We gave each teacher a short survey to fill out at the beginning of the school year. We asked if any would be willing to be a teacher representative to the PTO. Hopefully we would get more teachers to come to the meetings. We also asked what needs they had in their individual classrooms and what they think the school in general could use. While we were at it we asked if any of them could volunteer to help out with any of the events we put on during the school year. We
got 7 out of the 18 teachers say they would come to meetings. I think we got 10 to say they would help with events during the school year. And we got very good ideas what the school needs. Yes a lot of us on the PTO are in the school a lot but we don't know everything the school needs. We got very good ideas from everything to assembly programs, computer printers for the classrooms, headsets for the computer lab,
VCR's, CD boom boxes, a digital camera for student use. etc. On the survey we said we would give them a small surprize for filling out the survey. We gave them each a gel pen and we got 80% of the teachers to respond. The school principal also gave us ideas on what was needed. As a result of the survey I think we will have more teacher support in the future. Hope this helps

This is how I dealt with it last year and I am doing this year. Put it to a vote. Whoever is at the PTO meeting gets to vote. It has worked for me everytime so far. The Fall Festival money is earmarked for our school's library for the upper level grades 6th-8th. We are a small rural school K-8th approximately 115 students. You can tell in a newsletter that there will be a vote at the PTO meeting and that way everyone gets a chance to vote. To be honest we don't see too many more show up just because we are putting it to a vote. That has seemed the easiest for us to deal with how the money is spent. They all know that is how I like to do it and so far it has not come back to haunt me. Hope that helps you in trying to decide what to do . Good Luck!

This is how I dealt with it last year and I am doing this year. Put it to a vote. Whoever is at the PTO meeting gets to vote. It has worked for me everytime so far. The Fall Festival money is earmarked for our school's library for the upper level grades 6th-8th. We are a small rural school K-8th approximately 115 students. You can tell in a newsletter that there will be a vote at the PTO meeting and that way everyone gets a chance to vote. To be honest we don't see too many more show up just because we are putting it to a vote. That has seemed the easiest for us to deal with how the money is spent. They all know that is how I like to do it and so far it has not come back to haunt me. Hope that helps you in trying to decide what to do . Good Luck!

We have just finished our fundraiser and we need to spend our money. I would like to survey the parents to see what kind of response we get back as too what they see the school needs. We definately need new playground our school is about 30 years old. There are new school being built with nice playground equipment of course in master-planned communities to where the home builder donates. I would love to get a nice playground for our children but I don't want it to be my only decision. I thought maybe send the survey out would help. We have approx. 700 students grades PK-5. I don't want to step on anyones toes. Last year the PTO gave monies to the teachers and they purchased educational items that they wanted. How should I handle this? Am I thinking right.