Hi afish -

" I will not spend any more time, money or energy trying to solicit opinions"

I think you're on a good track. It is frustrating to me (and I'm sure moreso to you) that you have to expend so much of your energy on this bureacratese, when you could be spending it doing good things for your school and the kids.

In the end -- in my opinion -- these things matter most:

1. Are you and your fellow leaders and your group doing good work, work that fits within your original PTA mission and your new mission?

2. Did you make a good faith effort to let your membership decide its status?

3. During dissolution, are you careful to amke sure that your PTA monies go towards the school and the kids?

If yes, then -- even if anyone objects -- you're on a really sound footing. At the end of the day, if there are no funds to dither over and you're not paying dues and your PTO is up and running, then you're all set.

Hope to see you at our Philadelphia PTO Show conference.

Tim

I've checked more messages on this subject, per your suggestion Rockne. They've been helpful. However, as I'm sure everyone's is, our situation is somewhat unique and I still have questions. We are indeed a "not in good standing" PTA; the state president told me we have been considered inactive for sometime. Even so, I am most concerned that they will attempt to seize our assets.
I will be getting an EIN # this week, and beginning to file paperwork for tax exempt status and 501c3 status. We will immediately open a new bank account with that EIN# and put all monies currently being raised into it. We will continue to spend down the rest of the money in the PTA budget which should be depleted by the end of the school year.
We discussed this switchover for several meetings and through several newsletters. We sent out a ballot to all 420 paid members; 68 replied. Of that, PTO got a 69% majority. I could find nothing that said we had to have a PTA rep speak prior to this vote (we're in NJ). I will not spend any more time, money or energy trying to solicit opinions.
When do I call the state PTA president and tell her what's up? I'm thinking June, when the PTA money is all spent. But I've been getting these calls from the county PTA about meetings, what's up, etc., and though I haven't tipped our hand, I do not know whether others might already have.
Any more thoughts?

Hi Afish -

Couple of thoughts:

1. If you go to this page: www.ptotoday.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum&f=10

... and change the "show topics from" button (on top of page) to: "the past year", then you'll see a whole slew of threads on this very topic. I bet they'll be helpful.

2. If it were me, then I would spend down the $$ in your PTA account. You could buy something for the school or fund an Arts program, etc. To me, it's an easy way to avoid any of the $$ hassles that soemtimes come up upon dissolution.

3. I'd start your PTO (completely independently of your PTA) now. Get a Fed. ID #, get some bylaws and officers, maybe even apply for your 501(c)(3). Your current PTA and your to-be PTO are completely separate. Some folks make the mistake of thinking they can't possibly start the PTO until the PTA is all done. That's not true and -- in my opinion -- not wise.

Finally, it seems that you're in a less sticky situation than some others. You haven't paid your dues or otherwise acted like a PTA for several years now. I'd wager you're a group "not in good standing." It's not a far leap from there to done.

Good luck,

Tim

I can find no info in my NJ PTA bylaws about how to disband our current group. I would like to be a bit more educated on this before I inform the state PTA that our membership has already voted to switch to a PTO. What do you do in the following situation? I inherited an organization that had not paid its membership dues in 2 years, completed its bylaws in 4 years nor had an audit in at least that long. The one conversation I did have with the NJ PTA president, she offered to waive past dues to keep us as a PTA.

We don't want to do it. It's a philosophy issue. Our school desperately needs every bit of money it raises to go toward our own projects.

We've taken the vote and have our 66% majority. The only other thing I gather we must do is spend down our money. Can I just donate our balance to the school?