Electioneering Guidelines for PTOs

• ​No – Candidates: As a 501C(3) organization, PTOs are prohibited from becoming directly or indirectly involved in the campaigns of political candidates. 

• Yes – Bond Issues: As a 501C(3) organization, PTOs may engage in advocating for or against ballot initiatives, which include bond issues.

• No - Advocacy Materials: PTOs may not use district resources to prepare, post, sort or distribute any materials or information that express a position on a candidate or ballot measure. 

• Yes - Rockwood Communication Materials: Rockwood will produce informational materials that are factual responses about a ballot issue or candidate election. PTOs may distribute these print and electronic messages as posted on rsdmo.org.  All distributed written material must include a “Paid for by” statement.

Yes: Any person, including PTO members, may wear political clothing, buttons or stickers as long as they are appropriate for the school setting and do not cause a disruption to the learning environment.​

Yes: PTO members, as individuals, may work at the polls, distribute campaign literature on behalf of a bond issue or candidate, telephone prospective voters and assist with mailings—as long as they are not using District resources.

• No: Campaign information that advocates for or against a candidate or ballot issue shall not be included in PTO information that is directly sent informational messages found on rsdmo.org to share resources.

• Yes: PTOs may use district-approved, informational messages found on rsdmo.org to share on these district resources.

Yes: All individuals have First Amendment rights to exercise their freedom of speech to advocate for or against a political candidate or ballot issue.