BYLAWS OF SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION ARTICLE I. NAME: This organization will be called the San Elijo Elementary School (SEES) Parent -Teacher Organization (PTO). ARTICLE II. PURPOSE: The purpose of this organization shall be to unite families, to inspire kids, and to underwrite success. The priorities of this organization shall be: •
facilitating strong, constructive relationships between students, parents, teachers, administrators and other schools in the San Marcos Unified School District
•
bridging the gap left by insufficient district and state funds to provide: auxiliary academic opportunities for students of all learning levels; a strong character building curriculum; frequent and regular participation in music; instruction in the arts; and, quality exposure to and experience in computers, technology and science
•
engaging parents in volunteer capacities wherever possible so as to: promote friendships; establish a caring and cohesive culture in which we nurture our young children; have success in our program and fundraising efforts
A complete copy of the SEES PTO Statement of Purpose is attached hereto as Exhibit A. This SEES PTO is organized exclusively for charitable and education purposes. The SEES PTO operates under the umbrella of the Valley of Discovery Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from 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.) ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP: All parents and teachers of SEES are members of the SEES PTO. ARTICLE IV. EXECUTIVE BOARD: Section 1. The Executive Board will be composed of the officers of the Organization, the Principal and/or his/her representative and the Teacher Representative(s). Section 2. The Executive Board will meet once a month during the school year, unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Board. Special or additional meetings of the Executive Board may be called by the President. 1 Version 2013-14.1
BYLAWS OF SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION Section 3. The Executive Board will carry out the purpose of the organization as stated in Article II and (a) plan and organize fund-raisers and service activities and (b) determine expenditures of funds. Section 4. The Principal and/or his/her representative will act as an advisor at all monthly meetings of the Executive Board. Section 5. The Teacher Representative(s) will be appointed annually by the other teachers and will attend all monthly Executive Board meetings. ARTICLE V. MEETINGS: Section 1. Executive Board Meetings. Meetings will be held monthly, typically on the first Monday of every month, alternating between morning and evening meetings at SEES. Meetings are open to all SEES families and staff. All PTO officers or their co are expected to attend these meetings. Section 2. General membership meetings of the organization will be held a minimum of two times during the school year. At the first General Meeting, the budget for the school year will be presented. At the final General Meeting, the slate of PTO officers will be approved for the following year; an accounting of all PTO monies received and expended for that year to date will be presented to parents; and a proposed preliminary budget for the following school year will be presented. Section 3. Agenda Items. If a member wishes to speak on a topic at a Board meeting (either an Executive or General Board meeting), (s)he shall submit the agenda item to the PTO President no later than the Friday preceding the meeting. Members will be notified if there is a change of day and/or time of a meeting at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. ARTICLE VI. ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Section 1. Officers must have a child in SEES during the year they are to hold office. Section 2. The officers of the Organization will be as follows: President, Vice President Fundraising Events, Vice President Fundraising Programs, Vice President Activities, Vice President School Spirit , Vice President Volunteer Coordination, Vice President Community Sponsorship, Vice President Room Parent Coordination, Vice President Communications, Vice President Country Fair, Secretary, Class Fund Treasurer, and Treasurer. Section 3. Election of the Officers of the Board will be held annually with the exception of the President, who will serve a two-year term. All officers will be eligible to run for the same office for a maximum of four consecutive years. All Executive Board positions may be shared by no more than two people. Section 4. Election Process 2 Version 2013-14.1
BYLAWS OF SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION a. A Letter of Invitation for Board applicants will be sent to all parents. Interested parties will have 2 weeks to nominate themselves or others and will submit their application by the stated deadline. b. The list of all interested parties will be put together by the Secretary and delivered to the Principal and outgoing President. a. The Principal and outgoing President will contact those candidates who have expressed interest in being alerted if there are other candidates interested in the same position, so that they may discuss any position that does not have any candidates. d. A ballot will go out in May to all SEES parents for a vote on the positions. Each position will also include a write-in option. e. The Principal and outgoing President, or their