PTO BYLAWS

WOODARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION BYLAWS


ARTICLE I: NAME OF ORGANIZATION

The name of this non-profit parent teacher organization shall be the Woodard Elementary PTO (here in after referred to as “PTO” or “Organization”).

ARTICLE II: ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION

This Organization exists as an incorporated entity as defined by its “Articles of Incorporation,” which were certified by the State of Texas on July 8, 2015.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Section 1:        The members of the Organization shall consist of parents, guardians and staff, or any interested patron of the Cy-Fair ISD who will agree to uphold the policies and Bylaws of this Organization and whose membership dues are paid and current.

Section 2:        The PTO Board shall establish the level of membership dues annually. Payment of the annual membership dues is required to be a member in good standing of the Organization.

ARTICLE IV: OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this Organization are to:

Section 1:        Enrich the education of the children attending Woodard Elementary School by supporting the administration of the school with the talents and resources of parents, guardians, teachers, staff and other interested individuals who have the children’s best interest in mind and are willing to uphold these Bylaws.

Section 2:        Provide opportunities for parents, staff, and members of the community to contribute to growth experiences for the children through well-planned programs of an educational nature.

Section 3:        Provide and avenue for utilization of community resources to aid in the educational programs and to demonstrate to students parental support and concern for their education.

Section 4:        Provide an Organization which is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Organization shall not engage in any activities not permitted (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by an organization’s contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) or the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

ARTICLES V: POLICIES

The policies of the Organization are as follows:

Section 1:        The objectives of the Organization are educational and shall be developed through conferences, committees, and projects.

Section 2:        This Organization is non-commercial, non-sectarian, and non-partisan.

Section 3:        The Organization shall cooperate with the school to support the improvement of education in ways that will not interfere with the administration of the school.  The Organization shall not seek to control policies of the school or the school district.

Section 4:        The name of this Organization or the names of any members in their official capacities shall not be used in any connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest or for any purpose not appropriately related to promotion of the objects of the Organization.

Section 5:        The Organization shall comply with all applicable laws of local, state and federal governments. As well as follow CFISD guidelines and policies concerning Parent-Teacher Organizations.

ARTICLE VI: PTO BOARD

Section 1:        The PTO Board shall consist of: President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, 3rd Vice-President, 4th Vice President, 5th Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Volunteer Coordinators, Principal and/or a Staff Liaison of the school.
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Section 2:        Open meetings of the PTO Board shall be held monthly during the school year. The meeting times will be decided by the PTO President prior to the first Board meeting of the school year, and notice shall be provided no later than two (2) days prior to the meeting. Special meetings of the PTO Board may be called by the President, the Principal, or by a majority vote of the members of the Board. A majority of the PTO Board shall constitute a quorum at all Board meetings. Meetings will be open forum at the end of each meeting for members to discuss non-agenda business.

Section 3:        Performance of all PTO Board and Committee members is subject to review. The Board may elect to send notice to those that are not fulfilling their duties. Reasonable consequences may follow, including removal from office, if approved by a majority vote of the remaining PTO Board and the Principal.

ARTICLE VII: GENERAL MEETINGS OF THE ORGANIZATION

Section 1:        At least two (2) general meetings of the Organization shall be held during the school year.

Section 2:        General meetings of the Organization shall be called at the discretion of the Board and the Principal upon prior written notice to the parents and staff of the school.

Section 3:        PTO members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business in any general meeting of the Organization. A majority vote of those present is necessary for approval of business unless otherwise stipulated in these Bylaws.

Section 4:        The privileges of holding office, serving as committee chairs, introducing motions, debating, and voting shall be limited to members of the Organization in good standing, in accordance with ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP AND DUES.

Section 5:        All proceedings during Organizational meetings shall be governed by standard parliamentary procedure, in accordance with ARTICLE XIII – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY.

ARTICLE VIII: FINANCES

Section 1:        Funds raised by the Organization shall be spent exclusively for the enhancement of the educational environment and growth of the children attending Woodard Elementary School and other CFISD schools/educational centers as designated by the Woodard PTO, and for the operation of this Organization.

Section 2:        Fiduciary responsibilities of the PTO Board shall include the following:

A.        The current PTO Board, with input from the Principal, shall prepare a recommended budget to the incoming Board.

B.        The current PTO Board shall also present recommendations concerning the spending of unallocated monies for the current school year at the last PTO Board meeting of the school year for approval by the current and incoming PTO Board.

C.        At the last Board meeting of the school year, the proposed budget will be presented to the current and incoming Board. The current and incoming PTO Board members present will discuss the purpose of the budget recommendations by outgoing Board.

D.        The incoming Board will present an adjusted budget proposal for their term and shall then present it to the entire PTO body at the first general PTO meeting of the school year for member approval.

E.         Prior to the end of the fiscal year, an Auditing Committee of not less than 3 members in good standing will be selected by the President and Principal to review the books after the closing of the fiscal year. Audit must be completed before September 1st of the next fiscal year.

Section 3:        An overall expense statement shall be made available to PTO members at all PTO Board meetings and General PTO meetings.

Section 4:        All checks must have the signatures of two (2) of the three (3) authorized PTO Board Members.

