What your board should be doing right now

Every month of the PTO year, by role — the tasks, the deadlines that bite, and the things to start now so they're ready later. Assumes a July–June fiscal year; adjust if yours differs.

August: Back to school

August is the highest-goodwill month of the whole year: staff return before students, families show up to orientation ready to say yes, and everything you launch now compounds. In August a PTO board should welcome staff back, get the favorites survey out, adopt the budget, set up payment tools before the first dollar moves, and run a great back-to-school table.

President

Send the welcome-back letter

One page: who the PTO is, the three big things this year, how to help in five minutes. Warm beats comprehensive.
Meet the principal about communication channels

Agree on what goes in the school newsletter, who approves flyers, and how staff requests reach the PTO.
Run the first board meeting

Adopt the budget, confirm the calendar, assign the fall events. Short and decisive sets the tone for the year.
Staff the back-to-school table

Your most persuasive people, not just available people — this table is where the year's volunteers come from.

Treasurer

Get the budget adopted

Board first, then membership if your bylaws require a member vote. Nothing gets spent against a budget that doesn't exist.
Set up payment collection before the first event

A platform in the PTO's name connected to the PTO's bank account — never a personal Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal. Untangling that later is misery.
Write down cash-handling rules

Two counters at every cash box, counts signed same night, deposits within days. Boring rules are what protect volunteers from suspicion.

Secretary

Send the first-meeting notice per the bylaws

Most bylaws specify how many days' notice a general meeting needs. August is when that clock starts mattering.
Build the welcome packet

A one-page "what is the PTO," the calendar, and how to join — for the table, the office, and every new family.
Set up this year's records

Fresh minutes folder, membership roster, sign-in sheets. Five minutes now, findable forever.

Events & volunteers

Feed the staff during work week

Breakfast or a coffee cart during teacher work week is the single best-received thing a PTO does all year.
Send the staff favorites survey

Address paras, office team, and specials by name in the announcement. Two minutes, everything skippable, sent while goodwill is at its peak.
Recruit room parents

Collect names at the back-to-school table and let teachers nominate. Assignments go out in September.

⏰ Deadlines that bite

Meeting-notice clocks begin

Check your bylaws for required notice before the first general meeting — usually 10–30 days.

📅 Start now, thank yourself later

Draft sponsorship asks

Local businesses commit community budgets in early fall — letters should land in September.
Choose the fall fundraiser

If a vendor is involved, contracts and materials need September lead time for an October run.

Prefer the readable version? Read the August guide · or see the whole PTO year at a glance.

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