respective designees, will verify the votes before the final General Meeting. In the event that the outgoing President plans to run for a new office the following year, the Executive Board will elect an outgoing Board member who is not running for any office to verify the votes with the Principal. All candidates will be notified by the Principal of the election results prior to the General Board Meeting. Section 5. At the final General Meeting, the officers for the coming year will be presented. Section 6. The elected officers will assume their duties as the Board-Elect after they are installed at the final General Meeting. The Board-Elect will then assume full duties as the PTO Executive Board upon completion of the school year. During the summer months, the new Board and the past Board will meet regularly to provide for a seamless transition. Integral to this transition will be training to be led by the President and the Principal, including training specific to their office, parliamentary training, budget reviews, and school rules, and any other items the Principal and President deem necessary. Section 7. The president may recommend the addition of or removal of any Executive Board positions as necessary with the approval of the Executive Board. Section 8. All vacancies, newly created offices or suggested nominations for a co-chair will be filled at the discretion of and appointment by the President with a vote of the Executive Board. This may included board members who may want to extend after four years. At the discretion of the President and with the approval of the executive board, a committee may be established along with its reporting structure in place of any vacant board position Section 9. If the President resigns or can no longer fulfill his/her duties prior to the end of his/her term, a closed election will be held by the voting Board members to fill this position for the remainder of the term. Section 10. Should an Executive Board member fail to fulfill her/his duties as set forth in Article VII below, including but not limited to the repeated failure to attend Executive Board meetings, the failure to communicate with other Executive Board members about important duties, the repeated neglect of her/his duties, then at the discretion of the President, that Executive Board member may be asked to resign her/his position. The vacancy will be filled as detailed in Article VI, Section 9 above. 3 Version 2013-14.1
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ARTICLE VII. OFFICERS AND DUTIES: In addition to the position specified below, all officers are expected to adhere to monetary procedures (Appendix I), event process and safety guidelines (Appendix II). Section 1. The President will preside at all meetings, and will be an ex officio member of all committees. The President will provide leadership to the Board, including assisting with goal setting and planning of activities. The President will attend and report on the monthly PAC meetings at SMUSD. The President will review and update Appendix II on an annual or more frequent basis. Section 2. The VP Fundraising Events will calendar and coordinate fundraising events in efforts to meet fundraising budget projections. The VP Fundraising Events will present these activities to the Executive Board for their approval and will present monthly reports concerning the status of the fundraisers at the Executive Board meeting. Section 3: The Vice President Fundraising Programs will calendar and coordinate passive fundraising programs in efforts to meet fundraising programs budget projections. The VP Fundraising Programs will present these activities to the Executive Board for their approval and will present monthly reports concerning the status of the passive fundraisers at the Executive Board meeting. The VP Fundraising Programs will maintain the Brick Pathway to Success and Tile Wall programs. Section 4. The Vice President Activities will calendar and coordinate the family activities of the PTO. The VP Activities will present these activities to the Executive Board for their approval and will present monthly reports concerning the status of the activities at the Executive Board meeting. Section 5. The Secretary will keep an accurate record of the proceedings of each meeting and will be prepared to read, on call, the record of any previous meetings as well as keep track of email votes and approved email motions. The Secretary will attend all meetings of the PTO. The Secretary will send out all minutes within two weeks to the Executive Board members for their review and approval. Executive Board members must review the minutes and send any revisions to the Secretary prior to the next Board meeting. The Secretary will serve as Parliamentarian. As Parliamentarian, (s)he will prepare a summary of all unfinished business for the President, and will be committee chairperson of the Bylaw Revision Committee, to meet at least once per year, and will keep notes throughout the year on any recommended changes. The Secretary will review all PTO correspondence received (mail, packages, phone calls, emails) and distribute all correspondence to the appropriate officer or respond as necessary. (S)he will provide SEES administrative staff with pertinent PTO information for new families. (S)he will order and maintain office supplies and PTO equipment. (S)he will be responsible for the coordination of voting procedures for PTO elections.
