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Frequently Asked Questions
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 | How can our PTA
help in relief assistance efforts in times of disaster (fires, natural
disasters, etc.)?
| PTAs are often asked to provide assistance with the
coordination of relief activities. Here are some important guidelines
that must be followed when doing so:
PTAs are prohibited from making personal gifts to a
specified family or individual. A PTA may not collect and disburse funds for
the benefit of specified families or individuals. A PTA's EIN may not be
used for the establishment or maintenance of any financial account
designated for the benefit of specified families or individuals. The IRS may
impose penalties if these rules are not observed.
PTA units, councils and districts may participate in community relief
efforts by making a monetary donation to a relief organization recognized by
the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization. Organizations such as the
American Red Cross,
the Salvation Army,
and United Way handle
donations for relief efforts under benevolent fund procedures, which mean
that funds are received for disbursement to a broad class of potential
recipients. These organizations may not accept funds for a specific family
or individual.
In order for PTA funds to be donated, PTA financial procedures must be
followed. The membership is the authorized body to approve, or ratify, the
donation to another 501(c)(3) organization. The approval of the donation
must appear in the minutes of a meeting of the association.
PTAs may participate in disaster relief efforts by:
• Encouraging members to make personal donations to a relief organization of
individual choice
• Encouraging members to volunteer to assist at a location providing
services to disaster victims
• Providing information on local blood drive locations
• Providing information about other relief efforts in your community
PTAs may participate in personal tragedy relief efforts by:
• Working to locate another agency or organization that may handle donated
funds to benefit the affected family or individual
• Offering to meet with other community leaders to arrange with a local bank
for the establishment of a special account to handle donated funds (Cannot
use PTA EIN)
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| How many PTA members and local units are there in
Connecticut?
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| How much are membership dues?
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| How do I get my
membership cards and Annual Resources guide?
| Annual Resource Guide
The Annual Resources Guide for PTAs from National PTA provides information
to assist you in leading an efficient and effective PTA. It includes tips
on running meetings, finances, advocacy and the Reflections program, just
to name a few. The guide is divided into nine separate booklets, which
makes it easy to share with your leadership and committee chairs.
The guide is distributed at Leadership Training workshops
in the fall. If you are unable to attend Leadership Training, we ask that
you make arrangements with our office to pick up
this valuable resource. (Note that you must file an
Officer Information Sheet
prior to obtaining the guide.)
The Annual Resources Guide is also available online
in the Members-Only area of the National PTA Website at the following
address: http://www.pta.org/members/respub/ann/index.asp. (If you need a
National PTA Members-Only password, please refer to your membership
card for the current user name and password.)
Membership cards
Membership cards are normally handed out at our Leadership Training
workshops. If you need your membership cards sooner please contact the
Connecticut PTA office to make arrangements to pick up your membership
cards.
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| PTA, PTO, What's the difference?
| A PTA goes beyond the local school as many problems
affecting children and youth cannot be solved by local action alone.
Other parent teacher organizations (PTO's) are solely school-based and
do not provide access to a larger network.
Click here to learn more!
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| What is a "Unit in good standing"?
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| What do the Board of Directors actually do?
| The Board of Directors serves the local units and
members and helps conduct the business of PTA between annual meetings.
Individual board members can be assigned to represent the Connecticut
PTA to outside agencies and organizations. The Board is responsible for
guiding the policy and decision-making of the Connecticut PTA. Functions
of the board are listed in Policy No. 302c.
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| How can I start up a PTA/PTSA/SEPTA Unit?
| The State PTA office will assist you in organizing a local
PTA, PTSA, SEPTA, or other local unit. Some basic information is available on this web site.
Click here to learn more!
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| Why should I attend a PTA convention?
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| What is parent involvement?
| Parent involvement is the participation of parents in every facet of
children's education and development from birth to adulthood, recognizing
that parents are the primary influence in children's lives. Click here
to learn more!
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| What are the ways I as a parent can become involved in my
child's education?
| There are several key areas where parents can become
involved: Regular communication between home and school, good parenting skills are
used, parents must play an integral role in assisting student learning
and they must be full partners in decisions
that affect children and families.
Click here to learn more!
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| How do I develop bylaws for my local unit?
| Everything (or almost everything) you need to know about
bylaws can be found on our site in the members only area.
Click here to learn more!
