WINFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT 34
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I: Name, Purpose and Policies
A. Name
The name of this organization shall be Winfield School District 34 Parent Teacher Organization (Winfield PTO).
B. Purpose
1. To support the parent/teacher/student and community relationship.
2. To promote the school’s educational programs and atmosphere through volunteer services and fundraising programs.
C. Policies
1. This organization shall be non-profit, non-commercial, non-sectarian, non-discriminatory and non-partisan.
2. The organization may cooperate with other organizations and agencies active in child education and welfare, provided its representatives make no commitment that binds the group it represents.
3. The name of the organization or the names of any members in their official capacities shall not be used to endorse or promote a commercial concern or in connection with any partisan interest or for any purpose not appropriately related to promotion of the objectives of the Winfield PTO.
4. The organization shall not, directly or indirectly, participate or intervene (in any way, including the publishing or distributing of statements) in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office or devote more than an insubstantial part of its activities in attempting to influence legislation by propaganda or otherwise.
5. The organization shall not seek to direct the administrative activities of the school, or to direct its policies.
6. The organization shall direct any grievances pertaining to the faculty, staff, or educational programs through the proper channels of communications established by the Board of Education.
7. The organization shall be supportive of the educational program, and shall be developed through volunteer services, supplemental educational programs, and fundraising projects.
8. Dissolution: The organization may be dissolved with previous notice (14 calendar days) and a two-thirds vote of those present at the meeting. Upon dissolution, all assets of Winfield PTO existing after all debts have been paid will be given directly to Winfield School District 34, unless a new group has been formed & permission has been granted by PTO (prior to dissolution) to transfer the funds and assets to the name of the new group.
ARTICLE II: Structure, Membership and Voting
A. Structure The PTO shall consist of the following:
1. The Executive Board (Article V-A)
2. Standing Committee Coordinators (Article VI-A)
3. All eligible members (Article II-B)
4. Principal(s) or another appointed representative
5. Teacher Representative from the WTA (Winfield Teacher Association)
B. Membership
1. All parents/guardians of students presently attending Winfield School District 34 shall be considered active and voting members of PTO.
2. All teachers presently employed by District 34 will be considered active and voting members of PTO.
3. Any Principal, Vice-Principal, Appointed Representative or Superintendent can be asked to serve in an advisory capacity to the organization. These shall be non-voting positions. If they have a child in District 34, their status as a parent supersedes their status of the advisory position.
C. Voting
1. When a motion is made for a vote, any member present at that meeting shall be eligible to vote.
2. Any member present who wishes to abstain from voting has the right to do so, simply by stating their intention.
3. Votes may be done by voice or ballot.
4. A vote will pass with a majority vote of members present.
ARTICLE III: Fiscal Year and Meetings
A. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year shall begin on August 1 and end on July 31 the following year, inclusive.
B. Meetings
1. PTO General Meetings will be held at least 6 times per year, the date and times to be determined by the Executive Board and published in the school calendar. Additional meetings will be scheduled as needed.
2. These meetings are open to everyone.
3. A meeting may be cancelled by a majority vote of members present.
ARTICLE IV: Executive Board
A. There shall be an Executive Board, in which the executive power of the Winfield PTO shall be vested. The Executive Board shall have the authority to decide, carry out the activities, and have charge of the funds of the Winfield PTO in accordance with these By-laws.
B. The Executive Board shall consist of the elected officers as listed in Article V-A.
C. The duties of the Executive Board shall be to transact any necessary business of the Organization between meetings and such other business as may be referred to it by the Organization; to approve plans of work of each committee coordinator; and to present reports to the regular meetings of the Organization.
ARTICLE V: Executive Officers, Terms & Policies of Office, Vacancies and Duties
A. Officers
1. President
2. Vice President
3. Past President Liaison
4. Secretary
5. Treasurer
B. Terms and Policies of Office
1. Officers are elected for one-year terms at the annual April PTO meeting.
2. They will assume their duties at the end of the school year, although it is highly recommended for new incoming officers to attend at least one of the remaining meetings in the current year.
3. Each officer must keep a folder containing a copy of the budgets, activities, contacts and all other items particular to the operation of their own position.
4. At the conclusion of their term in office, they must present complete reports, including any inventory and recommendations, and the above referenced folder to their replacements and to the Executive Board. If no replacement has been chosen, the folder should be passed on to the President.
