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Article I: Name
The name of this organization is the Oran M. Roberts Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization. It shall have no affiliation with any state or national organization with similar objectives. The Parent-Teacher Organization is organized exclusively for educational purposes and qualifies as an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of the organization shall be to bring about the broadest possible participation of the school community in working to:
a. Create a better understanding of the learning process by encouraging communication between parents and teachers.
b. Promote cooperation between family and school in meeting the needs of children.
c. Serve as a source of support for the school staff with volunteer and financial assistance.
d. Cooperate with the school to support the improvement of education in ways that will not interfere with the administration of the school and shall not seek to control its policies.
e. Foster goodwill and support for the school in the community at-large.
f. Raise private funds to supplement the school’s budget.
Article III: Membership
The membership of the organization shall consist of the parents of each child enrolled at Roberts Elementary School and the faculty. An annual drive for contributions shall be conducted in the fall on a school-wide basis. The amount recommended for each family contribution is to be determined by the Board.
Article IV: Officers and their Election
Section 1: The elected officers of this organization shall be President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, Historian, and Parliamentarian.
Section 2: All officers shall be elected by ballot at the April only meeting. Voting shall be by voice, unless five members request in writing a secret ballot. A simple majority of the members voting and present shall be required to elect.
Section 3: The office of President and President-Elect shall serve for a period of one year from July 1 of the year in which they are elected and assume office, or until their successors shall be elected and assume office. President-Elect shall succeed into the office of President in the following year. The Treasurer and Corresponding Secretary shall serve a two-year term, beginning and ending in even-numbered years. The Recording Secretary shall serve a two-year term, beginning and ending in odd-numbered years.
Section 4: The Nominating Committee. The nominee for each elected office shall be found by the Nominating Committee. The chairperson and all members of the Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President subject to the approval of the Board. The Nominating Committee shall consist of five members and be as representative of the school population as possible, with two members from the Board and three from the general membership. The President, the President-elect and Principal shall serve in an advisory capacity without a vote. Three voting members at any called meeting shall constitute a quorum.
a. The identity of the committee members and the date of their first meeting shall be announced to the general membership in writing by February 28. The first meeting shall be no sooner than one week after said announcement and no later than four weeks prior to the April/May election meeting.
b. The slate of officers shall be made known to the general membership of the organization, in writing, at least ten days prior to the election meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor providing the consent of the nominee shall first have been obtained.
c. The Nominating Committee may compile a list of potential committee chairpersons for use by the incoming President.
Section 5. A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the President-Elect serving at the time of the vacancy and a new President-Elect shall be elected by a majority vote of the Board. A vacancy occurring in any office other than President shall be filled for the unexpired term by a person elected by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board.
Article V: Board of Directors (Board)
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected officers, Immediate Past President, Standing Committee Chairpersons, Principal of the school, Magnet Coordinator, and two teachers selected by the faculty at the beginning of the school year.
Section 2. No person shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same elected office.
Section 3. The Board of Directors shall have general supervision of the affairs of the organization between its meetings. It is subject to the orders of the organization and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the organization. A report of all actions shall be rendered to the organization at its next regular general meeting.
Section 4. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held monthly during the school year, the time to be fixed by the Board at its first meeting of the year. A simple majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or a majority of the elected officers.
Section 5. Members of the Board of Directors shall deliver to successors all official material including binder containing a full description of duties, activities, etc., as well as any relevant electronic data not later than July 1.
Article VI: Duties of Elected Officers
Section 1. President
a. The President shall preside at all general meetings of the organization and of the Board, shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, shall perform such other duties as pertain to the office, and shall coordinate the work of the officers and committees of the organization.
b. The President shall appoint all standing committee chairpersons subject to approval of the Board.
c. The President upon election to office shall submit to the other elected officers on the Board the names of persons proposed to be chairpersons of standing committees. Additional nominations for standing committee chairpersons may be made by the other elected officers. A majority vote by the elected officers for each standing committee chairperson approves the appointment.
d. In the absence of the Treasurer, the President shall be empowered to issue checks for the organization.
e. The President in conjunction with the Board shall set goals and establish calendar for the school year by October 1.
Section 2. The President-Elect shall act as an aid to the President and shall perform the duties of the President in the absence or disability of that officer to act. The President- Elect shall coordinate the fund raising activities of the Board and shall serve as a member of the Budget and Finance Committee.
Section 3. The Recording Secretary shall keep an accurate permanent record of all meetings of the organization and of the Board and shall prepare these minutes for reading at each meeting.
Section 4. The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence, communications, and publicity of the organization. He shall notify, in writing, all members of the Board of their meetings. He shall also notify, in writing, the membership of all general meetings of the organization.
Section 5. The Treasurer shall have custody of all the funds of the organization and shall make disbursements in accordance with the approved budget. He shall pay bills, shall keep an itemized account of all receipts each meeting of the organization and of the Board, and shall submit his records for audit upon call. He shall serve as a member of the Budget and Finance Committee. A background security check is required of all candidates for Treasurer.
Section 6. The Historian shall preserve all important records of the organization and all items of interest in the official school scrapbook.
Section 7. The Parliamentarian shall be responsible for seeing that all parts of the bylaws of the organization are upheld and are revised as necessary.
Article VII: Standing Committees
Section 1. There shall be the following standing committees chaired by persons who volunteer or are recruited from the general membership. These chairpersons shall be appointed by the President and approved by the other elected officers.
