Bylaws

John E. Burke PTO Bylaws Effective September 2019-2020

Article I – Name:

The name of the organization shall be John E. Burke Elementary School PTO.

Article II – Purpose: 

The purpose of the PTO is to enrich the education of the children of the Burke Elementary School and to enhance the efforts of the staff through sponsorship and promoting involvement in a variety of enrichment opportunities for students throughout the school year that would otherwise not be provided to them.

These opportunities include classroom experiences, cultural programs, and special events which shall be conducted throughout the school year. Our objective will be reached through the efforts of the PTO’s volunteering and fundraising activities and their on-going development of relationships between educators, parents, and the general public to provide each and every student with the highest advantages in physical, mental, and social education.

The PTO shall provide a forum for discussion of current issues which affect our school as well as to do our best to foster a spirit of cooperative problem solving among students, parents, teachers, and staff.

Article III – Membership: 

All parents and legal guardians of children currently enrolled in the Burke Elementary School, as well as the school principal, and teachers are members in the Burke PTO. This membership entitles one vote, per position, per parent or legal guardian.

Article IV – Officers and Elections: 

 Section 1 – Officers: 

The Executive Board shall consist of the following members: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and School Principal. Each of these positions has the option of being a co-chaired position excluding School Principal. Term will begin on July 1st and end on June 30th.

  1. President: The President serves a one-year term, not to exceed two consecutive terms. *The President oversees all PTO operations and works closely with the Vice President to manage the PTO, ensures the proper implementation of all By-Laws and procedures, is responsible for scheduling board meetings and general meetings as described in the By-Laws, acts as a liaison with the Principal and meets with him/her on a regular basis. The President makes a best effort to attend and preside over all PTO activities, functions, and fundraisers.
  2. Vice President: The Vice President serves a one-year term, not to exceed two consecutive terms. *The Vice President presides over all meetings at which the President is not present, coordinates with the President to set agendas for each board and general meeting, chairs the Scholarship Committee and oversees the awarding of scholarships as established in the By-Laws, chairs the By-Law Committee, oversees the annual updating of the PTO By-Laws, and chairs the Playground Committee. The Vice President makes a best effort to attend all PTO activities, functions, fundraisers, and reports on all financial requests.
  3. Secretary: The Secretary serves a one-year term, not to exceed two consecutive terms. *The Secretary makes a best effort to attend all board and general meetings and is responsible for taking attendance and recording the minutes for all meetings. The Secretary is responsible for maintaining a file of all PTO meeting minutes and provides a report to the membership documenting the minutes which were taken at the next meeting for approval by the membership. The Secretary makes a best effort to assist in all PTO activities, functions, and fundraisers as needed.
  4. Treasurer: The treasurer serves a one-year term, not to exceed two consecutive terms. *The Treasurer is responsible for keeping accurate records, maintaining a general ledger, and producing monthly financial statements to be available at monthly PTO meetings. The Treasurer ensures all fiscal policies are followed. The Treasurer makes a best effort to attend all PTO meetings, board and general. The Treasurer makes best efforts to assist in all PTO activities, functions, and fundraisers as needed. The out-going treasurer must have a formal meeting with incoming treasurer regarding procedures, policies and taxes.  Taxes are to be completed by the outgoing treasurer in coordination with the incoming treasurer no later than August 1st.
  5. School Principal: The School Principal serves as a permanent term and acts as an advisor to the executive board.

* Subsequent terms will be allowed in the event that no other members are nominated.

Section 2 – Nominations and Elections: 

Elections shall take place yearly. Nomination papers are distributed in early March, with a brief description to the full membership. Nominations will close before March 31. Elections are in the April or May PTO general meeting.

Any member of the PTO in good standing, may nominate or be nominated to run for an office on the Board or a reporting position. All nominees will receive a copy of the By-Laws, which contains a description of the job for which they are nominated.

Anyone nominated for an Executive Board position must have held a position on the PTO for one previous year. President and Vice President two years (exceptions: Any parent, teacher, or support person that has joined the school after December 31). In the event that no one is nominated with these qualifications, exceptions can be made under the discretion of the executive board and principal.

All nomination papers are sent to the PTO president in a sealed envelope. The nominee’s membership is verified*. Nominated members are notified of their nomination prior to public notification and can accept or decline the nomination by the closing date stated on the form. One vote, per position per parent or legal guardian is allowed.

*Verified shall mean nominee has a child in the school and fits the criteria for the nominated position

Section 3 – Eligibility: 

Any member of the PTO may vote in the election of Board Officers.