(members only section)
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| Can a parent donate money to the PTA to
buy needed supplies (equipment such as computers, books, etc.) for the
school?
| The purchasing of school supplies is
considered the responsibility of the school system. Any
individual can contribute to the school system (according to the local
board of education's policies), but school money and PTA money should
never mix in an account. Doing so would turn PTA treasuries into
"slush funds" for the school system. These are illegal activities.
People most certainly can make PTA donations, since
PTAs are a nonprofit organization. However, gift givers cannot tell the
PTA what to do with the money. If a donor wants to be certain that his
or her money is going to be used for a specific purpose, that donor can
make his or her wish known and then leave it up to the PTA to decide
whether or not to accept the donation. It is up to the board and the PTA
members to decide if the gift furthers the goals of the organization.
The board must act in the best interest of the organization and must let
the PTA Mission and Objects guide their decision-making, as well as IRS
rules and regulations.
Remember, PTAs are viewed as educational
nonprofit organizations by the IRS and, when audited, are expected
to look and act like educational nonprofit organizations. The giving of
large gifts of supplies and equipment to schools is not a recognized
role of PTA. The IRS will likely ask what this has to do with the
Mission and Objects of the organization. The IRS will look for parent
programming, training, forums, parent-child activities, school/parent
partnerships and activities, and such. Fundraising is considered a minor
part of PTA work and, for every one fundraiser you do, your PTA should
be able to show at least three non-fundraising events or programs.
Therefore, the easiest, least complicated way for a
parent to donate money for this purpose is by directly donating to
the school system.
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| How can we get a web page for our local
unit?
| You have several options for getting your
local unit a world wide web presence. Some services allow you to
create web sites without any programming knowledge or additional software,
others assume you are a "web guru". Check the "How to Build a PTA
Web Site" page on our site for more information...
Click here to learn more!
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| Should our local unit build a
playground for our school?
| The National PTA does not recommend PTA
units purchase any type of equipment for schools for three primary
reasons - insurance liability, maintenance considerations, and concerns
over funding for public education.
For example, if a PTA purchases playground equipment
they may then be held liable for any accident or damage occurring while
on or around the equipment. Once purchased, the PTA may be held
responsible for the upkeep and general maintenance of the equipment
which can represent considerable additional cost. In public schools,
purchasing appropriate and necessary equipment for schools is considered
a public responsibility and therefore should be paid for by tax dollars.
Your PTA's efforts are better spent focusing on your community's
education budgeting process - keeping informed of the procedure and
supplying public comment to officials about budget priorities.
If your unit does decide to purchase any type of
equipment for a school, we recommend that it becomes school property
(via a donation by the PTA, for example) therefore the school would be
responsible for any insurance or maintenance issues.
Contact the CT PTA office if
you need more information concerning your particular situation.
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| Where and when was the CT PTA founded?
| Frances Sheldon Bolton founded the
Connecticut Congress of Mothers in 1900, three years after the National
Congress was organized Washington, D.C. in 1897. Utilizing the same
Goals and Objects of the National Congress, Connecticut's mothers
directed their efforts toward bringing the system of education closer to
excellence and making the home environment a positive and healthy
experience for the children and youth.
Click here for a complete history
of the CT PTA!
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| Why does our PTA unit need insurance?
| PTA is a private, nonprofit association --
a business -- a legal entity. It is accountable for its actions, and
when it conducts its activities, it must conduct the safest, best
managed activities possible -- appropriately supervised and within the
scope of the expertise of the PTA, and it must provide adequate
protection for the public against the actions of the PTA in the event an
accident happens at the activity. This responsibility exposes the PTA and its leadership
to an element of risk in the event an accident or incident takes place
at a PTA activity. When an accident or incident takes place, there is
the possibility that the PTA (and, perhaps its officers and directors)
could be named in a lawsuit. General liability insurance shifts the potential risks
to the insurance company, thus protecting the PTA.
Click here to learn more about PTA insurance, including premiums and options
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| Are there any guidelines as to how much
funds (or percentage of budget) can be carried over from year to year?
| While there is no hard and fast rule as to
how much or what percentage to carryover from year to year, we recommend
no more than 40-50% of the operating budget be carried over. In
addition, you should place money in an 'Emergency Reserve Fund' to
be used for just that - emergencies. Other considerations are
estimated membership numbers, the amount and timing of fund raisers, and
how your money was spent during the previous years.
