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.

February: The engine room

February looks quiet from the outside and is the busiest planning month on the inside: spring event logistics, grant deadlines, and election machinery all start here. In February a PTO board should form the nominating committee per the bylaws, approve spring event budgets before commitments are made, send auction donation asks, and start Teacher Appreciation Week planning while there's still lead time to do it well.

Events & volunteers

Send auction donation asks

Local businesses, class baskets, experience donations — letters out now for a spring auction.
Pick the TAW theme and plan big-ticket items

Anything custom (shirts, banners, catered days) needs ordering lead time. Coordinate with room parents early.
Support kindergarten roundup

A PTO face at incoming-family events is next year's membership drive, a year early.

⏰ Deadlines that bite

Nominating committee (bylaws)

Commonly required 60–90 days before the election meeting — read your own bylaws for the exact clock.
Grant windows

Many local education foundations close spring applications in February–March.

📅 Start now, thank yourself later

TAW custom orders

Ten weeks out — custom printing and catering quotes now.
Field day equipment

Popular rental inventory books up by March.

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

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