We are also a PTO, we are an incorporated Non Profit Organization. The principal is part of the Executive Board, and can request money for things but we have the final say. It is not the Principals money. As a member of the community, go to the school board and make the principal accountable.
Hope wrote: I'm a PTA president who just found out that the principal is on probation for mishandling of the school budget. It is 'hearsay' that the principal wants to strongly advise the PTA to change to PTO. This 'hearsay' is backed up by a series of strange events that makes it plausable and has puts me is a box. It is my opinion that she may try to influence how the organization's funds are spent...and she would consider PTO an extension of the school's budget in an effort to make up the deficit. Last year, the school's budget was blown by December and the prin. was constantly throwing hints about how the broke the school was. The school buys non-priority items-plants, pictures, teacher incentives, etc. while computers & books had not been updated since 2000 and afterschool or tutoring programs are not in place to address the increase of academically at-risk students. Last year, the PTA spent money directly to improve students' behavior and outlook. My question is, if the school switches to PTO, how much of an influence can the principal be and can the principal, in any way control the finances through the manipulation of teachers? I understand that this is a complex matter and red flags are popping up everywhere. I'm trying to figure out what else may be lurking up the principal's sleeve that I may not be aware of? How would the principal benefit from a PTO vs. PTA?
I take a slightly different view. The PTA is most definitely an independent organization and a 501(c)(3) with your school's unit being part of bigger organization with structure, policies, and clout to help it maintain its independence.
A PTO maybeindependent and established as 501(c)(3). Then again, it maynot. Certainly it can be organized to be every bit as independent as a PTA. But I'd wager far, far more PTO's operate informally with no 501(c)(3) structure, few policies and practices, and varying amounts of independence. A PTO's relationship to the principal can run the gamut from being basically a committee that serves as extension of the school to a fully functioning, independent organization - and every possibility in between, including being little more than a puppet organzation for the principal.
Frankly, under the right circumstances, a PTA could be similar. But it has an external amount of accountability that a PTO doesn't and chain of command it can draw upon.
Please understand, this implies no criticism of PTOs nor a preference for PTA over PTO. However, it's important to be aware that there are a hundred different "flavors" of PTOs and how they operate.
I second OneAndOnly. I would just add that our PTO adopts--and holds to--an annual budget. It takes a vote of our membership to deviate from the budget so no one has power to control it. We have loads of financial controls in place such as requiring 2 signatures on every check, not pre-signing checks, requiring an approved form for every financial transaction, no petty cash, every deposit counted twice, annual audit, monthly reports, monthly reconciliations, etc. Being an independent PTO wouldnt' make it easier for the principal to manipulate the funds.
I would actually recommend you switching over to a PTO as I could see this becoming more of an issue than it already is. As a PTO you can define your Bylaws and as such can ensure that the parents are in control. Once you have your own tax exempt number and are offically 501C you'll be good to go.