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BYLAWS OF SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION Section 6. The Treasurer will receive, collect, recount, make timely deposits and pay out all moneys subject to the order of the organization. (S)he will manage the renting/obtaining of the credit card machines and online payment sources. (S)he will work closely with Valley of Discovery Educational Foundation to make deposits and check requests. (S)he will keep an accurate account of all money received and expended and (s)he will render a report in writing at the final General Meeting. (S)he will meet with the Principal to draft the budget for each fiscal year. This budget will be presented at the first General Meeting. The Treasurer and TreasurerElect will review and balance all accounts within 30 days of the last day of the school year, and renew all required insurance policies and submit copies to the District office. All VDEF check requests require two signatures, those of the appropriate Board member and the President. If either of these officers is unavailable then the Treasurer will provide the second signature. Monies spent not budgeted through SEES PTO budget line item or committee budget item must have prior consent by the President or Treasurer. All reimbursement requests must be submitted to the Treasurer within 2 weeks of an event. All monies will be collected and/or counted by at least (2) two PTO members (representing 2 different PTO Board positions) one of whom must be an Executive Board member or chairperson of standing committee, excluding SEES Staff members. The Treasurer will review and update Appendix I on an annual or more frequent basis. Section 7. The Vice President Room Parent Coordination will plan, organize and implement training and guidance for all Room Parents, a minimum of twice per year. The VP Room Parent Coordination will serve as the liaison between the Room Parents and the PTO and will work closely with the Class Fund Treasurer. The VP Room Parent Coordination will develop and assemble a working Room Parent Binder and Room Parent Directory that will be distributed to all Room Parents. (S)he will keep all Room Parents informed on the District s Wellness Policy. The VP Room Parent will assist with and approve e-mails and letters that can be used by Room Parents to help with communication. The VP Room Parent Coordination will arrange schoolwide Staff Appreciation efforts. (S)he will verify the Class Fund Treasurers withdrawals and deposits. (S) he will coordinate classroom baskets for the Country Fair. Section 8. The Vice President Volunteer Coordination will coordinate volunteers at PTOsponsored events. The VP Volunteer Coordination will publicize the need for volunteers by such means as s(he) deems appropriate. The VP Volunteer Coordination will develop a volunteer pool to be used as a resource for locating volunteers for events. The VP Volunteer Coordination will schedule volunteers for events and establish and maintain contact with volunteers prior to the event. The VP Volunteer Coordination will ensure that prior to any event, every PTO volunteer has a current liability waiver signed and on file. Section 9. The Vice President School Spirit will implement and run the spirit program at SEES, including the ordering and distribution of spirit wear throughout the school year. The VP School Spirit will be the liaison with the Student Council. The VP School Spirit will offer support for Community Service projects with the Student Council. Section 10. The Vice President Communications will publish an electronic PTO Newsletter, maintain a PTO calendar on the website, and post pertinent PTO information, including monthly meeting minutes, approved forms and the current approved budget. The VP Communications 5 Version 2013-14.1
BYLAWS OF SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION will prepare the monthly piece for the Fountain newspaper and maintain any social media communications. The VP Communications will also coordinate email alerts and PACE calls at the discretion of the Principal and the President. Section 11. The Class Fund Treasurer will reconcile the VDEF monthly report. S(he) will coordinate with the Vice President of Room Parent Coordination and Treasurer on the management of classroom funds. S(he) will track all monies through a spreadsheet and will make deposits and withdrawals of such funds. (S)he will keep an accurate account of all monies received and expended for class funds. (S)he will keep Room Parents updated with class fund balances. (S)he will present the class fund process to the Room Parents at the beginning of the year Room Parent Meeting. All class fund check requests require two signatures, those of the Class Fund Treasurer and the VP Room Coordinator. Section 12. The Vice President of Country Fair will establish a Country Fair committee to determine the overall theme and date for the event and oversee all aspects of the Country Fair in order to meet Country Fair budget projections. S(he) will present all subcommittee budgets to the Executive Board for their approval. S(he) will be responsible for communicating all relevant Country Fair information to the Board. S(he) will oversee