Section 5:        All monies collected by the Organization must be counted on site by a minimum of two (2) PTO members, one of which must be a Board member or a Committee Chair. Counted money is to remain in the PTO safe until it can be deposited in the Organization’s bank account. Counted money shall be deposited into the Organization’s bank account by authorized bank signers only.

Section 6:        Expenditures

A.        Budgeted expenditures may be incurred at the discretion of the Committee Chair, with prior approval from the Vice President to which they report.

B.        Any over-budget expenditure must receive prior approval from a majority of the PTO Board.

C.        Expenditures over $500.00 must be specifically stated in an approved plan of work and may not differ from that plan of work without securing prior approval by a majority vote from the PTO Board.

Section 7:        No part of the net earnings of the Organization shall become operative to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, directors, officers, or other private persons, except that the Organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services actually rendered to the Organization or allowed by the Organization as a reasonable allowance for authorized expenditures incurred on behalf of the Organization.

Section 8:        Upon the dissolution of the Organization, assets shall be distributed by the PTO Board, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all of the debts, obligations, liabilities, costs, and expenses of the Organization exclusively for the purposes of the Organization, or to such organization(s) operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Revenue Law), as the PTO Board shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principle office of the Organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization(s), as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

ARTICLE IX: ELECTION OF THE BOARD

Section 1:        Nomination Process

A.        For initial PTO start up, the PTO Steering Committee shall serve as Nominating Committee.  A slate of officers will be posted prior to the initial vote at the first general meeting of the year.

B.        There shall be a Nominating Committee composed of three members, all of whom shall be selected by the PTO Board at least one month prior to the election.  One member shall be from the PTO Board and two selected from the general membership.  The President shall appoint one of the three to serve as Chairman of the Committee.

C.        Any PTO member who desires his/her name on the slate of nominees for PTO Board must notify the Nominating Committee Chairman in writing as soon as possible after the meeting at which the Nominating Committee is formed.  This includes any current PTO Board member who would like to continue in his/her same position or who would like to remain on the PTO Board but change to a different position.

D.        The Nominating Committee shall select at least one nominee for each office to be filled.  This slate must be approved by the current PTO Board and reported to the general membership via written notice (PTO newsletter/social media/website and/or Woodard newsletter). Additionally, nominations may be taken up until the election, including from the floor at the election meeting.

Section 2:        Election Guideline

A.        Individuals in good standing with the Organization who submit a letter of interest form for a Board position will be placed on a ballot pending approval by the Nominating Committee. A meeting of the Organization will be held to introduce the nominees. A quorum of those PTO members in good standing, present and voting is required for an election to be valid.

B.        Incoming Board members shall be elected and installed at the last general PTO meeting of the school year.

C.        The outgoing Board members shall complete any outstanding business for the current fiscal year, and facilitate the transition of the newly installed Board.

Section 3:        Terms of Office

A.        The newly elected Board members shall assume their full official duties at the beginning of the elected CFISD fiscal year on July 1st.

B.        PTO Board members shall not be eligible to serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office. This may be waived if there are no other members in good standing who submit a letter of interest form for that office.

C.        All elected Board members and Committee Chairs shall be members in good standing of the Woodard PTO.

D.        A term of office is defined as one (1) year, from the assumption of duties except for the positions of President and Treasurer whose term of office is defined as two (2) years.

Section 4:        Resignations and Terminations

A.        Resignation from the PTO Board must be submitted in writing to the PTO President, and must be received prior to the effective date.

B.        Board members may be terminated from office for not fulfilling their duties as outlined in these Bylaws. A termination requires a majority vote in favor of the motion from all remaining Board members upon a vacancy occurring in any office of the PTO Board. The President shall appoint a member in good standing to fulfill the duties of the individual who vacates the position. This motion requires a majority vote of the PTO Board in favor of the candidate and approval of the Principal.

ARTICLE X: BOARD MEMBER DUTIES

Section 1:        The duties of all PTO Board members shall be to:

A.        Present a report of any on-going work in their respective areas of responsibility at PTO Board meetings and at meetings of the Organization as deemed necessary. This may include, but not be limited to, inviting appropriate members of the Organization to attend and present and update regarding a specific committee or project.

B.        Attend monthly PTO Board meetings, general PTO meetings, and special meetings that may be called. Board members unable to attend should notify the President. A Board member who accumulates two (2) consecutive unexcused absences from Board meetings will be placed under review by the Board and the Principal as described in ARTICLE X, Section 2.

C.        Perform all duties as outlined in these Bylaws.

D.        Transact necessary business in the intervals between meetings of the Organization. A majority of the elected PTO Board members shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the Board members.

E.         Perform specific duties for the office for which they were elected, including, but not limited to, those duties delineated in the Sections following.

