Not sure what's up in Nevada, but in Virginia our PTA insurance is $360. The same coverage through NPN was $494. (Just an amusing aside: when we were evaluating PTA vs. PTO, the state PTA rep tried to tell us that the difference in insurance cost was due to the fact that the PTA had such wonderful training for its treasurers. It does have good training for treasurers, but how training treasurers prevents people from slipping at your carnival and breaking their leg and suing you is beyond me.... Apparently the PTA rep didn't realize she was saying this to a former insurance underwriting executive, who, to her credit, kept a straight face.)

Anyway, I did a whole spreadsheet on the costs of PTO vs. PTA for when we formed our organization (which is PTA). In our case, it showed that over the long term, the $$ would have worked out in favor of PTO. I've e-mailed it to Michelle and Tim, but would be happy to e-mail it to anyone else interested.

Hi Michelle -

Glad you've found the site. It sounds like the PTA math is working in your favor, but in my research, you're the exception not the rule.

Here are some of the variables:

1. State dues (some are low, some are as high as $3/member and higher).

2. Insurance rates. These vary by state for PTAs. Some states (because of high number of insured PTAs and good claims history) get really great rates -- the best available. But in many other states, the difference between NPN ( www.ptotoday.com/npn ) rates and PTA rates aren't that great.

3. Number of PTA members. The average PTA unit reports more than 240 members (6 million PTA members divided by 25,000 units). At that high a number, the PTA dues number adds up quickly.

As an example, a CT PTA with 240 members would pay $1200 in dues BEFORE paying for the insurance.

I'm guessing that you may be in a state with low state dues and you may have a real good PTA insurance rate and you may not have that many members (keeping your total dues cost even lower). That would be like the perfect combination of PTA financial benefit. But, again, you'd be the exception, not the rule.

One added note when doing the math: the NPN package includes quite a bit more than just the insurance discount. There are free subscriptions to the magazine, 70-page+ "Expert Guides" on key topics and a lot more. Full details = www.ptotoday.com/npn

In my experience, "doing the math" is one of the most common reasons PTA groups do disaffiliate.

Tim

[ 09-22-2003, 08:56 PM: Message edited by: Rockne ]

:confused: In spending the better part of the evening reading through the posts I have seen nothing regarding the cost of insurance operating as a PTO rather than a PTA.
What I am hearing is that the driving force behind becoming a PTO is keeping membership dues at your school rather than paying dues.
But insurance through PTA is under $200 regardless of the number of members.
Aren't you trading one expense for the other? If we took our schools membership and calculated the cost of insurance versus what we pay in dues + insurance, we actually keep more money as a PTA school. And all you are getting for the more than seven times the cost,(just over 4 times more if you join NPN) is insurance. No training, no materials, no real accountability. If you have an embezzelment at your PTO school, how would it be handled? Yes, PTA is a terrific organized National advocate and that is just one reason I prefer PTA but there are financial benefits.
The only thing I can think of is that some PTOs just don't get insurance. Very risky...
When you really break it down, if you are doing it correctly, you're getting more bang for your buck. It's just that simple.