all sub committee positions and will schedule and run all Country Fair meetings. Section 13. The Teacher Representative will act as a liaison between the teachers and the Executive Board. The representative will also be responsible for communicating all relevant information discussed and decided at the Board meeting to the teachers. Section 14. The Principal will act as liaison between SEES Staff & PTO Board. ARTICLE VIII. STANDING COMMITTEES: Section 1. Standing committees will be created by the Board member in charge of the event or service as may be required to carry on the work of the Organization. Section 2. The chairpersons of the standing committees from an unfilled Board seat will be recruited from the general membership of the organization and approved by the Executive Board. Section 3. The term of office for these chairpersons will be for the required duration of the project or event. Section 4. At the completion of each event, chairpersons will submit a summary to the appropriate Executive Board representative. ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS: The Bylaws may be amended when necessary. The Secretary will chair a committee recommended by the President with the approval of the Executive Board, who will review and 6 Version 2013-14.1
BYLAWS OF SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION recommend any necessary revisions of the Bylaws. These revised Bylaws will be approved by the Executive Board. ARTICLE X. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY: The parliamentary authority of the Organization shall be Robert s Rules of Order . The following information is listed in order to clarify voting procedures: a. Voting members are the Vice President Fundraising Events, Vice President Fundraising Programs, Vice President Activities, Vice President School Spirit, Vice President Volunteer Coordination, Vice President of Country Fair, Vice President Room Parent Coordination, Vice President Communications, Secretary, Class Fund Treasurer, and Treasurer. Each Executive Board position will receive one vote. Shared Executive Board positions will share one vote which may be cast by either party. b. A quorum will be established when 2/3 of the voting members are present. c. When a quorum is present, a simple majority vote that is a majority of the votes cast, is sufficient for the adoption of any motion. All members of the Executive Board may vote except the President, the Principal and the Teacher Representative. d. When an issue cannot wait until the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, an Executive Board vote may take place via email so long as every Board position places a vote on the motion. The results of the vote by e-mail will be tracked by the secretary, which must be reflected in the minutes of the subsequent Executive Board meeting. e. The President will be asked to vote only to break a tie on a given motion. He/she will vote in a general election. f. A member may abstain from voting. g. The attending members may cast votes for themselves and may act as a proxy for others. In the case of a proxy vote, the member wishing to have a proxy vote in his/her stead must notify the Secretary in writing prior to the meeting and provide a report. This notification may be in the form of an email. The Secretary shall note the name of the member asking to use a proxy and the name of the member who will cast the proxy vote at the meeting minutes. ARTICLE XI. DISSOLUTION: If the SEES PTO should dissolve, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the organization, all remaining assets are to be donated to SEES, to be used for education purposes. However, if SEES should dissolve, or is no longer a qualified distributee, or unwilling or unable to accept the distribution, then the assets of the organization will be distributed to the Valley of Discovery Education Foundation or to a fund, foundation, or other qualified organization as set forth in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The 7 Version 2013-14.1
BYLAWS OF SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION property of the Organization is irrevocably dedicated to charitable purposes and no part of the income or assets of the Organization will ever inure to the benefit of any director, officer or member thereof to the benefit of any private person. ARTICLE XII. STANDING RULES: Section 1. A meeting of the Present Executive Board and the Executive Board-Elect will be called to make plans for the coming year s work. Section 2. At the final General Meeting of the school year, a copy of the Bylaws will be given to each member of the Board-Elect. Each member will be responsible for making a thorough study of them. A copy of these Bylaws will be made available online and in the SEES community room. Section 3. The Principal, President and/or President-Elect will meet to discuss the activities for the upcoming year. The proposed activities will then be presented to the entire board at the first official PTO meeting of the year, and any calendar issues will be discussed. Section 4. In the event the Bylaws are changed to shorten the terms of office, officers will continue to serve through the terms for which they were originally elected.