5. Any official solicitations must be done on official PTO Letterhead and copies of such letters must be given to the Secretary. Letterhead is available through the Secretary or President.
C. Vacancies
1. In case of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President shall fill the unexpired term.
2. In case of a vacancy in any other office, the Nominating Committee will present a candidate at the next general meeting, motion to vote the candidate in, and a vote shall be taken.
3. Termination – Officers who fail to carry out their duties, give reports and attend board meetings, may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the executive board at any PTO meeting.
D. Duties of Officers
2. Vice President– The Vice President shall act as an aide to the President and shall perform the duties of the President in the absence or inability of the officer to serve. The Vice President can be an advisory member of all committees.
3. Past President Liaison – The Past President Liaison shall serve in an advisory capacity on the Executive Board. A former officer, preferably previous President, shall fill the position. If a previous President or Vice President is not available, the most recent Past President Liaison can fill this roll or if need be, it can be filled by another active member with PTO knowledge.
4. Secretary – The Secretary shall record minutes during the PTO meetings including attendance and the record of votes. The Secretary will maintain and distribute copies of the monthly general meeting minutes and minutes of Executive Board Meetings. He/She will provide copies of the By-Laws when requested and will execute official correspondence as directed. The Secretary will maintain copies of the official letterhead. Additionally, the Secretary will keep a running list of any standing rules proposed and approved during general PTO meetings, and will keep a copy of these rules available for reference during these meetings. Standing rules shall be defined as any rules created for the purpose of operating PTO which are not included in the By-Laws and may be temporary in nature.
5
. Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Winfield PTO. The Treasurer shall deposit funds and pay bills as authorized by the board. He/She shall prepare monthly & annual reports of income and expenses for the executive board. The Treasurer will follow the guidelines under Article VII: PTO Funds Appropriation for recording income and expenses under the appropriate accounts.ARTICLE VI: Standing Committees, Terms & Policies of Office, Vacancies and Duties
A. Standing Committees
1. Standing Committees will consist of the following:
|
1. Book Fair (Fall) |
6. Hostess |
11. School Supplies |
|
2. Box Tops |
7. Philanthropy |
12. Soup Labels |
|
3. Family Fun Nights |
8. Programs |
13. Spiritwear |
|
4. Fund Raising |
9. Publicity |
14. Student Directory |
|
5. Get Movin’ Games |
10. Room Parents |
15. Volunteer Coordinator |
2. Additional standing committees may be appointed by the President/Executive Board as needed and shall serve until their assignments are completed.
B. Terms and Policies of Office
1. Standing Committee Coordinators shall serve for a term of one year.
2. Standing Committee Coordinators shall select the members of their committees.
3. Standing Committee Coordinators shall be expected to attend scheduled PTO meetings and to report the status of all work undertaken by their committee to the Board, particularly during times when their committee is active. If unable to attend, a written report shall be submitted to an executive officer prior to the scheduled meeting either in person, by fax or by email.
4. Any additional Standing Committee Coordinators shall attend meetings as needed and follow the guidelines given to all other committee chairs.
5. The executive board must approve all committee projects.
6. All expenditures must be within the approved budget. The executive board must approve any expenses over the PTO Budgeted dollar amount. All check requests should be submitted within 60 days of incurred expense.
7. Fundraising: Any committee with board approval and the principal's approval shall have the right to solicit outside funds to enhance their programs.
8. All income given to the Treasurer shall be reported on a "Record of Income Form".
9. Each committee coordinator must maintain a folder containing guidelines, budgets, activities, contacts and any other items pertaining to the operation of the committee.
10. At the end of their term of office, committee coordinators must present complete reports (including the folder noted in item #9 above), useful recommendations and any inventories they may have to their successors and the PTO Executive Board.
11. Any official solicitations must be done on official PTO Letterhead and copies of such letters must be given to the Secretary. Letterhead is available through the Secretary or President. A draft of the solicitation letter must be presented to the President and approved by the President prior to the letter being distributed.
12. Any Committee Chair unable to fulfill his or her duties for any reason should send a notice of resignation, either by written note, email or voice, to the PTO President as soon as possible with recommendations for a possible replacement.
