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PTO president tells board unclear policies, fees are hampering school volunteer groups
Summary
A PTO president told the board that inconsistent instructions from central office have left volunteer parent organizations unsure whether they must pay for electricity, rental agreements, and other requirements to host events at school facilities; board members pledged follow-up.
Lou Glover, president of the PTO at Hammond East Upper, told the Tangipahoa Parish School Board on April 1 that unclear or inconsistently applied policies are discouraging volunteer parent organizations from hosting events at district schools.
Glover said she had been told by school and central-office staff that PTOs must pay for electricity and submit rental and fundraiser paperwork to host events, and that central-office financial staff had told her she "owes" money for events already held. She told the board those requirements were communicated verbally and not easily found in written policy; she asked the board to clarify procedures and provide a checklist so volunteers know what to do.
During public comment she said: "I've been through a lot of changes with the policies with expectations from the school board...there's a lot of things that I agree with. I think there's a lot of transparency that needs to happen between PTOs and booster clubs and the school board and making sure that we're out representing the values and the things that you guys want to be represented for." Glover added that one rental fee in the central-office paperwork lists a gym with AC at $65 an hour, which she described as a substantial barrier for smaller groups.
Board members responded at length and pledged to investigate. Several members said PTOs are important to school success and that they did not intend to treat local PTOs like outside organizations. One board member (Miss Ambrose) urged more public meetings so constituents could observe and comment on policy issues; another (Mister Moore) said the board previously adopted a policy requiring compensation when staff must attend events and that he was not aware PTOs were being charged routinely for facility electricity.
Superintendent Melissa Stilley and staff did not announce a policy change at the meeting; board members asked administration to review the questions Glover raised and return with clarifications. The board also said it will explore streamlining paperwork and improving communication so volunteer groups are not deterred from supporting schools.
Why it matters: parent and booster organizations provide fundraising, volunteer support and community engagement that schools rely on; unclear or inconsistently applied policies can reduce volunteer participation and program support.
