Governance
How the PTO actually works.
Who decides what, where the funds go, how you get a vote, and what we are not allowed to do. Written plainly, because governance that only the board understands is not governance.
Who is a member
You already are.
Every parent, guardian and staff member at César Chávez is a member of the PTO. There are no dues, no application and no sign-up. If your child attends this school, you are in, and you have a vote.
One household, one voice
Any member present at a meeting can vote. You do not need to have attended before, and you do not need to have volunteered.
Elections each May
The four officers are elected by the membership every May and serve for one school year, starting in July.
Meetings are open
Monthly, bilingual with interpretation, Zoom option every time. Nothing is decided in a room you were not invited to.
The board
Four officers, one year at a time.
The board is deliberately small. It handles finances, compliance and the things that need a signature; committees do the actual work and choose their own direction.
- President — runs meetings, signs on behalf of the PTO, the person the school calls.
- Vice-President — steps in for the President, and usually carries a project of their own.
- Secretary — records what was decided, keeps the archive, publishes the recaps.
- Treasurer — holds the accounts, files what has to be filed, reports the numbers at every meeting.
Finances
Where it comes from and where it goes.
We are a 501(c)(3)
A registered non-profit in Maryland. Donations are tax-deductible and we issue receipts. Our EIN is available on request.
The Treasurer reports monthly
Balance, income and spending, at every meeting, out loud. Ask a question about any line of it.
Spending needs a vote
Anything beyond routine costs is proposed at a meeting and voted on by the members present.
Every dollar raised at this school stays at this school. The PTO has no staff and effectively no overhead — the cost of running it is card processing fees and the occasional roll of tape.
What we cannot do
The limits, stated plainly.
No endorsing candidates. As a 501(c)(3) we cannot support or oppose anyone running for office. We can and do advocate on issues — school funding, building conditions, traffic safety — and we testify at county meetings. That is allowed. Campaigning is not.
We do not speak for the school. The PTO is an independent organization of families. The principal and PGCPS speak for the school; we speak for ourselves.
We do not handle student records or discipline. If your issue is about your individual child, the school is the right door, and we will help you find it.
We keep family circumstances private. Requests for help, food support and financial hardship never appear in minutes, recaps or group chats.
The documents
Read them yourself.
The current bylaws are being prepared for publication here. They were last revised before the 2026–27 board took office, and one known issue is that they describe committees that no longer exist — that gets fixed at the same time.
In the meantime, ask and we will send them. Same for the annual financial summary and the meeting minutes.
Want to change something?
Bylaws are amended by a vote of the membership at a meeting. Bring a proposal, or send it to the Secretary a week ahead and it goes on the agenda. This is the mechanism, and it is deliberately not hard to use.