More than bake sales: Utah parents debate merits of PTA vs. PTO
Some are leaving for financial reasons; others claim reasons are driven by political anger.
By Lisa Schencker
| The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Sep 07 2012 10:27 pm • Last Updated Sep 08 2012 12:10 amAs in hundreds of schools across the state, parents at Muir Elementary in Bountiful mingled, sold colorful T-shirts and discussed plans for the year ahead as part of a back-to-school night.
Unlike at other schools, two major Utah political players also attended, watching quietly as Muir parents voted to switch their parent volunteer group from a Parent Teacher Association, or PTA, to a Parent Teacher Organization, known as a PTO.
At a glance
PTA vs. PTO: What’s the difference?
The PTA is in more than 600 Utah schools and has about 120,000 members in Utah, according to the Utah PTA. School PTAs are connected to state and national PTAs, which provide support in exchange for some of a school’s dues revenues.
PTOs are independent school parent organizations, not connected to the PTA. It’s difficult to say exactly how many Utah schools have PTOs because they’re all independent. Switching from a PTA to a PTO is a process that involves dissolving a school’s PTA and obtaining tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service, among other things.
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"We’re excited to become independent," PTO President Shelly McKenna told about 100 parents gathered at the school recently, "so I hope everyone is, too."
A school-choice lobbyist in attendance left pleased with the parents’ decision, while a state PTA advocate departed disappointed.
Many parents — occupied with kids, work and life — know little about the intricacies of PTAs and PTOs. But the one