Jericho parents are routinely told that the PTA is an essential partner in our schools. We are told it “funds important programs,” “supports teachers,” and “brings the community together.” That narrative collapses the moment you examine the numbers, the structure, and the level of institutional access this private organization quietly exercises behind the scenes.
The truth is simple and uncomfortable.
The Jericho High School PTA raises roughly $35,000 a year. The school district spends $140,000,000. Yet the PTA enjoys communication privileges, administrator access, committee influence, and branding rights that would never be granted to any other private group.
The PTA is not powerful because of what it funds.
The PTA is powerful because the district lets it operate as a quasi-administrative partner without oversight, transparency, or regulation.
This is the core problem.
1. A Financial Footprint Too Small to Justify This Level of Influence
The PTA’s entire annual budget is about 0.025% of the district’s budget.
If Jericho spent $140 on an item, the PTA contribution for the entire year would equal about three and a half cents.
Despite this, the PTA receives:
A direct communication pipeline into every home
Automatic email blasts
Use of district logos and branding
Early access to administrators
Representation on committees
Privileged visibility in school buildings
District-backed fundraising access
The ability to shape the tone of parent–school relationships
This level of access is not tied to financial contribution.
It is tied to institutional habit, social proximity, and a lack of structural boundaries.
2. The PTA Does Not Fully Disclose That a Large Portion of Membership Dues Leaves Jericho
Parents assume their membership dues stay in the district.
They do not.
State and national PTA rules require each local PTA to send dues up the chain.
Typical breakdown in New York:
National PTA: $2.25 per member
NYS PTA: $1.75–$2.00 per member
Nassau Region PTA: ~$1.00 per member
This means roughly $5–$6 of every $12 membership fee leaves Jericho entirely.
If the PTA reaches its reported 453-member goal:
Around $2,300 is paid out to higher-level PTA organizations
Only $3,000–$3,200 stays in Jericho
Parents are never clearly told this.
Most believe they are funding the school directly.
They are not.
This is not transparency.
This is omission.
3. Jericho Could Fund Every PTA Activity Directly Without Noticing the Cost
The PTA spends money on:
Staff luncheons
Teacher appreciation
Senior party items
Decorations
Hospitality
Cakes and food sales
Miscellaneous perks
All of this could be paid for through the district budget without any impact on taxes or academic programs.
Jericho’s budget is 140 million dollars.
The entire PTA spend is 35 thousand.
Jericho can absorb every single PTA-funded item with less than 0.03% of its annual spending.
The idea that “these things won’t happen without the PTA” is a myth.
A useful myth for the PTA — but a myth nonetheless.
The district has the financial capacity to fund everything directly.
It simply chooses not to, because outsourcing soft-cost activities to the PTA eliminates scrutiny.
4. The PTA Is Selling Jericho-Branded Merchandise Without Clear Authorization
The PTA’s online store sells:
Jayhawk hoodies
Jayhawk senior hoodies
Jayhawk T-shirts
Jericho-branded sweatpants
Branded polos
Other apparel using district logos and mascots
The district logo and mascot are “intellectual property”. At least that’s what a long-standing board trustee keeps claiming.
Under district policy, no private group can commercially use the branding without formal approval.
Yet:
The PTA pays no licensing fees
There is no Board vote authorizing brand use
No public contract exists
No procurement standards apply
They generate private revenue off district-owned identity marks
At the same time, the district has historically warned parents not to use the logo for unofficial purposes.
Why is the PTA exempt?
Why does one private group get to sell district-branded merchandise while others face restrictions?
This is selective enforcement.
And it is indefensible.
5. The PTA’s Real Power Is Not Financial. It Is Structural Access.
What the PTA truly controls is:
The primary communication channel between the district and parents
The tone of parent messaging
The ability to promote or suppress narratives
A direct line to building administrators
Influence on committees that shape school climate decisions
A gatekeeping role over who is seen as “involved” or “supportive”
This influence flows entirely from familiarity — not governance.
From habit — not policy.
From social cohesion — not public accountability.
A public school system should not have a private membership club functioning as an unofficial communications arm and community filter.
Especially not one whose membership excludes:
Parents who work during the day
Parents who cannot attend school-time meetings
Parents who choose not to pay dues
Parents who simply do not want to participate in the PTA culture
Representation should not be pay-to-play.
6. A Public Institution Cannot Delegate Influence to a Private Club
The district’s own policies do not authorize:
Exclusive access
Logo use
Communication privileges
Committee authority
Brand licensing
Distribution rights
Yet the PTA enjoys all of these.
Jericho’s Board Policy 3250 recognizes the PTA as a community group, not an institutional partner.
Nothing in Board Policy grants the PTA elevated powers or an official governance role.
This misalignment has created a two-tier system:
PTA members with direct institutional access
Non-PTA parents limited to whatever information the district selectively provides
That is not democratic representation.
It is structural favoritism.
The Real Question Jericho Should Be Asking
Given:
A $140,000,000 budget
Full administrative staffing
Direct communications systems
Extensive district resources
Why does a $35,000 private organization serve as:
A communications intermediary
A fundraising conduit
A merchandise vendor
A de facto PR partner
A gatekeeper of parent access
A privileged voice inside district operations
Why has the district allowed a private membership club to function as a shadow administrative body?
This is not about attacking volunteers.
This is about restoring the boundaries between:
Public governance
Private groups
Transparent communication
Equitable access
District accountability
Jericho does not need the PTA’s financial support.
Jericho does not need the PTA’s communication structure.
Jericho does not need the PTA to run events.
Jericho does not need the PTA to fund hospitality.
Jericho does not need the PTA to sell merchandise.
What Jericho needs is transparency, consistency, and public accountability — none of which exist when a private organization operates with quasi-official authority.
It is time to reset expectations.
It is time to restore proper boundaries.
It is time to ask why a three-cent contribution to every $140 dollar the district spends has translated into this much institutional power.
If the district wants trust, it must govern transparently.
Not through a private club.
Not through a selective intermediary.
Not through an organization whose influence far exceeds its purpose.
Jericho belongs to every parent.
Not just the PTA.