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Board Power


Guest Matthew Halleck

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I am in the PTSA for an elementary school and am Co-President.  It appears that at meetings, no matter what the motion is, since the teachers always out number us, the vote is always in their favor.  And we fund anything and everything.  I feel powerless in stopping frivolous spending. Does the board have any recourse.  These projects that are getting passed are our funds that the PTSA has raised.

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Majority rules so if the teachers outnumber you all they are going to carry the day.  However, is it that the membership consists more of teachers than parents and students (I am assuming that "S" means students) or is it that the teachers percentage-wise show up to the meetings more than the parents and students?

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I am in the PTSA for an elementary school and am Co-President.  It appears that at meetings, no matter what the motion is, since the teachers always out number us, the vote is always in their favor.  And we fund anything and everything.  I feel powerless in stopping frivolous spending. Does the board have any recourse.  These projects that are getting passed are our funds that the PTSA has raised.

 

It has been many years (and it was a PTA - not PTSA), but I suggest you look carefully at your bylaws (and any other governing documents) and anything from (if applicable) a national umbrella organization that may apply. It is often the case that folks at such meetings do not know and/or follow the rules. Specifically, look for whether these meetings are membership meetings or board meetings, where members are welcome to attend. If these are actually "board meetings" where members are welcome to attend, then members do not vote. Period... If these are board meetings, then it does not matter that for the past hundred years, members have voted. You might also check with or consult (if this applies) the umbrella national organization. If this is a "problem" for your school, then I am sure this has come up somewhere else.

 

When I was involved in the PTA (I was actually treasurer for several years), I knew almost nothing about RONR or anything like that. The reason I bring up the type of meeting is that I very vaguely think I recall these regular monthly meetings being called "board meetings" - BUT that was 25 years ago.

 

Rightly or wrongly having "Co-Presidents" is common in such organizations.

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Check your bylaws to see if co-presidents are authorized.  They probably are not.  Many organizations make the mistake of assuming that this practice is okay, because they once heard of another organization that (also incorrectly) had them, or because they think that if it's not mentioned in their bylaws, it must be okay.  But it is prohibited by RONR, unless explicitly authorized in your byaws.  And I believe your bylaws must comply with national standards of the parent organization.

 

Also, in my years of experience with PTAs and PTSAs I've never seen a case where teachers outnumbered parents at a membership meeting.  So your recourse is probably to get more parents there.  The parents in any school certainly outnumber the teachers.

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