Introduction

Budget

Building Use

Policies and Procedures

Publicity

Treasurers' Guidelines and Procedures

Sales Tax Exemption

Reimbursement Procedures

Deposit Procedures

Introduction

Thank you so much for volunteering to be an Ocean Avenue PTA Chairperson! All Committee Chairs must be current PTA members, so if you haven’t yet joined the Ocean Avenue PTA, please fill out the Membership Form and send it in with your child with payment.

This year we're asking for your help to implement a few changes which allow us to be environmentally responsible while reducing costs as well as enable next year’s events to run as smoothly as possible.

1. Instead of creating and distributing a Committee Folder for each Committee Chairperson on each committee, we created and distributed only one Committee Folder per Committee. If either you or your co-chairperson do not get a folder by 9/30, please contact us as soon as possible. All of the Committee Folders contain these documents:
   
   • this letter, personalized for your committee with budget information
   • a list of volunteers’ contact information from the signup sheets we had put out at the Welcome Tea and the first PTA Meeting
   • a sales tax exemption form
     
     
2. In an effort to reduce paper, we’ve put most of the documents that you would usually see in the Committee Folder here on the website for you to download and print as needed. If you need assistance with any of these forms, please contact us.
   
   
3. Within a month after your event, please fill out a Committee Event Review Form which will assist you or your successor for next year's planning.
   
   
4. After your event, please turn in your Committee Folder to one of the co-presidents with all of the documents that you used for your event along with the Committee Event Review Form .

We hope you will agree that these small changes will make a big difference in allowing our Committee Chairpeople to work as effectively as possible.

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Budget

Your budget is listed in the Committee Letter in your Committee Folder. If the budget amount does not seem reasonable for the activities you have planned, please submit a revised budget, in writing, to the Executive Committee by October 7th. Alternative budget proposals will be presented at the October 15th PTA meeting.

If at any time during the year you feel you will be overspending your budget please notify us as soon as possible. It is not our policy to reimburse monies spent over budget.

For specific financial procedures, see the Treasurers’ Guidelines and Procedures, below.

Building Use

If your event is to be located in Ocean Avenue School, you must fill out an Application for Use of School Facilities and return it to the Main Office. If the application is not in your folder, you can obtain one from the Main Office. Please hand in the form as soon as possible to reserve the space for PTA use.

Participation at PTA Meetings

When your event is scheduled to occur within 2 months of the next PTA Meeting, we may put your event on the Meeting Agenda. We ask that you or a member of your committee attend the meeting to give the membership an update and, if needed, request volunteers or other assistance.

Event Publicity

PTA Committee events are publicized via flyers, Backpack Express emails and our website. Please see Event Flyer Copy Procedure for instructions.

Volunteers

All volunteers must be members of the Ocean Avenue PTA.

Please make sure that you contact ALL of the people who signed up to volunteer for your committee whether you needed their help or not. A hardcopy list of volunteers is in your Committee Folder but if you would like the volunteer list emailed to you so that you can cut and paste the email addresses, just send us an email.

Thank you for volunteering to chair one of the Ocean Avenue PTA's many committees. It’s with your help that our PTA can accomplish all that it does.

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Policies and Procedures

All committee chairpersons shall:

1. be a paid member of the Ocean Avenue PTA. All volunteers on your committee must also be paid members. Membership forms can be found HERE.
   
   
2. NOT SIGN ANY CONTRACT. If your committee uses outside vendors for PTA services you MAY NOT SIGN ANY CONTRACTS. Only PTA Presidents have the authorization to sign contracts on behalf of the PTA. This National PTA policy is to protect you. If you sign a contract, you are personally responsible and the PTA is NOT.
   
   
3. follow the treasurers’ procedures and be aware of your committee budget and stay within it.
   
   
4. report to the Executive Committee or PTA membership as needed.
   
   
5. use Ocean Avenue PTA stationary whenever possible on official PTA memos and letters. Include “Sponsored by Ocean Avenue PTA” on flyers.
   
   
6. follow the copy procedure and make sure that all flyers are reviewed by a co-president and the principal prior to duplication.
   
