PTO Today

Our school recently switched to a PTO from a PTA. New board members were voted in. I became treasurer and have been trying to get records from the previous treasurer, who continues to refuse passing over any information. Recently this person presented our board with a letter from the district PTA president who states all records are now part of the property of the state PTA. This includes history records, minutes, financial records, etc. We are allowed zero access to anything. Basically we are at this point starting over from nothing. Funds were donated from the PTA to PTO, but that has been the extent of it.

Is this actually legal? Can anyone offer me advise on what I should do from this point, if there is anything I can do?

Hey Candy -

What records are you looking for?

It's typical petty stuff, but my guess is you'll be fine.

Technically, you likely started an entirely new organization. Your old PTA treasurer is the wrench in the works -- typically those local records are kept at the school/with local people (and their allegiances lie locally). But sounds like your ex treasurer is not acting that way.

I agree with you that it's totally ridiculous; I suspect it's not defensible; but I also suspect it's probably not worth climbing down to that level. So dumb. Apparently, it's "every child. one voice" -- except if those children are at a school where the parent group was so bold as to change their acronym. In that case, we'll take our ball and go home and have a temper tantrum.

I'll stop.

Tim

We are thinking of switching from a PTA to a PTO. I'm a little worried about this same issue. I think if a letter is generated before the switch that gifts all records and paperwork (because of the history) to any parent/teacher student support group that takes over the State PTA can't come in and take what they want. The State PTA just passed this resolution at their fall convention that any and all assets of a dissolving PTA revert to the State. I think that amounts to highway robbery on the part of the State level. What are they going to do with the mountains of paperwork that they take possession of in the event all the PTAs become PTOs. Paper doesn't get the work done?

I think I have to play devil's advocate. The PTA has established procedures manuals, forms, training, and processes. Many of those are copywrited. If a group of people decide an organization is no longer worth being a part of - why on earth would the old organization gift them (for free) materials that are available only to members?

I'm a PTO advocate. But I do not think it is fair to expect to have your cake and eat, too. If you want to be independent and you want to break away from PTA and you are no longer part of THAT organization - why should you derive benefit from its materials?

Couple of key reasons:

1. They paid for them. Lots. Many times over.

2. More importantly, I don't think we're talking about training materials. The real question -- and this is where this state's claim is completely ludicrous (which state?) -- is money in the bank account or, for example, a popcorn machine. This state is laying claim to those items. It's easy to avoid this problem by spending down funds and/or gifting the assets before formally disbanding, but the claim is ridiculous.

It's like being a AAA member for 10 years ... and then if you don't renew they want their maps back (crazy) [I]and your car[/I].

Tim

Technically all bank account material, financial records etc would be the independant PTA chapters stuff. A local chapter is independant but a part of the PTA National Congress. Hence the separate EIN, etc. many forget that. So your district person is blowing smoke..... or full of 'shi~take mushrooms' is what my kids like to say. Now granted the new PTO is independant from the disbanded PTA unit and National PTA, it still makes the statement, "the property of Local PTA," is just more PTA BS....

You can join PTA and choose not to use or follow most of the stuff available. I've been involved in PTA's that dont run Reflections, dont use the training toolkit, dont use district, local, state, national PTA for anything. Yes there are a few rules (and you must pay dues) to follow but you are an independant unit. To due as you see fit.

I'd tell the treasurer to keep all material handed down by National, taken of the website, etc (ie the copywritten) and to file it in File13 (ie the trash can)

All other records should be handed over to the PTO or the former President (the former Treasurer shouldnt even be making an issue as she wouldnt be the one in charge of records (as a whole) anyway).

Me I dont think its all needed but just another example of PTA' s lack of common sense (they run an AntiBullying Program - hows this story for an oxymoron)

__________________
[B]Liberalism is not an affilation its a curable disease. [/B]
[I][B]~Wisdom of Shawnshuefus[/B][/I]
[B]The punishment which the wise suffer, who refuse to take part in government, is to live under the government of worse men."[/B]
[B][I]~Wisdom of Plato[/I][/B]

If you are a new PTO being organized, then you don't need records from the old PTA. You are new; just like a new business opening up in your neighborhood. Just begin your books and deposit the money the PTA provided to you as a donation from the PTA and go from there. You are not legally responsible to account for anything that went on with the PTA to the state or IRS so just keep your books from this point on under your new Tax ID

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Doing it for my one and only ~~ my son!