CAC PTO Officer Survey

Citizens Advisory Council
Best-Practices: Parent Teacher Organizations
November, 2009

The Best Practices in Parent Teacher Organizations subcommittee of the Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) is currently conducting a survey of active PTO members regarding their opinions of PTO and PTO activities. We are interested in knowing about your PTO's successes and obstacles to providing better services to your school.

This survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. The information from your individual survey will be kept confidential, unless you note otherwise. The information obtained from the surveys will be grouped by school level (high school, junior high, elementary), and by location (rural, in town, etc.). The information will be presented to the CAC and the Unit 5 School Board. Principals will be given a copy of the results, as well.

Thank you for your time and effort completing this survey.

1. How many children do you currently have attending unit 5 schools?

	0	1	2	3	4	5	6+
PreK or early childhood:	How many children do you currently have attending unit 5 schools? PreK or early childhood: 0	1	2	3	4	5	6+
Elementary school:	Elementary school: 0	1	2	3	4	5	6+
Junior high	Junior high 0	1	2	3	4	5	6+
High school	High school 0	1	2	3	4	5	6+

Other (please specify)

2. Approximately how many years have you had children attending Unit 5 schools?

Approximately how many years have you had children attending Unit 5 schools? first year in Unit 5

2-5 years

5-10 years

more than 10 years

3. What is your age range:

What is your age range: under 20

20-25

26-30

31-35

36-40

41-45

46-50

51-55

56-60

60+

prefer not to answer

4. What is your gender?

What is your gender? Male

Female

Prefer not to answer

5. What is your current living situation?

What is your current living situation? Single

Married

Divorced or separated

Widowed

Living with Partner/Significant Other

Prefer not to answer

6. Are you a grandparent who cares full time for a child attending Unit 5 schools?

Are you a grandparent who cares full time for a child attending Unit 5 schools? Yes

7. Does your child (or children) who attend Unit 5 schools live with you?

Does your child (or children) who attend Unit 5 schools live with you? Yes

8. What is your approximate family income?

What is your approximate family income? less than $25,000

$25,000 to $35,000

$35,000-$50,000

$50,000-$75,000

$75,000-$100,000

more than $100,000

9. At which level are you currently active in PTO (check all that apply)

	Yes	No	Not Applicable
Early childhood/pre K school	At which level are you currently active in PTO (check all that apply) Early childhood/pre K school Yes	No	Not Applicable
Elementary school	Elementary school Yes	No	Not Applicable
Junior high school	Junior high school Yes	No	Not Applicable
High school	High school Yes	No	Not Applicable

10. Do you attend your child's school PTO meetings?

	Yes, almost always	Occasionally	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
PreK/early childhood	Do you attend your child's school PTO meetings? PreK/early childhood Yes, almost always	Occasionally	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Elementary	Elementary Yes, almost always	Occasionally	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Junior High	Junior High Yes, almost always	Occasionally	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
High School	High School Yes, almost always	Occasionally	Sometimes	Rarely	Never

11. Have you ever served in any of the following positions at your child's school?

	Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
President	Have you ever served in any of the following positions at your child's school? President Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
Vice President	Vice President Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
Secretary	Secretary Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
Treasurer	Treasurer Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
Room Parent	Room Parent Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
PTO Committee Chair	PTO Committee Chair Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
PTO Committee Member	PTO Committee Member Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
PTO Officer	PTO Officer Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
Volunteer at an event	Volunteer at an event Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None
Classroom volunteer	Classroom volunteer Elementary school	Junior High School	High School	None

Other (please specify)

12. Approximately how many people attend monthly PTO meetings at your school?

Approximately how many people attend monthly PTO meetings at your school? 0-5

6-10

11-15

16-20

21-25

25+

Other (please specify)

13. My school's PTO is a 503(c)(3) organization.

My school's PTO is a 503(c)(3) organization. Yes

Don't know

14. I feel confident that our PTO board understands the financial and legal obligation (filing of taxes, tax-exempt status, etc.) that govern our PTO.