Section 2. The duties of the standing committees are as follows.
a. Budget and Finance shall be responsible for annually establishing a budget and for evaluating proposals from faculty, staff and parents for expenditures throughout the year. Recommendations and findings shall be presented to the Board for approval. Once passed by the Board, the budget must be presented to the general membership for approval. The chairperson shall serve a two-year term beginning and ending in odd-numbered years. In addition to the chairperson who is appointed by the President, the committee shall be composed of the President, the President-Elect, the Treasurer, and all the fundraising chairs. Once passed by the Board, a copy of the budget will be posted on the public bulletin board and a copy will be posted in the office 10 days prior to the first PTO general meeting.
b. Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) shall establish a system to identify and meet volunteer needs which may fall outside the scope of the room parent system. The VIPS coordinator shall serve as liaison with the HISD Volunteers in Public Schools program.
c. Workroom will staff the Teacher Workroom in order to assist faculty and staff in the completion of administrative projects.
d. Room Parents shall establish a room parent system and recruit room parents who will work with the classroom teacher to identify and meet the needs of that classroom.
e. Fundraising chairs will devise and execute all aspects of annual fundraising events, as approved by the Board.
f. Community Liaison will interface with the neighborhood community. This position is also responsible for PTO media relations and will serve as PTO liaison with neighborhood families entering the school.
g. Library works with the Librarian to accomplish administrative tasks and manage projects aimed at increasing the library’s book collection.
h. Technology works with the school administration to establish technology goals and manage implementation.
i. School Directory shall organize and coordinate the timely production and distribution of the school directory.It shall be responsible for selling and collecting for advertisements, getting bids and arranging for printing, gathering information and preparing it for printing, and distributing the directory. The Board must authorize advertising rate schedules, choice of printer, and selling price, if any, of the directory.
j. School Store shall coordinate ordering, advertising, sales, and inventory control of school store supplies under the direction of the Board. Percent markups shall be set by the Board.
k. Hospitality shall, as directed by the Board, plan and coordinate food and drink for board meetings, staff hospitality luncheons, and other designated occasions.
l. Buildings and Grounds shall periodically review with the Principal the status of the buildings and grounds and present maintenance or improvement needs to the Board for consideration and shall organize and oordinate projects approved by the Board and the Principal.
m. Membership shall organize and coordinate the annual drive for contributions. The amount of suggested contributions shall be set by the Board.
n. The International Committee shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining contact with international families and students and will coordinate activities with these families.
Section 3. The chairperson of each standing committee shall present a report of activities and plans as necessary to
the Board for approval.
Section 4. Each standing committee chairperson is responsible for providing his successor with a written report of the committee’s activities for the year and any recommendations by July 1.
Section 5. The President and the Principal shall be ex-officio members of all standing committees. As an ex-officio member, a person has the same rights as other committee members, but is not obligated to attend meetings of the committee, nor is he counted in determining if quorum is present.
Section 6. Each Vice-Committee Chairperson shall assume the position of Committee Chairperson in the succeeding year.
Article VIII: General Meetings
Section 1. General Meetings
a. There shall be a minimum of four (4) regular general meetings during the school year. Seven (7) days written notice shall be given to the membership prior to the first meeting and for any change of date.
b. Special meetings may be called by the President or a majority of the Board providing seven (7) days written notice has been given. No business shall be conducted at a special meeting other than that for which purpose the meeting was called.
c. A quorum shall consist of those members attending the meeting.
Section 2. Board Meetings
a. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held monthly during the school year, the time to be fixed by the Board at the first meeting of the year.
b. Board meetings shall be open to all members of the organization.
Section 3. Notification of all general and Board meetings shall be the responsibility of the corresponding secretary. He shall provide written notice prior to each general meeting and Board meeting. He shall provide at the beginning of the school year a printed calendar of all general meetings and all Board meetings to the general membership.
Article IX: Suggested Order of Business
1. Call to order
2. Minutes of previous meeting read or distributed
3. Treasurer’s report
4. Standing committee reports
5. Unfinished business
6. New business
7. Program
8. Adjournment
Article X: Tax Status and Dissolution of Organization
Section 1. This organization is organized exclusively for education purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Revenue Law).
Section 2. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable, to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Section 1, hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt for Federal Income Tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).
Section 3. Upon the dissolution of the organization, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the organization, dispose of all the assets of the organization exclusively for the purposes of the organization in such a manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Board of Directors shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principle office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
Article XI: Amendments and Parliamentary Authority
Section 1. Amendments
a. These by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the organization by two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given at the previous meeting. A written copy of the proposed amendment(s) shall be made available for examination in the school office during the period from the notification meeting until the meeting when the vote is taken.
b. A committee may be appointed to submit a revised set of by-laws as a substitute for the existing by-laws only by a majority vote at a meeting of the organization, or by a two- thirds vote of the Board. The requirements for adoption of a revised set of by-laws shall be the same as in the case of an amendment.
Section 2. A copy of the by-laws shall be in all officer and standing committee chairpersons’ notebooks and shall be published annually in the school directory.
Section 3. Parliamentary authority, Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the organization in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these by-laws.
Article XII: Administrative Approval
The Principal shall approve, prior to implementation, all activities and communications of the organization.
Adopted November 10, 1981
Revised February, 1995
Revised May, 1997
Revised September, 2002
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