Section 2:        Any elected or appointed officer who is unable or unwilling to fulfill his/her duties, not acting in the best interest of the Organization or is in violation of school or PTO policy may be placed under review or removed from the PTO Board by a majority vote.  This includes but is not limited to, unexcused absences from PTO Board Meetings or failure to communicate with other PTO Board Members regarding Organization business.  (An unexcused absence occurs when the officer does not contact the President prior to meeting when he or she cannot attend.)  Prior to review or removal, the PTO Board will send a notice approved by the Principal and signed by a Representative of the PTO Board to the said officer.
Section 3:        The duties of the President shall be to:

A.        Preside over the Organization for a two (2) year term held by only one individual per term.

B.        Preside at all meetings of the Organization and the PTO Board.

C.        Prepare and present an agenda for all such meetings.

D.        Review and approve the work of the Board members and their Committees in order that the objectives may be promoted.

E.         Represent Woodard Elementary at the District level as necessary.

F.         The President shall also be an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nomination Committee.

G.        Clearly communicate with the PTO general membership as to the progress of PTO Board activities and progress of work.

Section 4:        The duties of the Vice-Presidents shall be to:

A.        Act as aides to the President and shall, in the order listed, perform the duties of the President in the absence or inability of the President to serve. These positions have a one (1) year term and may be held by two persons in a co-VP capacity.

B.        The 1st Vice-President(s) shall be in charge of Membership which includes, but is not limited to, membership drive, prepare and maintain membership roster, and prepare and distribute the membership directory, and other such duties delegated by the PTO Board

C.        The 2nd Vice-President(s) shall be in charge of Major Fundraising events which includes, but is not limited to, investigating the options for major fundraisers, present those options to members of the PTO Board and the Principal for approval, and coordinate and oversee all activities regarding Major Fundraising, and other such duties as delegated by the PTO Board.

D.        The 3rd Vice-President(s) shall be in charge of Minor Fundraising activities which includes, but is not limited to, investigating options for minor fundraisers, present those options to members of the PTO Board and the Principal for approval, and coordinate and oversee all activities regarding Minor Fundraising and other such duties delegated by the PTO Board.

E.         The 4th Vice-President(s) shall be in charge of Curriculum Support, which includes, but is not limited to, investigating options for curriculum enhancement, present those options to members of the PTO Board and Principal for approval, and coordinate and oversee all activities regarding Curriculum Support and other such duties delegated by the PTO Board. 

F.         The 5th Vice-President(s) shall be in charge of coordinating the parents for Homeroom Activities, which includes, but is not limited to, coordinating help for school parties, helping with field day and other needs that the teacher may have from the parents and other such duties as delegated by the PTO Board.

Section 5:        Board members holding the positions of Secretary, Treasurer, and Volunteer Coordinator shall serve as aides to all other Board members on an as-needed basis, in addition to specific duties as defined in following sections.

Section 6:        The Secretary/Parliamentarian shall record and present for approval the minutes of all meetings of the Organization and the PTO Board, and shall handle general correspondence for any business of the PTO Board. In addition, shall advise the presiding PTO Board regarding questions of parliamentary rules, provide consultation regarding parliamentary procedure, and perform duties as detailed in Article X.

Section 7:        The Treasurer shall follow all aspects of these Bylaws in regards to finances. Furthermore, the Treasurer shall develop an itemized budget for proposal to the PTO Board, receive all monies of the Organization, keep accurate records of receipts and expenditures, pay out funds in accordance with the approved budget, present a financial statement at each meeting of the Organization and the PTO Board, and complete or oversee the completion of all state and federal tax forms as required by law. The Treasurer will have all accounts examined and verified by a review committee appointed by the Board. The term of this office is two (2) years.

Section 8:        The Volunteer Coordinator shall oversee all volunteer needs at Woodard with focus on recruitment, retention, and recognition.

Section 9:        The Principal and/or Staff Liaison shall attend Board meetings and give input on needs of the campus as well as confirm event schedules.

ARTICLE XI: COMMITTEE GUIDELINES

Section 1:        Committees shall be created by the PTO Board as deemed necessary to promote the objectives and carry on the work of the Organization. All formed committees must adhere to the following guidelines. Chairs of all committees shall be appointed with the approval of the Board and the consideration of the Principal. Committee Chairs are responsible for recruiting their committee members, and for assisting with designated PTO functions.

Section 2:        In conjunction with the Board member in charge of a particular area, the Chair of each Committee shall propose a plan of work and submit that plan of work to the Board for approval of the committee, its function, and/or the event that will be conducted and, if applicable, what budgeted funds will be required. An approved plan of work is defined as a breakdown of how a particular event will allocate its budgeted funds.

Section 3:        Any committee that is created and appointed for a special purpose shall automatically dissolve when that purpose has been fulfilled.

Section 4:        The President shall be a member ex-officio of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS

Section 1:        These By-Laws may be amended at any General Meeting of the Organization by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting; and further provided that notice of the proposed amendment has been given at least two weeks prior to the General Meeting by written notice communicated to the Organization.

Section 2:        Copies of the amended Bylaws must then be submitted to the CFISD and all appropriate agencies of the state and federal governments. A copy of the revised Bylaws shall be posted at the school and made available to all members of the Organization.

ARTICLE XIII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1:        The rules contained in the Robert’s Rules of Order, in its most current revised state, shall govern all meetings of the Organization in all cases in which they are applicable.


Section 2:        The fiscal year of the Organization shall run concurrent with the currently defined CFISD fiscal year.

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