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Officer and Chairman Job Descriptions have been developed by California State PTA for use by unit, council, and district PTAs. These guidelines are meant to assist officers and chairmen in their duties throughout the term of office. The list includes the required president, secretary and treasurer officer Job Descriptions and numerous others.

The job descriptions typically are distributed to members of the board-elect at the beginning of a term for planning purposes and are used with the updated procedure books forwarded by the outgoing officers and chairmen. PTAs are encouraged to develop job descriptions and procedure books for other PTA positions to provide continuity and sound leadership practices.

Download the Volunteer Coordinator Job Description

Key Role – Volunteer Coordinator

• Works with the PTA president, principal and teachers to coordinate volunteer assignments at the school to support student success
• Collaborates with other PTA board members, teachers and administrators to assess and identify how parents/guardians and community members can get more involved at school as volunteers
• Oversees volunteer recruitment, training and assignments
• Promotes PTA goals, membership and activities as a PTA committee chairman or officer

Getting Started

• Preparation – Talk to the Coordinator from last year to ask questions and exchange ideas about how volunteer recruitment, training and retention is handled and how it can be made even better. Review his/her procedure book and other materials such as school policies and requirements for volunteers to better understand the scope of your new position.
• Assessment – Get together with your PTA president, principal and lead teachers or department heads to identify the ways and options available for parents/guardians and community members to assist as volunteers with PTA and school programs, activities and events for the upcoming year. Develop a general list of volunteer opportunities to publicize widely in your school community.

How Tos

• Outreach – Design and implement an inclusive outreach plan to introduce yourself and provide a general overview of the value of volunteers and what type of volunteer opportunities and options are available for the upcoming school year.
• Options – Offer a variety of options for volunteers with different amounts of time and commitment involved. Options to sign up for might range from one-time only assignments to monthly, weekly or daily volunteer activities to meet the goals, needs and priorities of your PTA or school in supporting student success.
• Train – Hold a volunteer orientation at the start of the school year. Provide handouts for the meeting with job descriptions and tips on volunteering. Include information on school policies for volunteers, school and PTA calendars and contact information for the PTA board. Invite your PTA president and principal to the meeting to welcome volunteers and talk about their vital role at your school.
• Contacts – Oversee the assignment of volunteer jobs and maintain a list or database with the names, contact information, availability and interests of volunteers to contact during the year. Provide sign-in sheets for all PTA sponsored activities to record volunteer hours for the Annual Report submitted by the Historian to your PTA council/district.
• Connect – As a PTA chairman or officer, keep everyone in the loop by regularly promoting opportunities for volunteers and providing reports at PTA meetings. Thank volunteers publicly in PTA communications and at a special recognition event to celebrate the power of volunteer engagement.

Other Useful Information

• Chairman and Committee Procedures, Programs, California State PTA Toolkit

 Learn more: capta.org

Download the Job Description for Room Representative Coordinator

Key Role – Room Representative Coordinator

• Works with the PTA president, principal and teachers to coordinate Room Representatives at the school to build stronger family-school partnerships to support student success
• Collaborates with other PTA board members, teachers and administrators to identify how parents can get more involved at school
• Oversees the recruitment and training for parent volunteers as Room Representatives for a classroom or grade level
• Promotes PTA goals, membership and activities on campus as a committee chairman or officer

Getting Started

• Preparation – Talk to the Coordinator from last year to ask questions and exchange ideas about what parent involvement looks like at your school and how it can be made even better. Review his/her procedure book and other materials such as school policies on volunteers and parent involvement to better understand the scope of your new position.
• Assessment – Get together with your PTA president, principal and lead teachers or department heads to identify the ways and options available for parents to assist with classroom activities, field trips and school events for the upcoming year. Develop a general list of volunteer opportunities to share with Room Representatives to help them get started.

