Cedarmere PTA Minutes

 

Combined Meeting

of the

Budget Committee & PTA Officers Working Committee

 

 

9/12/2000

Meeting held at Rich Manski's home at 6:30 p.m.

In attendance budget committee (Erin Lutz, Pam Offut & Esther Hoffberg), officers (Rich Manski, Barney Wilson, Erin Lutz, Pam Offut and Esther Hoffberg; Lisa Sine - excused ), board member (Marion Manski) and PTA member (Felecia Wilson).

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m.

President's Greeting: Thanks for agreeing to meet on short notice. There are a few topics that we need to cover this evening. One is establishing a process for the handling of PTA funding requests and the other is finalizing the budget proposal for this year. Once we have addressed these two items, we can discuss any additional items that you would like to raise.

PTA Funding Requests: There were two instances this year where the PTA was contractually obligated to programs without the executive board being aware of them. This has caused issues with our budget and event planning for the year. We need to establish a process and guidelines for who has signature authority for contracts with the PTA and how funding requests will be made and evaluated. The committee reached the following decisions:

• Discretionary funds: These funds will continue to be handled as they have been in the past. Teachers will submit receipts and be reimbursed up to the limits already communicated to them by Esther. Esther has provided a list of things that PTA funds should not be spent on. This list is also attached to these minutes (Appendix I).
• Requests for additional funds: Requests for additional funds (over the amount budgeted for discretionary spending) should be made in writing to the PTA. The PTA will evaluate these requests using the following criteria:
  • Provides cultural enhancement for students
  • Supports learning directly or indirectly
  • Develops a sense of community

  Requests for funding in excess of $50 should be presented in person at a PTA board meeting. The PTA calendar shows all currently scheduled meetings. A PTA Funding Request Form will be available in the office for those teachers/administrators wishing to make requests. An example of this form is attached to these minutes (Appendix II).

  ** Please note that submitting a PTA Funding Request form does not ensure that the PTA will provide the funding. Individuals who expend funds prior to obtaining board approval must be prepared to find an alternate source of funding if the board does not approve the request. The PTA also requests that funding provided by the PTA be acknowledged by including a note about the funding and the item obtained .

 

• Contracts with the PTA: ALL contractual items must be submitted to the board for approval and signature. All board approved contracts will require the signature of both the PTA president and the treasurer. No other parties are authorized to sign a contract that obligates the PTA in any way (financially or otherwise).

 

• Outstanding requests: We currently have two outstanding funding requests.

 

• School Planners: The committee has the following concerns:
  • Providing the planners at no cost to the students this year sets a precedence for future years
  • Benefits of providing the planners to 2nd and 3rd grade
  • Cost of the planner selected

  The committee decided not to approve this request.

   

• Time Magazines: The committee has the following questions/concerns:
• Is the same magazine used for all grade levels or are there different versions for different grades?
• We would like to see samples of the magazine
• We would like to get more information on how the magazine will be used in the classroom.

 

• Budget: A budget was presented by Esther and discussed. Subsequently, the budget was accepted.

 

Procedural items considered and budget will be presented to and discussed with principal, assistant principal and a teacher liaison. After appropriate input, the budget will be submitted to the general membership for action. Proposed procedural changes will be submitted to the executive board for action.

Other Items Considered by PTA Officers Working Committee  

Dialog with the Principal: The PTA would like Sandi to consider moving this session to another time. It is currently scheduled the hour before the PTA Bingo Night starts on November 30. The PTA will have a difficult time setting up for Bingo night if this is held immediately before - we would like to attend the meeting with Sandi. Also, scheduling this event at 6:00 and backing it up to a PTA event will make it difficult for parents who work to collect their children and have dinner before the meeting. There were questions raised as to whether an hour will be enough time for the meeting.

New Playground: The PTA intentionally selected equipment for the new playground that would be usable by all of the children attending Cedarmere and expected that all classes be able to use it. It has been reported by some of the children that the upper grades (3 - 5) are not being allowed access to the new playground. Can Sandi please let us know how access to the equipment is being decided?

Teacher Wish Lists: Mrs. Erman has sent a request to the PTA to provide funds to buy balls for the third grade for recess. While the committee supports this request, the committee felt that this request should first go to parents in the form of a request for donations. Funding will be considered for items requested which are not donated. A suggestion was made for the teachers to put together wish lists of items that they would like to have parents donate. The wish list could be published in the PTA newsletter and be on display at PTA functions or in the PTA window case.

Items considered will be presented to and discussed with principal, assistant principal and a teacher liaison. After appropriate input, these items will be submitted to the executive board for action.

Fund Raising Chairpersons: Charlene Simonds and Mickey Goldberg were nominated for co-chairs of the fund raising committee. The motion was seconded and all were in favor. Charlene and Mickey accepted these positions following the meeting.

Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

Basic School Supplies - textbooks, workbooks, library books, pencils, crayons, poster board, art supplies, chalk, tape, glue, notebooks, etc.

Capital Improvements - purchase/repairs of windows, doors, rugs, draperies, standard lighting, cooking appliances, stage equipment, gym equipment, etc.

Contributions to Other Associations - PTAs should NOT make monetary contributions to any other organizations, including other PTAs, charitable or not, no matter how worthy the cause.

Funding of School Personnel - providing wages and/or benefits for additional teachers, instructional assistants, administrators, staff personnel, therapists, nurses, counselors, custodians, etc. (PTAs may have to reimburse the local school district for the cost of custodial services whenever the PTA is conducting an activity in a school building on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday.)

Janitorial Supplies - brooms, mops, pails, detergent, soap, paper towels, toilet paper, floor wax, buffers, vacuum cleaners, etc.

Playground Equipment - swings, slides, climbing bars, see-saws, protective surfaces, fences, sandboxes, etc. (PTAs should be aware that if they purchase and/or pay for the installation of any playground equipment, they may be liable for ANY injury sustained by ANYONE using the equipment at ANY time; and such liability would NOT generally be covered by the PTA's liability insurance.)

Presentation Equipment - film projectors, overhead projectors, slide projectors, video camera, video projectors, televisions, radios, record/tape/CD players, etc.; and/or the repair thereof.

Principal's Discretionary Fund - block grants that are given to principals to use for educational expenses.

School Office Equipment - copiers, copy paper, fax machines, shredders, telephones, public address systems, desks, chairs, equipment maintenance contracts and/or repair of any such equipment.

Teacher Development - continuing education/college fees for teachers, instructional assistants, therapists, nurses, and/or administrators.

Technology - computers, monitors, printers, scanners, modems, and the associated infrastructure.

Name: _______________________________ Date Submitted: ______________________

Amount Requested*: ________________________ Date Funds Needed: _________________

Funds will be used for: ______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Please describe how this use of funds will :

Provide Cultural Enhancement for Students: _____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Support Learning (Directly/Indirectly): _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Help Develop a Sense of Community: __________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Date presented to PTA board: _______________________

Board Decision: ___ Approved ___ Not Approved

________________________

PTA President

__________________________

PTA Treasurer

* Amounts over $50 must be presented in person at a PTA Board Meeting