In recognition of the time constraints on parents, the PTA has designed the Executive Board in a way that allows for burden-sharing. Each of the five board positions – president, vice-president, treasurer, recording secretary and corresponding secretary – may be occupied by a single member, or shared in partnership. In other words, a parent can volunteer to serve in one of the above positions as an individual or join with a second parent to fill the position as a team. Under this format Executive Board members could number as few as five or as many as ten.
The Role of the President or Co-Presidents
The president acts as executive officer and conducts official business such as presiding over general meetings and countersigning all checks written by the treasurer. Other responsibilities include:
- Managing the PTA calendar.
- Organizing and conducting monthly board meetings and general meetings and providing a report at each general meeting.
- Meeting with the principal on a weekly basis and providing a summary report of those meetings to board members. Any actions taken during those meeting should be relayed to the board and followed up on as necessary.
- Overseeing the functions of fellow board members.
- Representing the PTA at twice-monthly School Leadership Team meetings.
- Representing the PTA at monthly meetings for the District 13 PTA Presidents’ Council.
- Attending to paperwork, including permits to hold meetings in the school, Chancellor Regulation forms, and the filing and storage of PTA records such as the minutes for meetings.
- Setting the school-year calendar of events and meeting dates and preparing and distributing the “Summer Mailing,” which consists of the PTA letter and various informational materials.
The Role of the Vice-President or Co-Vice-Presidents
The vice-president assists the president in his various duties and presides over meetings and countersigns checks in his absence. The vice-president also runs annual events such as the Paddle wheeler and the Ice Cream Social, and takes responsibility for tasks that do not fall under the purview of other board members.
The Role of the Recording Secretary or Co-Recording Secretaries
The recording secretary keeps accurate minutes of Executive Board and general meetings, a list of the members present, and a record of any distributed materials.
The Role of the Corresponding Secretary or Co-Corresponding Secretaries
The corresponding secretary has two assignments: attending to correspondence and notices for regular and special meetings, and writing thank-you notes for donations – the latter of which serve as tax receipts.
The Role of Treasurer or Co-Treasurers
The treasurer has custody of all PTA funds, works with the school’s accounting firm to keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures and, together with the president of vice-president, signs all PTA check payments. Additional responsibilities include collecting and depositing monies; giving monthly financial reports and finance-related recommendations to the board; maintaining a relationship with the board’s bank, Sovereign Bank, to ensure favorable treatment and the best prices for services; proper recording of all financial transactions; monitoring of the PTA’s income and expenses against the planned budget; and the reconciling of all receipts and related information kept on file.
