PTO By Laws

Bylaws:
Blair Parent-Teacher Organization
Modified 10/5/10

Article I – Name
The name of the organization shall be Blair Parent-Teacher Organization, Inc., known for the purposes of this document at “Blair PTO.”

Article II – Mission Statement
Blair PTO is dedicated to enriching the educational experience of Blair K-3 and Arbor Park students through fun social activities bringing parents, students and teachers together. Through volunteer parental involvement, we provide educational and financial support to all primary schools and promote a loving, safe learning environment for our children so they may excel in all aspects of their educational career.

Article III – Members
Any parent or guardian of a student at the K3 or Arbor Park Schools may be a member and shall have voting rights. The principals and any teacher employed at the schools may be a member and have voting rights. No dues are required.

Article IV – Officers and Elections
Section 1: The elected Officers shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Both K3 and Arbor will elect their own Officers. The minimum required elected officers shall be a President and Treasurer for K3 and a President and Treasurer for Arbor Park. The maximum number of elected officers allowed shall be four for K3 and four for Arbor Park. If all offices are not filled, the duties required by each office can be shared/completed by another elected person. Exceptions to rule: One person can not be both President and Treasurer. Presidents and Treasurers are both signers on the checking account; therefore, their duties must be done by separate people for control purposes. All officer positions will be held for two years from the date of election. An officer may only serve two consecutive, two-year terms in the same office. After their two terms in that office, they may run again for a different office than the one previously served. In dealing with a mid-term vacancy, an Officer will be appointed by the existing Executive Board to fill the vacancy. In this case, the appointed Officer may serve the remainder of the term left open by the vacancy. At the time of elections, that appointed Officer may run and if elected, serve in that capacity for two elected terms.

a. President. The President shall preside over meetings of the Organization and Executive Board, serve as the primary contact for the Principals, represent the Organization at meetings outside the Organization, serve as an Ex-Officio member of all committees and coordinate the work of all the officers and committees so that the purpose of the organization is served.

b. Vice President. The Vice President shall assist the President and carry out the President’s duties in his or her absence or inability to serve. The Vice President shall also be responsible for all public relations including preparation of press releases, information for school newsletters and any PTO website information.

c. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep all records of the Organization, handle correspondence, and send notices of meetings to the membership. The Secretary is responsible for recording detailed minutes from the PTO meetings and preparing unapproved minutes for publication within one week of the meetings. The Secretary also keeps a copy of the minutes book, bylaws, rules, membership list, and any other necessary supplies, and brings them to meetings.

d. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive all funds of the Organization, keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures, and pay out funds in accordance with the approval of the Executive Board, or President. He or she will present a financial statement at every meeting and at other times of the year when requested by the Executive Board or President, and make a full report at the end of the year.

Section 2. Nominations, Elections and Eligibility. The nomination process should be as follows: In February & March of the school year before the new officers are needed, the Blair PTO shall advertise the upcoming open positions by using newsletters, website pages, word of mouth and any other form of communication that has the ability to reach the entire K3 or Arbor Park school populations. Nominators shall inform the PTO President of the nominees verbally, in writing or by electronic means. Self nominations are also accepted by the same process. During the April leadership meeting, all nominees should be discussed and agreed upon. A nominee for these leadership roles will be eligible for the nomination if they have already completed the background check and have a school badge as is required by the Blair Community Schools. If a nominee does not have a current background check and school badge, an application for the background check and badge must be in place before the general election in order for that nominee to be eligible to be considered a candidate. If a nominee refuses to submit to a background check, this should be a sufficient cause for the required rejection of the nominee by the leadership group. The time between the April leadership meeting and the General Meeting later in April should be used to verify that all nominees are eligible for a badge. It should also be verified by the current PTO board that the nominee be in good standing and of good reputation. A member in good standing can be defined as someone who attends meetings on a regular basis, someone who is in good financial standing with the PTO and someone who has successfully carried out previous volunteer duties with competency and a positive attitude. The nominee must be in good standing within 14 days of the nomination. The current President shall discuss the nominees with the principals and report any information to the entire leadership team. A written record such as email or special meeting minutes must be kept by the leadership team and every member of the leadership team must have a copy to review before making the final decision on nominees. Final decisions regarding the nominees will be made by the entire leadership team. All leadership members must unanimously agree on the nominees that will be presented for election.
The election process should be as follows: During the General Meeting in April, all approved nominees should be presented to the general population. A motion to accept the nominees should be made. For the actual election, if there is only one candidate, voting shall be by voice vote. If more than one person is running for an office, a ballot vote shall be taken. Only nominees that have been through the process can be presented the night of elections and can only be presented by the President or Vice President.

Section 3. Terms of Office. Officers are elected for two years and may serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office. Each person elected shall hold only one office at a time.

