We have a comprehensive budget we approve at the first meeting of each schoolyear. The President, VP, and Treasurer are the only ones authorized to sign checks (two signatures required). Any expenditure within our budgets is automatically allowed. Anything outside the budget must be approved at one of our regular monthly meetings. The Executive Board can approve unplanned expenditures up to $100 in between monthly meetings, if necessary.
Because we break our finances into about 20 different expense categories, it's unlikely we will get into a situation where one person or one committee can control a huge chunk of our money. In fact, the largest expense category accounts for only 18% of our overall budget. The PTO can always reallocate money from one category to another if we underestimated expenses, but having separate categories keeps things under control.
These guidelines might not solve your current problem, but maybe they give you some ideas for future policies. Good luck!
All of our expenditures must be approved by the Executive Board, and requests for funds are to be okay'd by the President & Secretary, and then a check signed by one of the 4 people allowed to sign PTO checks. I would gently approach this subject with your principal and suggest if they want something paid for by PTO, that they put in a request or wish list of some sort and that your Exec. Board will consider this and take a vote. Let them know you are just trying to follow the rules, and need to keep things "by the book". Good Luck.
I became PTO president for our school at the beginning of this school year. I have recently been informed that the school principal has been okaying others (not part of PTO) to be reimbursed from PTO funds. I am not sure if this is proper or if all funds that are released from the account are to be okayed by the PTO committee?
