All our funds are kept with the school BUT the President and Treasurer are the only ones approved to ask for funds. I did show this to our Principal and she couldn't beleive that someone would even try to take money away from the one group she values the most!
Maybe we're in the minority, but our principal doesn't have authority to sign PTO checks. The Treasurer, President, and Vice President are on the signature card, and 2 signatures are required per check. I second the controls JHB listed - she knows her stuff!
Thanks for the suggestions. I am planning on updating the bylaws and some of your wording is helpful. Unfortunately since this principal knows he's violating the by-laws and is doing it anyway, I don't think subtlety will work. But taking away his checkbook and reinforcing the by-laws should get us on the right track. Thanks again.
Your bylaws should have some rules about how funds are authorized/spent. If not, it may be time to look at amending them. Beyond the by-laws, your group should adopt policies of budgeting, control of funds, who can write checks, etc. It may be valuable to put these all in one procedures document for easy reference.
Rather than single out the principal, why not use the opportunity of starting a new year by deciding what these policies are, putting them in writing, and giving them to everyone associated with your Board (or membership)? Present it as an organizational policy with NO EXECPTIONS. And then enforce it for everyone, including the principal.
You might want to include things like:
* A general meeting of the organization will be held in by _________ to approve the budget for the fiscal year.
* This PTO shall not be liable for any non-budgeted monetary expenditure of $100 or more without submission of such expenditures to the Executive Board for approval.
* The PTO shall not be liable for any non-budgeted monetary expenditures of less than $100 without prior approval of the PTO President and two additional Executive Board Members.
* Money raised by this organization shall be spent as specified in the approved budget. Any additional expenditure must be approved by a majority vote the Executive Board.
*In order to be reimbursed or to receive a PTO check, the member must seek consent and obtain approval of at least two (2) Executive Board members. (i.e., two signatures required on the funds authorization form"
* All reimbursement requests must be submitted within _______ days of the expense.
* All PTO checks require two signatures of authorized Board members.
* Any commitment of funds that does not follow these policies is the personal responsibility of the initiator.
These are just samples. You'll need to personalize them for your use and see what else you might want to add.
I'm a new member and new PTO pres and am concerned that out principal writes checks and commits large amounts of money without any approval and in violation of the bylaws. Obviously I want to correct this but having an adverserial relation with the principal is going to prove to be a long year. Anyone else in this situation or have any suggestions? Thanks.
