Here are some things we've paid for over the past few years:
• Playground
• Fitness/nature trail
• Field trips
• Kindergarten playground
• Sound system
• Stage Construction
• Basketball/Four-square court
• RIF Program
• Ellison Die Cuts
• Teacher appreciation
• Perfect attendance awards
• T-shirts for 3rd grade overnight
• Landscaping materials
• Bicycle racks
• Artist in residence
• T-shirts for running club
• Family in need assistance
• Volunteer appreciation
• Winter Sports Scholarships
• Bulletin Boards for lobby
• School Smiles Dental Program contribution
• School/Home folders
• Spelling bee books
• Recycling bins

I agree with the other posters that it's fairly common for PTOs to fund some items that seem to be a school budget responsibility. Like the others say, striking a good balance is critical. The question is, what's a good balance? That's best answered by your own membership and your own school's needs and wants.

If parents are grumbling, take their concerns seriously. It's a good idea to come here and ask opinions to take back with you. If they see it as a 'universal' issue they may be more willing to accept it. Be sure to ask them, too, what they feel is a good balance and how they would suggest these items be funded if not for the PTO. Also, if the PTO no longer funds these items, what do they see as a more important use of the money?

Showing them that you hear them and that you take the PTO spending seriously and then including them in the process shows you care and will go a long way toward earning their trust and respect.

We also do about 50/50 - fun and educational/beneficial. Sounds like you are on the right track.