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BYLAWS OF SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION Approved on_________________________________ 20___________
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PRESIDENT
TREASURER
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VP FUNDRAISING PROGRAMS
VP FUNDRAISING EVENTS
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SECRETARY
VP ACTIVITIES
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VP COMMUNICATIONS
VP VOLUNTEER COORDINATION
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CLASS FUND TREASURER
VP COUNTRY FAIR
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VP ROOM PARENT COORDINATION
VP SCHOOL SPIRIT 9 Version 2013-14.1
BYLAWS OF SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION Accepted on_________________________________ 20___________
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PRESIDENT
TREASURER
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VP FUNDRAISING PROGRAMS
VP FUNDRAISING EVENTS
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SECRETARY
VP ACTIVITIES
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VP COMMUNICATIONS
VP VOLUNTEER COORDINATION
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CLASS FUND TREASURER
VP COUNTRY FAIR
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VP ROOM PARENT COORDINATION
VP SCHOOL SPIRIT 10 Version 2013-14.1
SAN ELIJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTO HISTORY Motto: Uniting families, inspiring kids, underwriting success History: In the final trimester of the 2005/6 school year, when posed with the question of how the PTO should move forward in the transition from the combined K-8 San Elijo School to the separate entities of San Elijo Elementary and San Elijo Middle School, families of SEES elected to establish two executive boards rather than a combined transitional board. Individuals came forward to volunteer, and the initial slate for our current executive board was approved via email by SEES families in the spring trimester 2006. Our first board meeting was held in May of 2006. At our May 2006 meeting the new executive board voted to expand the board by two additional officer positions -- VP Corporate Sponsorship and VP School Spirit/SES Liaison. Our bylaws were established using the SES bylaws as our guide and our inaugural board set to work. Through the generosity of the previous executive board, we launched our inaugural year with over $13,000 in seed money. We are committed to being good stewards of those funds and the solid legacy preceding us while striving to meet our unique needs as a brand new elementary school. The first Executive PTO Board of SEES made the transition from a K-8 to our own individual school a huge success. Through many activities and fundraisers, they were able to support the needs of the elementary school through art, music, technology, math, reading, teacher grants and more. In May of 2007, the members of the first Executive PTO Board stepped down and the new board was elected into position. Monies were rolled over and the board continued to support the wants and the needs of the principal, teachers and students of SEES. We continue to carry on the legacy that has been started and carried on prior to these elected positions. Our priorities: • facilitating strong, constructive relationships between students, parents, teachers, administrators and other schools within the San Marcos Unified School District •
bridging the gap left by insufficient district and state funds to provide: auxiliary academic opportunities for students of all learning levels; a strong character building curriculum; frequent and regular participation in music; instruction in the arts; and, quality exposure to and experience in computers, technology and science
•
engaging parents in volunteer capacities wherever possible so as to: promote friendships; establish a caring and cohesive culture in which we nurture our young children; have success in our program and fundraising efforts
Our philosophy: We are an open board with a strong belief in the correlation between school success and parental involvement. This is a building year, so we plan to offer a wide menu of involvement 11 Version 2013-14.1
opportunities so as to meet the needs of our budget and determine what events families might prefer in future years. Our biggest projected expenditure this year will be in the development of a permanent computer lab, which will benefit students for many years to come. Our three major fundraising tools will be the Pave the Way to the Future community sponsorship effort (including the brick pathway and tile wall), student-driven gift wrap sales, and our March Madness spring fundraiser for SEES parents and friends. Our legacy: We, as a board, would like our work to inspire people to want to be involved in the PTO at a leadership level. We would like them to say I want to be on the PTO . In addition, we would like people to understand that the PTO can make a big difference in the lives of our students, the jobs of our teachers and administrators, and in the willingness of greater community members and businesses to invest in SEES and its future.
Appendix I- Event Checklist and Safety Guidelines Appendix II- Money Exchange/Handling Guidelines
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