  1. Voting: Each board member has one equal vote. The President abstains from voting, except in the event of a tie, but does preside over the process and initiates the call for a vote when necessary. Any Board Member may ask for a vote through the chairperson, usually the President or in his/her absence, the Vice President. The nominee with the most votes wins the election.
  2. Proxy Votes: Members in good standing may submit a vote to the President or Vice President in writing. Members may also submit a vote via email to the School Principal. The requesting party must identify themselves to confirm that he/she is a member in good standing and eligible to vote. All proxy vote ballots will be available 48 hours prior to the election.
  3. Empty Positions: If after the election there are vacant board positions and someone within the parent community would like to fill said position, a nomination will be made and it will be brought to a vote at the next general PTO meeting. All other PTO Officers that have been nominated after the election will have a motion brought forth with someone having to second said motion.

Section 4 – Terms of Office: 

Officers are elected for one-year term, to begin on July 1st and end on June 30th, and may serve no more than 2 consecutive terms in the same office unless no other individuals are nominated. Each board member elected shall only hold one elected position at a time, but may help out as needed.

 Section 5 – Resignations: 

  1. President: In the event that the President resigns at any point in time, the Vice President shall assume the office of the President for the duration of the unexpired term. This assumption of the office does not preclude the Vice President from running for the office of the President for his/her consecutive terms. Should the Vice President be unable to fulfill the roles of the President, then general election procedures will be implemented.
  2. All Other Board Positions: In the event of a Board member resignation, the President shall review the names of all candidates nominated during the most recent election. The individual should be approached to fill the vacancy. The Board shall choose from the interested candidates. Should no candidates come forward, then nominations shall be opened up to general membership. General membership procedures shall be implemented

Article V – Meetings: 

 Section 1 – Regular Scheduled Meetings: 

All General Meetings are open to PTO members and guests approved by the executive board. General meetings shall be advertised and held monthly, in accordance with the school calendar.

Section 2 – Board Meetings: 

The President shall schedule Board Meetings as needed and as determined by the Board.

Section 3 – Emergency Meetings: 

Emergency Board Meetings shall occur as needed. At least eight Board Members shall vote either in person or by proxy. The decision shall be reached by majority vote of the aforementioned Board Members with the President voting only in the case of a tie vote. A written record of the comments and each member’s vote will be available at the next scheduled meeting. Any Board member can call an Emergency Board Meeting through the President. If a conflict occurs, such Board Members shall address all other Board Members calling a meeting with the supervision of the Principal.

An Emergency Board Meeting shall be defined as a request for a Board vote on a funding request that is submitted in writing and needs attention prior to the next scheduled meeting. Emergency Board Meeting funding requests shall not exceed $500.00.

Article VI – Executive Board: 

Section 1 – Membership: 

The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and the School Principal.

Section 2 – Duties: 

The duties of the executive board shall include: to support the objectives of the Burke PTO and uphold its policies and principles, transact business between meetings in preparation for the monthly general meeting, create rules and policies, create standing and temporary committees, prepare and submit a budget to the membership, approve the payment of routine bills, and prepare reports and recommendations to the membership.

Section 3 – Meetings: 

Regular meetings shall be held monthly with a 15 day advance notice given regarding date and time, to be determined by the board. Special meetings may be called by any two board members, with 24 hour notice. In the event a monthly meeting is cancelled, that meeting can be rescheduled with no less than 7 days’ notice; unless a special meeting is required.

 Article VII – Committees: 

 Section 1 – Scholarship Committee: 

The PTO shall award a $500.00 scholarship to two students who attended the Burke School, who are graduating from High School in the current academic year, and are planning to further their education. Letters will be sent to area high schools and information put in the local newspapers to inform the public. The Vice President shall oversee these duties and a committee consisting of him/herself, two other parents, and two teachers shall make up this selection committee. Upon the event of extra ordinary circumstances, a third scholarship may be awarded under the discretion of the committee.

All applicants must submit an essay of no more than 500 words entitled “Why I Plan to Attend College and How This Scholarship Will Help Me”.

 Section 2 – By-law Committee: 

The By-laws committee shall be a standing committee of the PTO. It shall consist of three current PTO members and one teacher member.

Under the supervision of the Vice President and the By-Laws Committee, the By-Laws will be maintained and updated annually. These By-Laws may be amended during the annual review period. Any comments or suggestions shall be submitted to the By-law Committee within 7 days of Annul Review. All PTO members in attendance at the designated PTO meeting will vote on proposed amendments, with a three-quarters vote to ratify any proposed amendments.

Section 3 – Playground Committee: 

Playground Committee will be led by the Vice-President and/or their designee. The committee will be comprised of at least 3 PTO members and/or school staff. There is a minimum requirement of $5,000 to be left in the playground account at all times for emergency repairs. They will be responsible for proposing any dollars spent for the playground structures. All meetings should open to the public and said meetings should be recorded and made available to the PTO for review.

The committee will also be responsible for proposing any dollars spent for the Playground Account. The funds should only be used to build new structures or repair any damaged pieces. On occasion there may be need for ground cover and if the city is unable to provide due to budgetary constraints, then funds can be used to replace the ground cover as needed. Any monetary expenditures over $250 require a majority vote of the membership. All distribution of funds shall be handled in the same manner as the PTO account.

