You need to figure out what committees you have, who did what. You need to find out what bank the PTO accounts were at, go there and explain you are the new president and see who was on the account before. Give them your information and that of your new tresureer. She needs to go there and give them her info. You both need to be signors along with another officer, ie. your Secretary and/or Vice President.
You need to make up forms with your contact info and have the office sent it home to the parents, asking for their contact info, committee requests and letting them know about the meeting. Make sure you get all email addresses so you can email out requests and info.

You need get the bank statements and make sure the account is reconciled with the treasurer. Do an audit and see what you are working with 1st. Make sure the Tresurer has all the financial recoreds for at least 7 years back.

You need to see if you are bonded and if its up to date. To make you are covered in case of theft. Many times areas schools will join together on a bond, ie. the elementary, the middle and the high school.

You need to see what events were done the previous years and see if anyone kept a notebook of the committees/events and get those to pass on if the old folds won't do the job again.


Sounds like you have an uphill battle. Remind your outgoing President that she has a Fiduciary responsiblity and can be audited by the state and the school system depending on your locality. She is responsible for the transfer of this information.

Good luck!!

Sounds like the previous PTO board wasn't very organized. Maybe the reason the former president isn't giving you info is because she doesn't have it to give. You might be handling this one by yourself! The principal might be a better source of info in regards to how the meetings were typically run. What business topics they went over, if they did a treasurers report, that kind of thing. However, it sounds like the perfect opportunity to put your own spin on things.

I was just voted in as President of our PTO a week ago. We just moved to this state 3 months ago and we don't know anyone at the school. I went to the meeting because I've always wanted to help. At the meeting, where there were 8 teachers, 2 principals and 6 parents we come to find out that last years elections didn't go over because no one volunteered to be nominated. The last board had served their 2 terms and could not run again.

Now to my problem. I am working with NO information. I had to ask the school secretary for a a copy of the by-laws! I have no statements of accounts, and I had to beg the previous president for a calendar of events, which she had to create before she gave it to me. There are already events scheduled and some volunteers lined up and I asked for their names and basically got the "I've got it covered" reply. Even though shes stated she's willing to help me, she's not forthcoming or organized by any means!

I am not even sure where to start and my first meeting is in 3 weeks.

I've read the by-laws, Roberts Rules and surfed the message boards, and I have a basic understanding of how to run a meeting. Can anyone help me figure out what should be my next steps?