Section 4. Vacancies.

Vacancy in the Office of President:
If there is a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President will become the President. At the next Leadership meeting, a new Vice President will be appointed. The appointment will be announced to the members at the next General PTO Meeting. In the instance the Vice President is unable to or unwilling to move to the President position, another member of the Leadership team can be appointed as President by majority vote of the Leadership Team. The post that then becomes vacant by the President appointment will be filled by appointment of the majority vote of the Leadership Team. The appointment will be announced to the members at the next General PTO Meeting. If a current Leadership member does not agree to/accept the post, a member in good standing can be appointed by majority vote of the Leadership Team. The appointment will be announced to the members at the next General PTO Meeting.

Vacancy in any office other than President:
If there is a vacancy in any other office, Leadership Team Members will appoint a member in good standing by majority vote to fill the vacancy during the next Leadership meeting. The appointment will be announced to the members at the next General PTO Meeting.

Section 5. Removal from Office. Officers can be removed from office with or without cause by a two-thirds vote of those present (assuming a quorum) at a regular meeting where at least one week’s previous notice has been given.

Article V – Meetings
Section 1. Regular Meetings. The regular meeting of the Organization shall be on the Third Monday of each month during the school year at 6:30 p.m., or at a time and place determined by the executive board at least 15 days before the meeting. The annual meeting will be held at the April regular meeting. The annual meeting is for receiving reports, electing officers, and conducting other business that should arise. The secretary will notify the members of the meetings in a flyer sent home with the students at least one week prior to the meeting.

Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the President, any two members of the Executive Board, or five general members submitting a written request to the secretary. Previous notice of the special meeting shall be sent to the members at least 10 days prior to the meeting, by flyer and phone calls.

Section 3. Quorum. The quorum shall be 10 members of the organization.

Article VI – Executive Board
Section 1. Membership. The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Principals.

Section 2. Duties. The duties of the Executive Board shall be to transact business between meetings in preparation for the general meeting, create standing rules and policies, create standing and temporary committees, prepare and submit a budget to the membership, approve routine bills, and prepare reports and recommendations to the membership.

Section 3. Meetings. Regular meetings shall be held monthly, on the same day and at the same time each month, to be determined by the board. Special meetings may be called by any two board members, with 24 hours notice.

Section 4. Quorum. Half the number of Board Members plus one constitutes a quorum.

Article VII – Committees
Section 1. Membership. Committees may consist of members and board members, with the President acting as an ex officio member of all committees.
Section 2. Standing Committees. The following committees shall be held by the organization: Fundraising, Membership, Family Events, and Auditing.
Section 3. Additional Committees. The board may appoint additional committees as needed.

Article VIII – Finances
Section 1. A tentative budget shall be drafted in the fall for each school year and approved by a majority vote of the members present.
Section 2. The treasurer shall keep accurate records of any disbursements, income, and bank account information.
Section 3. The board or president shall approve all expenses of the organization.
Section 4. Two authorized signatures shall be required for disbursements over the amount of $300. Authorized signers shall be the President and Treasurer.
Section 5. The treasurer shall prepare a financial statement at the end of the year, to be reviewed by the Audit Committee.
Section 6. Upon the dissolution of the organization, any remaining funds should be used to pay any outstanding bills and, with the membership’s approval, spent for the benefit of the school.
Section 7. The fiscal year shall coordinate with the school year.
Section 8. Money Control procedures are in place and should be made available to any Member who wishes to see them as well as any Event Chairperson. Money Control procedures should be reviewed annually to ensure accuracy. (See attached Money Controls document.)

Reminder: State laws often dictate what records must be made available to an organization’s members and to the general public at the school. Also, federal law requires that a nonprofit tax-exempt organization’s IRS Form 1023 and copies of the organization’s annual information returns (IRS Form 990 or 990EZ) for the most recent three years.

Article IX – Parliamentary Authority
Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern meetings when they are not in conflict with the Organization’s Bylaws.

Article X – Standing Rules
Standing rules may be approved by the Executive Board, and the Secretary shall keep a record of the standing rules for future reference.

Article XI – Dissolution
The Organization may be dissolved with previous notice (14 calendar days) and a two-thirds vote of those present at the meeting.

Article XII – Amendments
These bylaws may be amended at any regular or special meeting, providing that previous notice was given in writing at least 10 days prior to the meeting and then sent to all Members of the Organization by the secretary. Notice may be given by phone, postal mail, e-mail, or fax. Amendments will be approved by a two-thirds vote of those present.

Article XIII – Conflict of Interest Statement
A Conflict of Interest Statement has been created and voted upon by the Leadership team. It was enacted on July 14, 2009 (See the attached full Conflict of Interest Statement.)