How Tos

• Contacts – Maintain a list or database with the names and contact information of Room Representatives. Work with school staff to obtain this information for PTA use only and remember to keep it confidential.
• Welcome – Develop and implement an outreach plan to introduce yourself, welcome Room Representatives in home languages and provide a general overview of why parent involvement matters and what it looks like at your school.
• Train – Hold a Room Representative orientation at the start of the school year. Provide handouts for the meeting with job descriptions and tips on how to promote inclusion so all families feel welcome and encouraged to get actively involved at school. Include information on school policies, school and PTA calendars and contact information for the PTA board, teachers and other Room representatives in the orientation packets. Invite your PTA president and principal to the meeting to welcome everyone and talk about the important role of Room Representatives at your school.
• Connect – As a PTA committee chairman or officer, keep everyone in the loop by holding committee meetings of Room Representatives, facilitating grade level information meetings for parents and providing reports at PTA meetings during the school year.

Other Useful Information

• Chairman and Committee Procedures, Programs, California State PTA Toolkit

Learn more: capta.org

Assisting with activities organized by your PTA, school or classroom teacher supports student learning and achievement in schools.

Stepping up as a volunteer also signals to your child how much your family values education and actively supports the efforts of teachers and the school to nurture students’ learning, development and growth.

How much time and commitment is involved depends on your availability. It can range from one time only assignments to monthly, weekly or daily volunteer activities such as helping to:

• Tutor and mentor students
• Supervise lunchrooms, playgrounds and field trips
• Assist in a class, library or school office
• Enrich classroom learning by sharing a special skill, talent or experience
• Plan or run a PTA or school program, activity or event
• Prepare classroom materials, mailings or newsletters at home
• Manage PTA websites and social media at home
• Coordinate class phone calls, texts and emails to other parents

See what volunteer opportunities are offered on campus or at home by checking PTA and school newsletters, websites and social media. Sign up for volunteer jobs that fit well with your interests, availability and skill sets. To get connected, contact your PTA president.

The responsibilities of financial officers are specified in the association bylaws and are also established in California State PTA policies and procedures. Additional information can be found in the Finance and Job Descriptions chapters of the Toolkit. The Toolkit can be found on the PTA website, www.capta.org.

The treasurer, financial secretary and financial reviewer are generally considered the financial officers. The president, secretary and vice presidents/chairs also have specific financial responsibilities. Every PTA board member has a fiduciary responsibility to:

• Protect the assets of the organization. These assets include cash, assets, volunteers and the PTA’s reputation.
• Ensure compliance with all laws. These include federal and state laws as well as the policies and procedures of the PTA.
• Ensure the assets are used to meet the needs of the children and members served by the PTA.
• Ensure continuity of the association by preserving assets for the future and not encumbering future boards.
• Ensure the association remains transparent – all the members are given the opportunity to participate in decision making and to view financial reports.
• Ensure the association is carrying out the purposes of PTA. These include increasing family engagement, advocacy and increasing communications between home and school. Fundraising is not a purpose of PTA, but PTAs may fundraise to provide PTA programs. Councils and districts have an additional purpose, which is to train and support local associations and their officers.

PTA officers/chairmen need to understand why they are doing the things they are doing and be committed to doing them correctly and completely.

These procedures have been developed to assist unit PTA officers and chairmen in carrying out their responsibilities (Committee Development and Guidelines). The president, as an effective leader, will see that officers, chairmen and other volunteers receive copies of their respective job descriptions from this Toolkit as soon as possible (Job Descriptions).

Based on goals established for the year, the president and the executive board determine which programs and projects should be implemented and which might be undertaken, remembering that all projects must be approved by  the membership.

While every PTA operates within the Purposes and basic policies of the PTA, each individual unit will become involved in programs and projects according to its interests, its needs, and its volunteers. No PTA can be expected to do everything.

Financial officers are elected to manage the fiscal operations of the unit, council and district PTA. These officers include a treasurer (required) and a financial secretary (optional). All unit, council and district PTAs are required to have a financial reviewer who may be elected, appointed, or hired in accordance with bylaws. Job duties are detailed in the PTA bylaws, standing rules and job descriptions – consult these for further information.