C. Vacancies
1. Upon notice of resignation, termination or vacancy of any Standing Committee Coordinator, the Executive Board shall at their next regular meeting appoint a replacement.
2. Termination – Standing Committee Coordinators who fail to carry out their duties, give reports and attend board meetings, may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the executive board at any PTO meeting.
D. Duties
1. Book Fair (Fall) – The coordinator will organize a fall book fair to be held once a year during the week of Curriculum night. He/she will schedule volunteers to work shifts accordingly.
2. Box Tops – The coordinator will organize two contests per year in order to encourage participation in the collection of Box Tops. In addition, he/she will retrieve Box Tops from classrooms & collection boxes and send them into General Mills when needed.
3. Family Fun Nights -Two or three times per year the coordinator will organize a Family Fun Night for the purpose of providing an opportunity for members of the Winfield 34 community to join together in a fun family activity. This event shall not be a fundraising event; however the committee may charge whatever fees are necessary to cover the expenses of the event. This may consist of a Family Movie Night or other theme agreed upon by the committee and approved at a PTO General Meeting.
4. Fundraising – The coordinator shall make recommendations for fundraising activities for the school year and will recruit Coordinators for the programs when needed. Whenever possible, all fundraising products will be delivered to and distributed from the school property. In the event a coordinator is not appointed in this role, the Vice President or President will assume the duties of overseeing all fundraisers and coordinators for specific events will be assigned.
5. Get Movin’ Games – The coordinator shall plan active outdoor games for the community to enjoy after the Good Old Days parade in September.
6. Hostess
– The coordinator shall plan and host the staff appreciation luncheon usually scheduled in April or May.7. Philanthropy – The coordinator will oversee the Philanthropy Program which provides grants to cover administrative, teacher, student and classroom needs not covered in the school budget. The coordinator will provide Philanthropy Request forms to both school buildings which include instructions about how to apply for the grants, when grant requests are reviewed and the process for obtaining reimbursement. Administrative staff or teachers will submit completed applications to the Principal who will forward appropriate requests to the Philanthropy Coordinator. The Coordinator will present the requests at the October and February PTO meetings along with his/her recommendations as to which requests we can meet within the budget set at the September PTO meeting. All members present shall have the opportunity to discuss the merits of each request. The coordinator will then motion to approve all recommended requests and a voice vote will be taken. If there are objections, each request will be considered individually. Following the meeting, the Coordinator will complete the paperwork, keeping a copy for her/himself, forwarding a copy to the PTO Treasurer and returning the originals to the Principal. The Principal will notify applicants of the status of their request and distribute a form for all grant recipients to return to the Coordinator when they have completed their purchase. The Coordinator will follow-up and report the status of all requests at scheduled PTO meetings.
8. Programs – The coordinator shall schedule two educational assembly programs throughout the school year for District 34 students. The coordinator shall present choices available to the school principal prior to scheduling programs in order to obtain staff input and recommendations regarding themes and program content.
9. Publicity – The coordinator shall publicize PTO meetings, events, and projects to promote Winfield School within the school itself and in the community. In addition, the coordinator will be responsible for promoting PTO sponsored events and services on the bulletin boards in both the Central School by the gym & the Primary School by the office.
10. Room Parents – The coordinator shall be responsible for organizing the room parent program for the school. He/she will also be required to create and distribute appropriately a list of all room parents.
11. School Supplies – The coordinator will choose a vendor to provide services for families to order school supply kits for the following school year. He/She will get a list of required supplies from the school secretary in March/April. That list will be forwarded to the vendor in order to create kits. He/She will coordinate the order taking and distributing of the kits when they arrive in August.
12. Spiritwear – The coordinator shall be responsible for communicating with a spiritwear apparel company and selecting items which will feature the Winfield Schools logo. He/she will coordinate the order taking and distributing of the spiritwear items.
13. Soup Labels – The coordinator will collect labels from students & award prizes when appropriate. In addition, he/she will send labels to Campbell’s when necessary. Based on the number of points we have accumulated, he/she will notify staff of items they may order.
14. Student Directory – The coordinator shall gather student and family contact information from the school administrative staff in order to compile and distribute a student directory.
