FAQ for Committee Chairs and Coordinators

Where do I start in learning about my position?
On-line training for chairs, coordinators and board members is available at www.rsepta.com/training. Upon completion of the training, you will take a short evaluation, and the system will notify the VP of Volunteers.

What is a Plan of Work?
A plan of work is a 1-2 page form, outlining the responsibilities, duties and goals for a PTA position. The plan of work also includes specific action steps, an approved budget and resources for accomplishing these steps. Plans of work must be submitted and approved for all PTA positions annually. This process typically happens in the spring to plan for the following year. Plans of work may be revised and resubmitted for approval as needed throughout the school year.

How do I get volunteers to help me?
At the beginning of the school year, a volunteer form is sent out for parents to indicate areas where they may be interested in helping. Contact the for a list of people who indicated they would like to help in your area.

Submit a request for volunteers to to be posted on the PTA website and sent in a weekly email update. Be sure to include jobs to be done, dates, times and contact information.

Is there a format I use when creating a flyer Thursday for student folders?
PTA prefers that one of the standard templates is used, so that PTA correspondence is clearly distinct from school mail. Also, any completed forms may be accurately delivered to your board member's mailbox in the teacher workroom. Contact the for a copy of the forms.

• Full-sheet order form template in Word
• Full-sheet flyer or memo style in Word
• Half-sheet flyer template in Word for printing (prints 2 sheets per page)
• Half-sheet flyer template in Word for on-line Thursday folder notices
• Excel template
• Publisher template (coming soon)

How do on-line student Thursday folders work?
1. Your respective board member continues to review a communication before it is distributed.
2. Instead of making paper copies, you will provide an electronic copy to the principal's secretary, . If you send a Word or Publisher file, she adds initials in the bottom corner in a text box showing her approval.
3. The principal's secretary will merge all school and PTA communications into a single PDF to simplify review for parents.
4. Some families have opted out of the on-line Thursday folder and prefer to receive paper copies of school and PTA materials. Print this "opt out" list to know the number of copies to make and distribute to teacher boxes in the teacher workroom for your PTA communication.

How do I promote my PTA program to parents?
To have your program promoted in the PTA newsletter, website, weekly email, bulletin board or on the RSE marquee, complete the online publicity form. Refer to the publicity guidelines. Also, refer to the Thursday folder FAQ above.

How do I promote my PTA program to RSE teachers?
The PTA board and RSE administration work together to create efficient systems for communicating with teachers. This process can vary greatly, depending on the program and the number of teachers to be contacted. PTA understands that teachers are extremely busy and could get overwhelmed if each PTA program contacted them individually. Most likely there are already methods in place for your program from past years. Contact your board representative for details about your program.

How do I receive order / registration forms or other documents at school?
Any correspondence or form collected for your program will be placed in your board member's mailbox in the teacher workroom. Again, using the PTA template ensures appropriate delivery of completed forms.

How do I publish orders or registrations received?
Please enter the student names and grades on the formatted confirmation list. Fill in the names and grades and then send the completed Excel file to our . The Website Coordinator will post a copy of the information using only first name + the first 2 letters of the last name (for privacy reasons) on the Confirmation webpage, which is not visible on the drop-down menus. Instead, ask the to include a link in the weekly email.

I need to collect money for my PTA program. What guidelines should I follow?
The Collection of Funds policy outlines how money must be collected and deposited. It also includes information on handling sales tax.

I need to purchase items for my PTA program. What guidelines should I follow?
Review the Purchasing Policy for details on budgets, sale-tax exemption, receipts, check requests, payment and restricted items. Before making a purchase, be sure you have an approved budget for this specific item. Your plan of work should detail which items you have approval to purchase.

What is the sales tax rate for PTA programs? Why is the rate different from Austin when we have an Austin address?
RSE PTA charges a 7.00% tax rate on items we sell. These taxes are remitted to the state of Texas on or before January 20 of each year. Because RSE is part of DSISD, all business is considered part of Dripping Springs, and therefore we pay the tax rate for Dripping Springs, not Austin.

I made a purchase for PTA and was not reimbursed for the tax. Why?
Because PTA is a non-profit organization, PTA does not pay sales tax on items nor can tax be reimbursed to members. Members should use the tax exempt form when making a purchase.

How do I address concerns/issues?
Each PTA position has board representative. You first step should be to contact your board representative for help. If this does not resolve the issue, contact the .