Upon assuming office, the incoming treasurer obtains the following from the outgoing treasurer: all PTA-owned supplies, ledger, checkbook, tax records, backup copy and the master copy of the accounting program if the books are maintained on a computer, and all other treasurer materials including the procedure book from the previous office holder. Additional records may be obtained from the bank and supplies can be purchased from the California State PTA store. The new treasurer must also contact the bank and arrange for new signature cards for checking and savings accounts to be filed. Banks require minutes of the election meeting recording names of new officers. The incoming treasurer should contact the PTA’s bank to determine what records are needed and the specific process required to change signers.

The items listed above are necessary for the financial operation of the association. When a new unit is established, the treasurer should request assistance from council or district PTA in obtaining them.

The outgoing treasurer cannot pay bills after the books are closed for financial review or after the term has ended. Books being financially reviewed may not be available immediately. California State PTA recommends that if the financial review is not completed within two (2) weeks after the end of the term of office, the president may appoint a committee to immediately review the books. The same time frame must be followed for the semiannual financial review. Upon assuming office, the incoming treasurer may pay authorized bills and deposit funds in the PTA bank account before the financial review is completed but should avoid paying new bills if possible until the review is complete.

Complete treasurer’s records should contain the following:

• Financial reviewer’s reports, checklists and recommendations for current and one prior year
• Budget and budget versus actuals reports and updates
• Bylaws and standing rules
• Certificate of Insurance
• Copy of Insurance Guide
• Copy of current Letter of Determination for Tax Exemption
• Correspondence
• District-specific information
• Employee records, current
• Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Copies of tax filings
• Information sheet listing the name, address and phone number of all financial institutions used, along with any passwords and information pertaining to computerized records.
• Corporate number, if applicable; California State Franchise Tax Board entity number, and Attorney General Charitable tax number.
• Annual financial reports
• Monthly financial reports (including treasurer’s reports and financial secretary’s reports)
• Financial ledger (may be kept electronically) and checkbook register(s)
• Remittance forms to council and/or district PTAs
• Workers’ Compensation Annual Payroll Report
• California State PTA Toolkit, Finance, and Forms, and Job Descriptions
• Recommendations for successor

When there is no financial secretary, complete treasurer’s records also include:

• Bank statements and reconciliations (reviewed and signed by non-check signer)
• Completed Cash Verification Forms with supporting documentation and bank deposit slips attached
• Completed Payment Authorization Forms with receipts attached
• Completed EFT/Bank Bill Payment Authorization Forms with supporting documentation attached
• Completed Authorizations to Transfer Funds Between Accounts with supporting documentation attached
• Voided checks

For each bank account, record in a secure location the account number, place of deposit, and elected officers authorized to sign on the account. If a manual ledger is used, write inside the front cover of the treasurer’s book. Keep the checkbook in a safe place. Ensure that the secretary records the elected officers authorized to sign on the account in the minutes of the association election meeting or whenever the executive board fills a vacant position.

All supplies listed below are legitimate PTA expenses, reimbursable upon approval of the executive board.

Bank Deposit Book

Bank Deposit Slips

Checks: Imprinted with the legal name of association, address, two signature lines, and the following wording: “Void if not cashed within 90 days” and, “Two signatures required.”

Deposit Stamp: Includes “For Deposit Only,” name of PTA and account number.

File or Envelope: For filing bills and receipts.

Locking Money Box or Safe: For temporary holding of cash.

Numbered Receipt Book: A numbered invoice book may also be useful.

Portable File or Binder: To hold treasurer’s current records.

Storage Box: To hold treasurer’s records not in current use.

Treasurer’s Book (Ledger Book): Used to keep track of all transactions (Ledger Sample). May be kept electronically instead.

Payment Authorization/Request for Reimbursement Forms: Written requests for an expenditure or reimbursement (Payment Authorization/Request for Reimbursement Form).