15. Volunteers –The coordinator shall update the Volunteer Handbook before the beginning of the school year, collect Volunteer Worksheets in August and September and create a volunteer database to assist in distributing lists of volunteers to the appropriate committees and school departments. The coordinator will schedule volunteers for school services (i.e. Fall & Spring pictures, various screenings, media center,photocopying, etc.) He/she will assist committee coordinators with projects as needed.
ARTICLE VII: PTO Funds Appropriation
A. All funds, (income & expenses) shall be recorded in one bank account, separated within, into two different categories noted as "Activities Funds" & "General PTO Funds."
B. "Activities Funds" – Extra Curricular Sports, Clubs, and Activities.
1. Income will be recorded in this fund from all profits generated through Target Rebate Program, unless voted otherwise.
2. In addition, other funds may be added to this account with approval of the PTO Board.
3. A special sub-account designated as "Drama Club" will consist of all monies generated by the Drama Club or designated as Drama Club Fundraisers. Although the PTO Treasurer will track these funds, all decisions regarding how to spend these funds are at the sole discretion of the Drama Department.
4. Expenses will be paid from the Activities Fund for any approved requests dealing with extra curricular sports, clubs and activities for students in District 34 (Kindergarten – 8th Grade), including a limited number of scholarships to cover activities fees for students who meet income requirements. Scholarships to students for participating in activities or sports shall be limited to one activity or sport per year per student and will be awarded at the discretion of the Principal.
5. Other expenses may be paid with special approval of the PTO Board and the Activities Director and/or School Principal.
6. Approval for any activities requests require acceptance from the Activities Director and/or School Principal, in addition to approval at a PTO meeting.
7. Requests may be approved on a monthly basis rather than waiting for the October or February Philanthropy votes.
C. "General PTO Funds"
1. Income will be recorded in this section from all sources (excluding Target School rebates), unless voted otherwise by the PTO Board.
2. All expenses other than those for Activities, Clubs & Sports shall be deducted from these funds, including, but not limited to Teacher’s Philanthropy Requests, Classroom Start-Up Gifts, Program Assemblies, DARE Graduation, 8th Grade Graduation, Staff Appreciation Luncheon, and miscellaneous PTO administration expenses.
ARTICLE VIII: Special Committees
A. Auditing Committee
The Auditing Committee shall consist of an independent auditor (appointed by the PTO President), the Treasurer, and an Executive Officer. The committee shall complete a report by August 15th that will become a permanent record of the organization. The Treasurer will present the report to the board at the September PTO meeting.
B. By-Laws Review Committee
The committee shall consist of 3 members with the Vice President as the coordinator. This committee shall review the By-Laws annually (February/March) and recommend revisions as necessary.
C. Calendar Committee
A calendar committee shall consist of the President as Coordinator, the Fundraising Coordinator, the Activities Director, and the school Principal. This committee shall meet in April or May to coordinate activities for the upcoming school year.
D. Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall consist of an Executive Officer as Coordinator and at least one other person. They are to collect nominations and prepare a slate of officers/committee chairs for the following school year. They must contact nominees to provide job descriptions and make sure they agree to the responsibilities of the position. A vote to approve all candidates will be held at the April PTO meeting.
ARTICLE IX: Discipline
A. Charges of professional dishonesty, working against the principles and purposes of the organization and/or injuring the professional standing of another member, may be filed in a written statement, signed by five members in good standing, and submitted to the Executive Board.
B. The accused member shall be notified in writing of all allegations, and shall have the privilege of being present at a special or regular meeting of the Executive Board, at which time the charges will be considered.
C. A member may be suspended from the organization by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board, subsequent to the execution of the procedures set forth in Sections A & B of this Article.
D. If any member of the Board misses more than three meetings in a row, it shall be the duty of the President to contact that Board member and ascertain interest in remaining on the Board
ARTICLE X: By-Law Amendments and Revisions
A. The Review Committee shall review the By-Laws annually.
B. The Review Committee shall submit for vote, a revised set of By-Laws as a substitute for the existing By-Laws when necessary.
C. The By-Laws may be amended at a PTO meeting by a two-thirds vote, provided a notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given one week prior to the meeting.
D. Revisions and Amendments are effective immediately, unless otherwise noted and scheduled for a later date.
ARTICLE XI: Rules of Order
Robert’s Revised Rules of Order
shall govern the general order of all business when applicable and not inconflict with these By-Laws.
