Hi, I just happened to be going thru older postings today (searching for info on a rare day off work).
Friend, I really agree with your statements that if PTA members don't like the direction the PTA is taking, then they should take action & help change it!!! We happen to have a PTO at our school which works well and I see no reason to change it. But I so agree with your sentiments. What's the old saying? ..."If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem" (or something like that...)
Jo
On the insurance question, there's a category in our PTO Marketplace on group liability insurance. I'm sure any company listed there can help guide you through insurance questions. Lots of PTOs are insured on their own.
If you really find no value in belonging to a large National organization or if you do not take advantage of the resources, paper as well as human, that National and your state PTA have to offer then you should consider becoming a PTO. Your PTA bylaws will spell out how to disband. A previous post explains how to keep your money. Your school district might be able to allow you to become a rider on their insurance policy. You will have to give up your tax exempt status. You can file for it on your own. That's a right you have as a nonprofit organziation. Costs money and usually requires the aid of an attorney.
With all that said, I hate to see PTAs disband because they are tired of sending their hard earned money away from their school. Why don't you look at your dues as a way to belong to a professional organization working for children? I hate to pay my local, county, state and national union dues (and you certainly can't compare the $$$$)but understand the bigger picture.
If you feel that the PTA agenda isn't your agenda then work at changing it. Learn about resolutions and getting involved in convention. PTA's positions are determined by its members. It happens to be the 1,500 or so members that attend its annual convention. The will of the majority... But if you aren't able or willing to make the organization reflect what you feel is important in your state and community maybe its better that you are a PTO. Just please don't blame PTA unless you are prepared to be part of the solution.
IT is great to see like-minded schools on here! We are also thinking very strongly of disolving PTA this Spring and re-organizing as PTO. We are a small school and who have managed our "business" quite well without any help from "big brother" and see no need to continue to pay into their agenda. Any helps, suggestions on the subject would be welcome! We are particularly concerned about the insurance issue--as well as tax-exempt status
We voted to change over from PTA to PTO at our first meeting in September. We notified the State PTA of our decision in writing, which they weren't too happy about, but there wasn't anything they could do about it. As far as our money goes, all we did was write out a check for our entire balance made payable to our school. The principal then deposited the check into the school account. After we closed out the PTA account and opened a PTO account, the principal wrote a check for the same amount payable to our PTO and we deposited it back into our new account. We notified the PTA of our intentions to do this when we wrote out letter to them and were informed that it would be perfectly legal to do it this way.
My school is in the same situatuion. We have started the process of changing to PTO. The actual process isn't that difficult, but our question is how do we keep the money we raised within our school? Does anyone know the answer to that question. We think that we must spend all the funds prior to the date of dissolving.
I think the key to changing is involvement of parents/teachers that want to go in a different direction. The PTA didn't do much to try and keep us in the organization.
Good luck!
