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.

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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