Cash Verification Forms: Used by at least two PTA members when counting monies to verify cash and checks received.

Accounting/Financial Software: May be purchased outright or licensed yearly.

USB/Flash Drives: To store backup copies of financial records and documents and/or transfer files to successors.

Keep permanent books of account and records that shall be sufficient to establish the association’s gross income, receipts and disbursements of the association, including specifically the number of members, the dues collected from the members and amount of dues remitted through channels to California State PTA. Such books of account and records shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by an authorized representative of California State PTA.

Chair the budget committee and prepare the budget for adoption by the association (Developing the Budget).

Contact the bank to update all checking and savings account signature cards on file with the bank immediately upon taking office.

Receive all monies from the financial secretary or from other volunteers counting monies received. (The person turning monies over to the treasurer shall keep a copy of the Cash Verification Form signed by the treasurer.)

Deposit all monies immediately in the name of the association in a bank approved by the executive board.

Receive and retain a copy of the deposit slip for any deposit made.

Pay all bills as authorized by the executive board or the association upon receipt of payment authorization signed by the recording secretary and the president.

Secure two signatures on all checks. Including the president and treasurer, any two elected officers are authorized to sign, with the exception of the secretary and financial reviewer. The authorized signers shall not be related by blood or marriage or reside in the same household. Refer to bylaws to determine who is authorized within the unit, council or district PTA.

Maintain checkbook register(s) showing all transactions as they occur, so that account balances shown are current.

Keep an accurate record of receipts and disbursements in a ledger, which is a permanent record of the PTA (Records Retention Schedule).

Reconcile bank statements with the ledger monthly. Ensure that statements and reconciliations are reviewed and signed monthly by a non-check signer.

Keep the membership informed of expenditures as they relate to the budget adopted by the association.

Remit all council, district, State and National portions of per capita dues monthly to the financial officer of the council/district (Unit Remittance Form; Membership Dues). Care should be made in calculating membership per capita forwarded through channels; once submitted, the funds are non-refundable and will not be credited for a future year. No remittance is made for memberships received through the California State PTA E-membership program.

Prepare and present a Treasurer’s Report at every meeting of the association and executive board and at other times when requested by the association.

Complete all necessary report forms required by California State PTA for insurance, and file all tax returns and other forms required by government agencies (Tax Requirements) and upload same to MyPTEZ.

Present a year-end Annual Financial Report to the association that includes gross receipts and disbursements for the year.

Prepare a comparative budget versus actual revenues and expenditures report at least quarterly.

Upload adopted budgets, annual financial reports, financial review reports (including financial review checklists and recommendations), and tax returns to the document retention system.

Maintain continuous and direct communication with the president regarding finances. Advise board members of the status of the treasury and their individual budgets.

Budget for proposed programs with information provided by the program committee chairman.

Be aware of due dates for all financial transactions.

Attend the California State PTA convention finance workshops.

Attend council and district PTA workshops and trainings, when scheduled.

If the PTA has a bulk mail permit, verify funds are maintained in the account.

Assist auditor to become familiar with the record-keeping system.

When there is no financial secretary, these duties may be assigned to the treasurer or another officer.

Give a receipt for all monies received for the association and remit at once to the treasurer or deposit immediately in a bank approved by the executive board. Give a copy of the deposit slip to the treasurer.

Keep an accurate record of all receipts and payment authorizations for the treasurer’s financial records.

Prepare all payment authorizations as approved by the executive board or the association (if required by the bylaws).

Prepare and present a Financial Secretary’s Report at association and executive board meetings and at other times when requested by the association. The report must include an accurate record of all receipts, deposits and authorizations for payment.

Report all funds deposited to the treasurer. These totals shall be included in the Annual Financial Report to the association.

Perform such other duties as may be delegated to the financial secretary by the president or treasurer.

Attend the California State PTA convention finance workshops.

Attend council or district PTA workshops and trainings, when scheduled.