   
7. be aware that the co-presidents are members ex-officio to all committees except the auditing and nominating committees.
   
   
8. notify every committee member, including the co-presidents, of the time and place of each committee meeting.
   
   
9. when meeting with school staff on behalf of the PTA, advise the co-presidents so that they can attend also or send a representative.
   
   
10. if you need to use the APR or any other room in the building for meetings or events, fill out a Building Use Form in the office at least 2 weeks prior to your event. If you need tables set up in the APR, include a specific table layout with your request. Building Use Forms do not need to be signed by a co-president.
    
    
11. attend district workshops pertinent to committee.

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Publicity

PTA Committee events are publicized via paper flyers, Backpack Express emails and our website. Please review the procedure for instructions on how to get your event information out there.

Committee Event Flyer Copying Procedure
The Ocean Avenue PTA has a procedure in place for reviewing and copying flyers that go home in the backpacks to control costs and guarantee that all PTA communications have been viewed by at least one co-president and the principal.

Please note that you cannot walk in and photocopy on the Ocean Avenue PTA account at the copy store as we cannot reimburse you. If you are able to get flyers printed for free, you still need to have your flyer reviewed.

The procedure is:

You and your committee determine what flyer(s) need to go out and when they need to go out.

You and your committee create the flyer on your computer and email it to the co-presidents at OceanAvePTA@gmail.com. Let them know the number of copies needed as per the Flyer Copy Counts below.

Wait 24-36 hours. During this time, 1) the co-presidents review the flyer, 2) the principal reviews the flyer and 3) the flyer gets sent to to the printer for photocopying. You will receive an email letting you know when to pick the copies up.

You pick up the copies, bring them to school and stuff the teacher’s mailboxes using the counts for each classroom posted on the left side of the mailbox center. If it is not already noted on the copies, please indicate "Needs Paper Copies", "Every Family", or "Every Student" someplace on the top copy or on a post-it for each teacher. Let us know when you have done this and we will send your flyer out as a Backpack Express and put the information on the website.

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Treasurers' Guidelines and Procedures

Sales Tax Exemption
As a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, the Ocean Avenue PTA is not required to pay sales tax on purchases for PTA use. Present the New York State Sales Tax Exemption Certificate to retailers when purchases are made in order to avoid paying sales tax. You will find a certificate in your Committee Folder.

Your Committee's Budget
Know the amount of your committee’s budget and stay within your budget. Have your committee members notify you of all expenses when they are incurred so that you can keep track of your remaining budget amount.

If your committee will need an increase in its budget, submit the request to the co-Presidents or Treasurers. PTA approval must be obtained prior to making any expenditure which would exceed your committee’s budget.

Reimbursement Procedures
Please keep receipts for all purchases and turn in receipts for reimbursement as soon as possible.

Use a Check Requisition Form to request payment of bills or for reimbursement of purchases. Printed forms can be found here or in the Treasurer’s box in the Main Office. Fill out the form completely and leave it in the Treasurer’s box in the Main Office. Check reimbursements usually have a one week turnaround. If you have any questions, contact the Treasurer.

If you would like the payment mailed directly to the vendor, please indicate this on the Check Requisition Form .

Deposit Procedures
All checks for deposit must be made out to Ocean Avenue PTA. Request a replacement check from the payer for any checks not made out to Ocean Ave PTA.

Count all income received at functions with a second person.

All deposits require a Committee Deposit Form completely filled out. Forms can be found in your folder or in the Treasurer’s box in the Main Office. Each check for deposit must be listed on the form or separate sheet of paper with check number, last name and amount. If you have any questions, contact the Treasurer.

Please do not keep PTA money at your home and do not leave cash in the Treasurer’s box in the Main Office. If you have a deposit to make, please contact the Treasurer directly to turn over checks and cash immediately. This may require coordination with the Treasurer for during or after your event.

Thank you for donating your time and effort! If you have any questions about any PTA financial matter, please feel free to email or call either the Treasurer or the Assistant Treasurer.

Marie Diaz - Treasurer

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