Our school is switching from a PTA to a PTO and I'm looking for any help I can get. We are a very small school and 90% of the families are at poverty level. I think we usually are able to raise $3 - $4,000 a year. Can anyone help with a copy of some general bylaws?
I completly agree with JHB and you can do this without by-laws but they are a nice pillow to have.
Our PTO is almost 5 years old but the first thing the original members (amazingly they have ALL moved on) spent most of the first year drafting and approving our now standing by-laws. This person will not be there forever, it's something to see if all the parents involved feel as you do and go from there.
Thank you for being involved!! Good luck in whatever your group does!
I would like to know if there are basic rules that involve fundraising for a specific reason. If we choose to do something as a fundraiser so that we can keep money in the bank for special events that happen at our school is that our right as an orginzation?
PTO's are independent - very often informal - organizations with no set rules to follow as a group. The school or the district may or may not have policies on how they operate. Usually, other than a few basic rules, they don't seem to intervene too much until there's a big problem.
Many of us on this forum advocate various best practices for any organized non-profit group to follow. The more risk, the more important to have good structure. The "risk" might involved money, children's safety, impact on school programs, media exposure.
However, there is no umbrella organization like in the PTA where your group is part of a state and national organization.
So, yes, a PTO can exist without bylaws or with inadequate ones. Most of us just don't think it's a very good idea.
[This message has been edited by JHB (edited 11-09-2001).]
Our PTO has no bylaws, and has no organization. It is run by one person - the president, who has been doing it for many years. The rest of us are considered
"members"would like to see this change. We don't like the thought of one person being in charge of all the decision making for our kids (who gets the money for field trips, what fund-raisers we do, etc.) Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
