PTO is an acronym which stands for Parent Teacher Organization.  Many of you may have heard of a PTA, but are wondering the differences between the two.  While there are many similar aspects of both organizations, the main difference is in how the organizations are funded and governed.  With a PTO, the cost of membership is determined by the board members and the membership funds go directly into the organizations bank account for administrative expenditures.  In contrast, the national PTA organization sets the membership cost and most of the monies go into the national funds, not to the school in which the members are attending.

Another difference with PTO is they are governed by a board chosen through an election of the members of that particular school, and those board members are the determining decision makers in regards to how funds are raised and where they would like to spend those funds.· With a PTA, the board members are chosen in the same fashion, but they have a national standard to uphold, even if it's not in the best interest of the school, faculty or students.·