Parent-teacher organizations more and more are becoming an integral part of almost every elementary school.

These volunteer groups raise money for extracurricular activities and services for students, and act as a communication link between teachers and parents.

“We wouldn’t be able to offer many of the extracurricular activities without the PTO,” said Roger Snodgrass, principle at Center Township Elementary School in the Butler School District. “It would be virtually impossible to offer extra perks, especially in today’s budgeting concerns.”

The perks Snodgrass is referencing are the variety of events most PTOs help organize, including field trip buses, book fairs, science fairs, assemblies, tutoring efforts, holiday parties and banquets.

“PTOs enhance school curriculum and provide extra activities,” said Michelle Roudybush, president of the school’s PTO.

Center Township is the largest elementary school in the Butler district with more than 600 students. Its size is something that brings benefits to the organization.

“It’s definitely advantageous,” Roudybush said. “Anything we need, we always have someone there to help.”

Roudybush said the PTO has an active membership and is always finding ways to help the school out.

“We fill in the gaps,” she said. “Anything teachers need, we try to get it for them. And we handle all the volunteer work.”

But schools don’t have to be the biggest to get help from PTOs.

The South Butler County Intermediate School PTO serves about 350 fourth and fifth grade students in the South Butler School District.

While serving only two grades, the PTO still makes a big impact.

“We have been able to provide white boards and Promethian smart boards for all of the fourth and fifth grade classrooms, plus the computer lab, library, art and music rooms,” said Jill Walls, president of the school’s PTO. “The PTO also provided the outdoor play area which was renovated about eight years ago.”

PTOs also help organize volunteer programs, including ones that send parents into schools to assist teachers with classroom tasks and tutoring.

“We have a very active parent volunteer program,” Snodgrass said. “Teachers have a nice selection of parents to choose from every week. Especially at our primary schools. They usually have different parents coming in each week.”

While all parents are welcome to most PTOs, they are typically managed by a small group of volunteers on a board of directors. These volunteers typically have monthly meetings to plan and arrange the activities they are organizing.

Most of those activities are paid for through the fundraising efforts of the PTOs.

Center Township has one large fundraiser in the fall but also has many others during other months.

Perhaps some of the most important fundraisers for the school are book fairs, Roudybush said.

“It’s how the library gets most of its books now,” she said.

South Butler Intermediate only has one fundraiser per year, a large relay event in September called “Laps for Learning.”

“We have one major fundraiser which is very successful,”said Karen Justi, vice president of the South Butler Intermediate School PTO. “The community really gets out and is supportive of it. We raised about $25,000 last year.”

Walls said the event is vital to the school.

“The fundraising benefits every child in the school and enhances their educational experience,” she said.

While PTOs are important for funding activities and helping with other school expenses, they also help communication between parents and the school, as well as the school and the community.

“We act as a liaison between teachers and the community,” Justi said.

“It’s important the parent community knows what’s happening at the school level, and it’s important for the school to know what’s happening at the parent level to best coordinate their efforts,” she added.

PTOs, which are independent of their particular schools, are becoming increasing more popular over those connected to the larger National Parent Teacher Association, according to Snodgrass.

“Twenty years ago almost everyone belonged to the PTA,” he said. “PTOs are now becoming much more popular.”

The main difference is that the independent PTOs do not have to pay membership fees to a larger organization.

Roudybush said PTOs have a big impact on the schools they serve.

“They really do make a huge difference,” she said. “And it’s a great feeling to make a difference in the school.”

Walls echoed that: “I think the PTO is a very big asset to the school. As a parent, it provides me an opportunity to be involved with my children and their education.”

Justi said she urges other parents to get involved with the organization.

“There’s no words to describe it,” she said. “It’s a privilege to be part of the kids’ lives.

“It really gives you a chance to see what’s behind the academic doors.”