I am the president of our school's PTO. This morning I received a telephone call from the principal. He proceeded to "give me down the road" about what he heard had gone on in the PTO meeting last night. He is the VP and couldn't come last night due to daughter sick. The teachers present reported notes to him this morning. They proceeded to ask him about the computers that I had mentioned that were delievered to the school over the summer. The only reason I brought this up was I had seen them on the delivery truck when my new computer was dropped off. The principal was going to ask the PTO to pay for them but decided instead to have the county office pick up the tab. Well our state has a license fee for showing movies of any sort some copy right law (never heard of this before). The principal asked that I bring this up at the meeting to maybe have the PTO pay for it ~$315.00. A memeber of our board was concerned that our principal needed to explain this more to us. She also felt that the principal had the money and was going to actually use the PTO's money actually for something else. I also stated last night that I felt it was time I brought it to the school board how our school always it left out. I say this in that we are a very small school and we tend to get the "left overs". It is bought to our attention every time we bring this up that we are very small and barely to "stay open". The principal is upset that I have stated I am going to the school board to talk with them about some issues. I told the principal that I would write the points that I would make at the meeting let him look it over and voice any concerns that he might have with my "speech". I never would want to hurt the teachers and told them this last night. They asked that I do go and speak with the school board and that maybe if a parent went they would listen. I have been going to school board meetings for over a year every month. They all know me now. I think that they will at least listen to me. They might not change things but I feel that because they do know me that they will be a little more open to hear me out. I wanted to say something last year but decided to just make myself known. It is now time to say something. Okay here are my two questions. 1)Should we question how PTO money is used do we have a right to know how the principal is spending PTO money and county money. 2) Should I allow the principal know ahead of time what I will be saying at the school board meeting. Am I playing the "game" too much and should just have gone without getting the principal's "okay"? I realize that is actually more than two questions. Any input before Friday would be great! Thanks for the help and sorry so "wordy" is that actually a word?

In my opinion, the principal should not be spending PTO money at all. it's your money. Principal can ask you to support things but it's still the group's decision. I also think it's weird for principal to be vp.

Just a few thoughts on this. Number one, I have found it best to exhaust the chain of command before going to an entity like a school board. How does your principal feel about the second hand stuff or does the principal agree that your school is being slighted. I would then take the issue up with the superintendent of your school system. Certainly write a letter, along with a phone call. I always add that "I will be expected to report on the situation at my next meeting." It may be second hand or nothing. It may also require a little homework by you to get all the facts on your school systems budget, expenditures etc... That is probably the real issue. (On the other side of the coin if we thought our school system was throwing away still usable computers instead of finding a way to reuse them our parents would be in a tither, crying waste!).

Your principal may also have realized that if the school system would pay for the computers they should. But the school system would probably not find it their job to pay for a liscencing fee for a movie, hence asking the PTO to foot the bill. Each of our schools receives an allotted amount of dollars for a student activity fund but if that runs short they often come to our PTA to help out with such things.It may be interesting to find out if your school has such a fund, but I do not believe they would have to share that with you.

If you have a problem handing money over to the principal just ask him for the bill and pay it yourselves, then you would know what your money went toward. (Our principal asked for PTA to purchase award ribbons. It was approved and he put the bill in our mailbox and we paid it.)

Does the principal have the check book or something? Do you have a treasurer report at your meetings?

As far as going to the school board. If it comes to that hit them with one thing at a time. (Otherwise they think we are just a bunch of angry people) I would certainly put out to the principal what you plan to present. He may have answers for you himself.

Let us know how it goes.

WOW!!! That's a lot to go to the Board with in one meeting! I agree with plw to just one main issue at a time, they may not be able (or want to) answer you that night without some research.
I have lived through a parent that brought 7 (!) issues in one night to the meeting and has not only made it hard for the school but uncomfortable for future PTO Presidents as the board gets nervous just seeing someone from the school PTO.
I'm worried too that your Principal is forgetting when he is the Principal and when he is the VP.
Ours is on the board too but as the Principal "rep".

Others have addressed the big issues, so I'll say something about a small one. IANAL, but this is how it was explained to me.

The license fee is for the right to show copyrighted materials. When you pop a tape in the VCR at home, you may notice a message that says something like "licensed only for non-commercial home use" or something like that. What they are saying is "you've bought the right to watch this at home, not to show it to 500 people in an auditorium, and not to charge anybody a fee to watch it".

The fee is a flat charge that allows you to show the materials at school, but you still can't charge admission. When a teacher pops the latest Disney video in on Friday afternoon to give her class a special treat, if you have not paid this license fee then you are in violation of copyright laws.

Now you might be thinking "how does anybody make any money off a $315 dollar fee for entire year?" And the answer is that they don't -- it basically covers the cost of administration of the fee collection process. But copyrights and trademarks and patents all have in common the trait that they are only valid so long as the rights holder is willing to defend their right. By charging a fee they establish their rights of ownership.

Thank you all for the great advice!
I understand the movie rights thing a whole lot better now. I decided not to go to the school board meeting last night. Had to take care of the little ones while hubby worked over. You are all right in that only one issue at a time. Yes I should go to the school superindentant first. When the principal hit me with all that I just didn't at first know how to react. With some time to think it out I have decided take it one step at a time. I also realize I cannot change things over night! I have one in 5th grade (our school is K-8th) and one 23 1/2 month old and a 6 month old. I will hopefully be involved with this school for a longggggggggg time. Thanks again for all the input!