Well I would say you are not a PTO at all but a supplementary money making group for the principal's fund. So many of us advise that you keep your group and your financials separate for just this reason. It isn't about the group that it is working for (i.e. the year the teacher was signing checks) it's about keeping the integrity of both groups so that they can compliment each other independently and also get direction from one another that suits both groups effectively.
I was on the PTO board a couple years ago for 2 years. I served as Treasurer both years, along with a teacher, so that if a situation came up and funds were needed in an emergency, there was someone there authorized to use our account. We never had any problems working it this way and managed to do a lot of good things for our school. Last year I was not on the board, I had another child and took a year away to keep from carting a newborn everywhere, and basically our PTO was ran by the principal and a teacher, and what few parents were involved, did whatever they were told without questioning anything.
I guess the principal liked having things going her way, SO she has devised a new plan.
All of the PTO money will now be managed by the school. The lady in the office that mananges the school budget, accounts and money, is now also in charge of all PTO funds as well.
Is this allowed? There will be NO parent with any authority or access to these funds AT ALL!!!!
I am shocked to discover this and not sure how to go about stopping it, because it just does not seem right to me!
