I have to agree with The Menzy Mom... I do think things wuld have been different if the teachers would have called you first and ask "Hey I have $$$ can I donate/give $$$ to this others as they are short and I won't be needing the money." Our group purchased a banner last year for the senior class with the understanding the student council would pay half and raffle off the banner. Our group paid the entire bill and the banner was given as a gift to the seniors favorite teacher. Needless to say we were disapointed, unfortunatly the VP is STILL upset (we'll use that word) and can't even talk about it!.....I hope you and your friend can get through this. Take her to coffee, get it out on the table (not the coffee, her thoughts on the topic [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) work it out between the two of you. If she still disagrees with the idea, she has the right, but it needs to be clear that the group is helping the kids- not you personnally....

Here I am, the Devil's Advocate...lol...

First off, let me suggest this: Under the circumstances, could the first grade teachers have come to you to ask for additional funds? If so, would you have given them additional funds? If so, tell your friend that it can be looked at, even written up that way. An additional request for funds.

While I agree with the 'use it or lose it' theory, I think that you have to look at it a bit more flexibly. The Kindergarten teacher did 'use it', she just didn't use it the way someone thought she should. Since it is not in the bylaws either way, the Kindergarten teacher, you, AND your executive board were well within your rights.

We give each of our teachers and school clubs $100 reimbursement at the beginning of the year. This money is to be used for the classrooms, to help pay for necessities. They provide us with the receipts, we cut a check. Did I even think twice about "ok-ing" one teacher giving his/her monies to another teacher to purchase extra for their class? No. The money was earmarked for reimbursements, and that is what the money went to. You try to get teachers to attend meetings, you try to get teachers involved with PTO projects, you try to get teachers excited about PTO. Cut them some slack. The money still went to field trips. Kids had a good time in both circumstances. Ask your friend this: What would she have done as the Kindergarten teacher? As the first grade teacher? In your position? Ask her what she think the 'already earmarked' money could have been used for instead? Ask her to help write an addendum to the bylaws. Then, be done with it.

My personal view? OK. You asked. I think the teachers were right, but should have come to you first. I think that it benefited children. If the adults would look at it as 'sharing', something these children are being taught to do day after day in the two grades we are talking about, there wouldn't have been any fuss at all. Send your friend to 'time-out' until she learns to share. Pick a better battle and let this one die. It didn't cost any extra to the PTO. It was a nice thing to do. I'm glad the kids had fun. I'm sorry it became a problem between friends, much less a problem between PTO execs.

I hope you and your friend can get past this. This situation isn't worth losing a friendship over.

We had such a simliar situation in our PTSO, I am the treasurer and each grade gets $150.00 for the transportation costs of their field trips. We are a K thru 6th grade school. This year the second grade took 6 field trips for a total transportation cost of $220.00, which is billed to our PTSO, and the third graders took none. On our budget the category is listed as Field Trip Transportation and then subcategorized by grade, so the Field Trip category still had plenty of money but the second grade (subcategory) went way over, I talked with our principal about it and she said that the school will not pay for any of the transportation and that since the 3rd grade didn't spend their money it could just all equal out in our budget. That has been sitting wrong with me for a couple of months now...the third grade still never took any field trips and if anything that money should have been used for the third grade in some way...I have not heard one thing from the 2nd grade teachers regarding how much they spent, I even printed them a status report showing that they were $75.00+ over their budgeted amount....just seems sort of unfair...we are going to be much more specific about this category next year and will print a budget report by grade at the beginning of the year with a reminder that this is all we will pay for transportation and that if they take additional trips it will need to be funded from different areas....

I'm late to the game, but I can see why the treasurer had a problem with this issue. That money was not the teacher's, it really belonged to the class field trip fund. If the money wasn't spent for its designated purpose it should have been returned back to the pot. As kind as the offer was, I would have voted no. Teachers get an equal amount or someone else will be shouting "unfair" and you will have a whole new set of problems.

Oh I didn't mean to make the KDG teacher seem like she was short changing her kids...she just isn't taking them on a big field trip because she cannot get enough parent chaperones. She has tried to get parental help all year but for some reason this group of kdg parents do not want to be involved. They are having a picnic at the park but it is within walking distance and they won't be using all of the money ($800.00) She only needs $250.00. We do not have buses in our district that is why we have to set aside so much for field trips, the cost of the buses is usally more expensive than the admission to most places. The three first grades are using $400.00.

I can't believe I got such fast responses...thank you so much [img]smile.gif[/img]

First of all - you made the best of a situation once it was thrust upon you. If I understand this correctly - it was only after the Kdg. teacher offered the $$ to the 1st grade that you found out about it and yes you as a board were put between a rock and a hard place. Without a policy/bylaw/guideline - who knows what to do? I think that given this set of circumstances you did the right thing in NOT making a huge deal out of it and upsetting a lot of people.

Secondly - when we "earmark" money for each classroom for a specific circumstance - it's pretty much use it or loose it money - not at all discretionary. For example - in the past each teacher has received $5.00 per child at the beginning of the year which can be used for really any purpose as long as it benefits the entire class - sets of books, rewards for the class (pencils, stickers) things like that. If Mrs. Jones only spends an average of $3.50 per child, then that's that and the rest of the money remains in our treasury.

I don't know that you need to address this in you by-laws, but I would make something clear and in your minutes in the future if it is your intention to allow teachers to "donate" their money elsewhere within the school.

I would agree that the kindergartners suffered in this instance but again - I think you made the best of a bad situation.