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.

December: Holiday shop and half-time

December is a short sprint then silence: the holiday shop runs, school events stack up, and then everything stops for two weeks. In December a PTO board should run the shop cleanly, reconcile it immediately, thank staff before break, and use the quiet week for a half-year review — what worked, what to drop, and whether the budget is on track.

President

Run the half-year review

One honest hour over break: budget vs. actuals, what fizzled, what to cancel in spring. Killing a tired event is a gift to every future board.
Thank the board itself

The board thanks everyone else all fall. A handwritten note to each member over break costs nothing and retains officers.

📅 Start now, thank yourself later

Book spring event vendors

Fun-run companies and auction platforms fill spring calendars in January — email over break.
Teacher Appreciation Week seeds

TAW is the first full week of May; themes and big-ticket ideas start in February.

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

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