I feel confident that our PTO board understands the financial and legal obligation (filing of taxes, tax-exempt status, etc.) that govern our PTO. Strongly confident

Confident

Somewhat confident

Somewhat not confident

Not confident

Other (please specify)

15. How do you typically distribute information about PTO meetings and activities?

How do you typically distribute information about PTO meetings and activities? Flyers or letters sent home with my child.

The PTO website

A phone call

School Reach

Other (please specify)

16. Would you be willing to have some percentage of your school's PTO fundraising money be put in a special district-wide fund that would be available by application for any school's special project or special needs?

Would you be willing to have some percentage of your school's PTO fundraising money be put in a special district-wide fund that would be available by application for any school's special project or special needs? Yes

Maybe

17. Which of the following activities does your PTO provide for your school each year?

	PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Back to school night	Which of the following activities does your PTO provide for your school each year? Back to school night PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Fall open House	Fall open House PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Activity nights	Activity nights PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Carnival	Carnival PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Book Sales	Book Sales PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Classroom holiday parties	Classroom holiday parties PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Teacher appreciation week events	Teacher appreciation week events PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Winter/spring concerts	Winter/spring concerts PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Spirit week	Spirit week PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Testing support (treats, etc.)	Testing support (treats, etc.) PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Vision/hearing screenings	Vision/hearing screenings PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Other screening	Other screening PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
School-wide presetations/programs	School-wide presetations/programs PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
PTO flyer/newsletters	PTO flyer/newsletters PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School
Fundraisers	Fundraisers PreK/Early Childhood	Elementary	Junior High	High School

Other (please specify)

These last set of questions are an opportunity to tell us about your thoughts regarding PTO. Please answer the question in the text box below each question.

18. What do you perceive is the biggest obstacle in getting parents involved in PTO?

What do you perceive is the biggest obstacle in getting parents involved in PTO?

19. What is the most successful way in which your PTO has gotten parents involved?

What is the most successful way in which your PTO has gotten parents involved?

20. What are the three biggest obstacles facing your PTO?

What are the three biggest obstacles facing your PTO?

21. What are the three biggest strengths of your PTO?

What are the three biggest strengths of your PTO?

22. What do you believe that PTO should be doing for the children and families at your school that it is not currently doing?

What do you believe that PTO should be doing for the children and families at your school that it is not currently doing?

23. What is the most important reason that you participate in PTO?

What is the most important reason that you participate in PTO?

24. What other things would like us to know about your PTO or how feel about PTO and volunteering at your child's school?

What other things would like us to know about your PTO or how feel about PTO and volunteering at your child's school?

1. Default Section

1. How many children do you currently have attending unit 5 schools?

2. Approximately how many years have you had children attending Unit 5 schools?

3. What is your age range:

4. What is your gender?

5. What is your current living situation?

6. Are you a grandparent who cares full time for a child attending Unit 5 schools?

7. Does your child (or children) who attend Unit 5 schools live with you?

8. What is your approximate family income?

9. At which level are you currently active in PTO (check all that apply)

10. Do you attend your child's school PTO meetings?

11. Have you ever served in any of the following positions at your child's school?

12. Approximately how many people attend monthly PTO meetings at your school?

13. My school's PTO is a 503(c)(3) organization.

14. I feel confident that our PTO board understands the financial and legal obligation (filing of taxes, tax-exempt status, etc.) that govern our PTO.

15. How do you typically distribute information about PTO meetings and activities?

16. Would you be willing to have some percentage of your school's PTO fundraising money be put in a special district-wide fund that would be available by application for any school's special project or special needs?

17. Which of the following activities does your PTO provide for your school each year?

18. What do you perceive is the biggest obstacle in getting parents involved in PTO?

19. What is the most successful way in which your PTO has gotten parents involved?

20. What are the three biggest obstacles facing your PTO?

21. What are the three biggest strengths of your PTO?

22. What do you believe that PTO should be doing for the children and families at your school that it is not currently doing?

23. What is the most important reason that you participate in PTO?

24. What other things would like us to know about your PTO or how feel about PTO and volunteering at your child's school?