Click here to learn
more about Developing a Budget
(members
only section)
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| Are there any problems with providing
information about, and/or linking to, a for-profit company from our PTA
website?
| Generally there should not be a problem
linking to their website... Keep in mind the following:
● Do not give any qualifying information regarding
the company (i.e., "they are the best")
● You can not tell anyone they must purchase
from the company
● You can not promote the company in any way other
than to say "for your convenience, we've linked to their
website"
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| Is it OK for individual PTA units to
share with each other the details of their budgets? Are PTA budgets meant to
be private?
| PTA units can share details of each other's
budgets. A local unit's budget is set by the group responsible as
designated by the bylaws, and then is presented at an open meeting of
the general membership, and voted on by that membership. The
results of that vote and the budget are included in the minutes of that
meeting. At each successive meeting, there should be a treasurer's
report presented to the membership, which is also noted in the minutes.
All of this information is public, not private.
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| If an elementary school PTA runs an
after-school enrichment program that will include special needs children, and
if no paraprofessionals or school nurses are present, is the PTA liable for
the needs of these children, and if so, to the full extent of their IEPs?
| Generally, PTAs should acquire liability
insurance when they are involved with projects or activities that may
result in potential hazard for PTA members, school children or other third
parties. This coverage may be purchased on either a continuous,
year-round, comprehensive coverage basis or on a one-time basis for
special events. An insurance agent can provide more detailed information
on the coverage under each type of policy. Usually, school district
liability insurance does not extend to PTAs or their activities.
In specific regards to after-school programs and enrollment
(or potential exclusion) of special needs children, the situation becomes
very complex. Blanket exclusion of children requiring additional services
to participate could be considered a form of discrimination which opens
the PTA to potential legal action. However, if a child's Individual
Education Plan (IEP) calls for his or her enrollment in an after-school
enrichment program, then the district would be required to provide the
appropriate services.
We would suggest the PTA leadership discuss the matter
with the parents of the children these circumstances effect, explaining
that they are not qualified to respond to special medical needs that may
be required for their child. They can request that the parents determine
(in consultation with their IEP team) whether the after-school program is
part of their child's IEP. If it is, they should clarify that the child's
special needs must be met by the district, not by untrained (PTA or other)
volunteers. If the program is not considered part of the IEP and the
parents still want to enroll their children, it would be best for the unit
to consult with a local attorney to determine if a waiver will cover their
potential liability. Click here for more
information regarding Special Education
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| Can our parent group sponsor a
"Las Vegas Night" fundraiser?
| In Connecticut, a bill was signed into law
repealing "Las Vegas Night Games". Included in this bill is a provision
that repeals the law allowing public schools, parents, teachers and
administrators to sponsor events at which games of chance (Las Vegas
Nights) may be played. This means that schools, parents, teachers and
administrators may no longer sponsor events at which games of chance are
played. Click
here to learn more about this bill
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| Our town is
holding a referendum for a school building project. Can our PTA endorse
(or oppose) the school building project? Can we use funds to buy "Vote Yes for
School Building Project"? Can a PTA member/officer state in the paper or at a
public meeting that the PTA supports the school building project?
| The answer is "YES" to all of these. As a 501(c)3
non-profit organization, you can speak out and endorse initiatives such as
this. To learn more about Politics and Non-Profits,
CLICK HERE.
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| Can our PTA
vote to endorse (or oppose) a school system budget? Can we use funds to buy
"Vote Yes for the School System Budget"? Can a PTA member/officer state in the
paper or at a public meeting that the PTA supports the school system budget?
| Yes, as a 501(c)3
non-profit organization, you can speak out and endorse* initiatives such as
this. To learn more about Politics and Non-Profits,
CLICK HERE.
* The exception to this is if your budget goes to referendum. State Election law limits the time period during which you may endorse (or oppose) a school system budget that is part of a referendum question. Please contact our office directly for further details.
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| Can a PTA Unit/Council endorse a political candidate? Can a PTA
member endorse a
candidate?
| NO! As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, you cannot use
funds to endorse or oppose a political candidate. To learn more about
Politics and Non-Profits, CLICK HERE. |
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With the new state and federal laws
regarding nutrition in place, can I still make cupcakes for my child's
in-school birthday party?
| Maybe Yes, Maybe No. State law prohibits the sale of
certain beverages during school, and recommends healthy food items, but
does not set mandates on food brought into the school. Federal law however
mandates that school districts institute a wellness policy, and that
policy may or may not allow food-oriented fundraisers or food like cupcakes for
school celebrations. Therefore, it is best to check with your school
principal to find out exactly what is and what is not allowed at your
school. For more information, CLICK HERE. |
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