Anne Watson Elementary PTO Bylaws
Article I – Name
Anne Watson Elementary PTO
Article II – Purpose
Anne Watson Elementary PTO has been established for the purpose of supporting the education of all children at Anne Watson Elementary by fostering relationships among the school, parents, and teachers.
Article III – Members
Section 1. Any parents or legal guardian of a student may be a member and shall have voting rights. The superintendent, the principal, and any teacher employed at the school may be a member and have voting rights.
Section 2. Dues, if any, will be established by the executive board. If dues are charged, a member must have paid his or her dues at least 14 calendar days before the meeting to be considered a member in good standing with voting rights.
Article IV – Officers and Elections
Section 1. – Officers. The officers shall be a president, a vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
President. The president shall preside over meetings of the organization and executive board, serve as the primary contact for the principal, represent the organization at meetings outside the organization, serve as an ex officio member of all the committees except the nominating committee, and coordinate the work of all the officers and committees so that the purpose of the organization is served.
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.
Secretary. The secretary shall keep all records of the organization, take and record minutes, prepare the agenda, handle correspondence, and send notices of meetings to the membership. The secretary also keeps a copy of the minutes book, bylaws, rules, membership list, and any other necessary supplies, and brings them to meetings.
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. He or she shall present a financial statement at every meeting and at other times throughout the year as requested by the executive board, and make a full report at the end of the year.
Section 2. Nominations and Elections. Elections will be held at the second to the last meeting of the school year. One month prior to this meeting, nominations need to made. This can be done by any member of the PTO. All voting shall take place in the way of a ballot vote.
Section 3. Eligibility. Members are eligible for office if they are members in good standing at least 14 calendar days before the nominations are made.
Section 4. Terms of Office. Officers are elected for one year and may serve no more than (2) consecutive terms in the same office. Each person elected shall hold only one office at a time.
Section 5. Vacancies. If there is a vacancy in the office of president, the vice president will become president. At the next regularly scheduled meeting, a new vice president will be elected. If there is a vacancy in any other office, members will fill the vacancy through an election at the next regular meeting.
Section 6. 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 previous notice has been given.
Article V – Meetings
Section 1. Regular Meetings. The regular meeting of the organization shall be on the first Tuesday 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 one month 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 or phone calls.
Section 3. Quorum. The quorum shall be 5 members of the organization.
Article VI – Executive Board
Section 1. Membership. The executive board shall consist of the officers, superintendent, and principal.
Section 2. Duties. The duties of the executive board shall be to transact between meetings in preparation for the general meeting, create standing rules and policies, 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 at the same time each month, to be determined by the board. Special meetings may be called by any two board members, with 24 hour 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 officio member of all committees.
Section 2. Standing Committees. The following committees shall be held by the organization: Audit, Fundraising, Hospitality, Membership, Communications, and Nominating.
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 the 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 shall approve all expenses of the organization.
Section 4. Two authorized signatures shall be required on each check over the amount of $50.00 Authorized signers shall be the president, treasurer, and the principal.
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 outstanding bills and, with the membership’s approval, spent to benefit the school.
Section 7. The fiscal year shall coordinate with the school year.
Article IX – 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. All standing rules shall be approved by the superintendent and the principal.
Article X – Dissolution
The organization may be dissolved with previous notice (14 calendar days) and a two-thirds vote of those present at the meeting.
Article XI – Amendments
These bylaws may be amended at any meeting or special meeting, providing that previous notice was given in writing at the prior meeting and then sent to all members of the organization by the secretary. Notice may be given by postal mail, e-mail, or fax. Amendments will be approved by two-thirds of those present (assuming a quorum), the superintendent, and the principal.
