Bank vs. Credit Union

Recently, a parent investigating the differences between the current parent organization and PTO suggested comparing them to a bank versus a Credit Union. This analogy works well for many components of the comparison. For instance, both institutions offer essentially the same services. A bank, like our school PTA, is beholden to a larger governing entity, while a Credit Union is owned by its members – just like a PTO is owned by the parents at the school.

Just like with a bank, our current parent organization’s larger governing entity makes claim to all the money that comes in through dues and fundraisers. Once given, that money does not belong to the school, nor to the parents who contributed it, and they are not required to make it available for it’s intended purpose, which is to benefit the kids at our school. All of the money raised by a PTO belongs to the parents and stays at the school.

With a PTO, all parents could volunteer at any level, regardless of monetary contribution. That means, if you want to be PTO president or chair a committee, you don’t need to pay any money. At the school level, the PARENTS are doing all the work (not the larger governing entity) and being under the PTA’s umbrella doesn’t guarantee a successful parent organization. So why do we send $1,000+ away every year to pay association dues, when that money should be staying here in our school?

Did you know that our current parent organization has a well paid CEO at the top? He works at the headquarters in Virginia and makes over $300,000 per year!!!! The PTA’s top-level executives collectively make over $1,000,000 per year!!!! And only 25% of schools in the Nation are footing that bill. It’s true that the PTA offers some great lobbying support for kids’ issues at the state and
national levels and we agree that the PTA at the state and nation levels should continue their efforts in these areas. We are proposing that they raise their money a different way, instead of from the volunteer parents.

Historically, PTA was started to help advocate for children as a resource network. Parents and teachers called on them to find answers to questions involving children. Today, with access to the internet, their defining purpose is becoming obsolete. Across the nation, the vast majority of schools (75%) have opted to establish an independent parent organization (PTO) where parents have control
over their own by-laws and rules. Even with a PTO, Canyons district would oversee that all the state-mandated audits and requirements are followed.

There are a few other minor differences, but most parents would not notice much difference. With the 2 organizations essentially offering the same services to our kiddos, it’s baffling that this opportunity to vote has created so much conflict!