WHS, WMS parent-teacher groups to merge

WASHINGTON — As students of Washington Middle School and Washington High School start classes under the same roof this fall, their respective parent-teacher organizations plan to combine as well.

Washington High School PTO President President Janet Conrad said the groups — which help provide school supplies, classroom materials and run school-adjacent events — hoped consolidating their ranks would lead to better coordination among volunteers.

“Sometimes we have to check and see if there’s an event going on at the middle school before we plan something, and the same vice versa, the middle school checking with the high school,” she said. “If we are working together with a calendar for events, we can … plan something, and hopefully double the volunteers available at those events.”

The move should solve a handful of other logistic issues as well, like school parents who split their time between the middle school and high school PTOs while their kids attend different grade levels.

Combining should increase the number of volunteers ready for any given project, according to Conrad.

For one thing, the merged organizations will put more members under a single banner by simply adding their rosters together.

For another, the new PTO will have just one board, composed of two co-presidents, a secretary and a treasurer. While any teacher or parent at the group’s meetings is welcome to speak their mind, Conrad said the smaller total number of named positions would hopefully attract more volunteers, who might otherwise fear being “voluntold” to take a more time-intensive leadership role.

“Not a lot of people want to take on the responsibility of taking on those officer roles, due to time,” Conrad said. “We hope that more volunteers will come, knowing that they can be part of the group in whatever capacity they choose, and they’re not going to be having to take on one of those officer positions.”

Conrad said the groups were still deliberating what to call the combined high school and middle school PTOs.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com