Curtner Elementary PTA Debates Becoming a PTO

The regional PTA president representing schools in Santa Clara County will speak at a special meeting at Curtner Elementary at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Curtner Elementary PTA has given 30 days notice to its 183 members and the school community that it will discuss officially disbanding the PTA and forming an independent parent-teacher organization (PTO).

The required membership vote will not likely occur at the Thursday meeting, according to Lutex Patague, Curtner PTA president.

But should the vote pass at a later date, the disbanding of the Curtner PTA would be effective immediately, and it would include freezing the school PTA's bank account, said Richard Velasquez, president of the California Sixth District PTA.

The source of contention is over the school's PTA reserves, and whether PTAs can carry the money over into another school year—instead of spending it on the students whose parents helped to raise the money that very same year.

Julie McMullen, president of Milpitas Unified Council of PTAs, which oversees PTAs in the school district, took issue with the balances of money carried over year after year, which in the last five years have ranged from about $18,000 to $32,000.

McMullen, who has had two children attend Curtner Elementary and has been a member of the school PTA for seven years, said, "As the president, I am ultimately responsible for the units in Milpitas. I couldn't keep quiet about this any longer and keep a clear conscience." 

She said she asked Principal Todd Gaviglio to persuade the PTA to spend the money, "instead of continuing to fundraise when times are tight for parents."

While all parents involved agree that no one broke any PTA rules, "We were being threatened with suspension if we didn't have any money spent," Patague said.

She said she was told by other parents that the PTA was  supposed to keep a certain amount of reserves on hand, just in case. 

At the beginning of the school year, the Curtner PTA began with about $17,000 in reserves and earned about $13,000 through its cookie-dough fundraiser, she said. 

But it ended up donating $14,000 (with a contribution from Sandisk for $12,000) toward a playground. It was a coincidence, she said.

"That just came into play later," she said. The PTA reserves were already around before she became president, and last year, as well as this year, the PTA has dipped into them.

Since the reserves have become an issue, Patague said, "I just want to make it clear that monies we have raised during my term has or will be spent the same year it was raised," she said. 

But for the PTA parents, the issue did not end there after they had spent the money.

The experience "really put a damper on things," said Patague. "It's not supposed to be like this. As volunteers, we worked our butts over last year. We all want the best for our school and kids."

And the idea of separating from the PTA began to grow.

"It made me look into it more," she said, adding that once the idea took hold, there was no going back.

"No one really convinced me that PTA was the way to go," said Kim Winters, Curtner PTA's SCRIP coordinator. "I'm leaning PTO."

The membership dues that go to PTA leave a very small portion that actually stays in the school, said Winters, whose son attends Curtner. 

McMullen clarified that the membership dues are $6 per person, and $3.75 of that goes to the state and national PTA, leaving $2.25 with Curtner PTA. 

With 183 members, $686.25 of the $1,098 collected for membership dues stays with Curtner.  However, the school raises an additional $30,000 to $40,000 a year, so $686 is less than 2 percent of the Curtner PTA budget, according to McMullen.

Sandy Scrempos, whose son is in fourth grade, is the auditor for the Curtner PTA. She said she thinks disbanding from the PTA is a bad idea. 

"I think it's just asking for trouble, because you're not accountable with what you spent the money on," she said.

"We do these fundraisers, and parents donate the money to the school," Scrempos said. "The money raised for this year should be used for same year." 

Curtner Elementary Principal Todd Gaviglio said he's in favor of PTA reserves. "I personally like the idea of the PTA having some reserves to help the school in the face of an uncertain future," he said.

"The playground opportunity that presented itself this year was SanDisk adopting our school and making a large sum of funds available for a new playground," he said. "Because the PTA had some reserves, they were able to add to SanDisk's funds to make a major upgrade to our playground a possibility." 

Regardless, Gaviglio said he'll support any PTA decision.

"But I want to make it clear that I will support whatever outcome the PTA votes for, whether that means status quo, moving to becoming a PTO or putting off any such decisions to a time that could be better for any transitions."