Section 4 – Additional Committees: 

The following committees may also be created but not limited to: Fundraising, Publicity/Tiger Tales, Membership, Student Enrichment, Hospitality, P.A.B. Representatives, School Store, Yearbook, Room-Parent Coordinator, and Library.

 Article VIII – Transition: 

Incoming and outgoing members shall work cooperatively for transition to work well. An executive board meeting will be held by outgoing and incoming board members to discuss all responsibilities of their positions.  There will be a central repository for documents discussing roles and responsibilities. Incoming Board members are required to learn about their role before the New Board convenes. A copy of the By-Laws will be given to all new Board Members. As of June 1, all new Board members will attend any future Board and General PTO Meetings. Voting privileges for new Board members will begin when the new Board officially begins its term, August 1.

 Article IX – FISCAL POLICY/AUDIT INFORMATION: 

The Fiscal Year shall begin on July 1 and end on following June 30.

Audits: A financial review committee shall audit the PTO books annually before the books are given to the new board. The Committee should consist of at least one outgoing, or current board member, one in-coming board member, and at least one other current member of good standing. This committee may not include the in-coming or out-going Treasurer. The committee is appointed by the President and approved by the Board. This committee will match every financial request with every receipt. The audit must by completed no later than July 31st.  The committee’s report is submitted to the Board at the first general meeting of the school year.

Reimbursement: A reimbursement form along with a receipt or invoice must be submitted together to the Treasurer. If a receipt is not available for a purchase of less than $10 it will be reimbursed as long as a form is completed.  If it is not an item as written in the budget, two board members must sign the request form, if the request is over $100.

All PTO financial and other pertinent records must be turned over within 10 business days from the last meeting date of the school calendar year. The incoming and outgoing President and treasurer must make themselves available to sign and record the transfer of bank accounts. Financial records would include bank account records, outstanding debt records, history of all transactions, receipts, and tax information. Other pertinent records include date of contracted events, frequent contacts, willing volunteer information, sample forms/documents, PTO inventory, etc.

At the end of an event where money has been collected, a cash control slip shall be filled out by two members of the committee. The members cannot be related or domiciled. Both members should count the money, sign, and date the slip. One copy will go to the President and one copy is kept with the deposit slip by the Treasurer. All monies should be given to the President or Treasurer within 14 days of the event.

When a check written to PTO is returned for insufficient funds, a letter will be written to the payee with a copy of the returned check, a request for the written amount and the fees charged to the PTO by the bank for the check. The check will be returned to the payee upon receipt of cash, money order, or certified check. All fliers, applications, contracts, fundraising materials, etc. that deal with checks being written to the PTO will include a written notice of this policy.

No direct cash withdrawals through an ATM machine will be permitted.

A budget will be determined by the incoming President and the Treasurer after PTO elections prior to the August meeting to be approved at the August Board meeting. All expenditures within the realm of the budget are authorized expenditures.

All funding requests that do not fall within the parameters of the written budget must be approved by the Board (unless otherwise stipulated in the By-Laws). Funding requests made by any member (parent/guardian, staff, school principle)  shall be submitted to the President or Vice President prior to a board meeting.  The request will then be brought forth by the President or Vice President at the next general meeting. The board can request to meet privately on any requests that cannot wait, but this should be the exception (refer to Emergency Board Meeting).

If a check is needed to purchase items, the PTO Board shall vote on an estimate of the actual bill, provide that amount to the purchaser and put the name of the company on the check. No blank checks shall be issued to anyone. The Treasurer shall disburse funds as directed by the Board.

A small deposit must be made each year to the Playground Fund in order keep account active.

School Store: Function as an independent fundraiser and relies on monies loaned by the PTO for set-up supplies. The purchase and payment of these supplies are made before there is any revenue from the School Store. The loan amount will be agreed upon in June, prior to the next operating season and based upon the PTO’s forecasted budget. Purchasing and ordering of supplies will be under the direction of the School Store Chairperson and occurs throughout the school year. Payment of bills will be done by the School Store Chairperson with monies from the PTO account. Any invoices requiring payment will be paid via the PTO checkbook made out to the said company by the PTO Treasurer. The School Store Chairperson will keep a copy of the invoice, along with a copy to the PTO Treasurer on a monthly basis. Any checks made out to an individual for supplies will coincide with invoices kept by the School Store Chairperson with a copy to the PTO Treasurer.

Article X – Other PTO Officers: 

Hospitality Coordinator: Utilize a volunteer list to organize and oversee the Hospitality Committee. Provide and maintain the necessary refreshments, paper goods, condiments, utensils, table decorations, and so forth for the following events: Welcome Back Teachers’ Lunch, Kindergarten First Day of School, Election Bake Sale, Read Across America Day, Kindergarten Orientation and Teacher Appreciation Week.

Student Enrichment Coordinator: Coordinate with the principal and the PTO Board to provide student enrichment opportunities for Burke students.

Room Parent Coordinator: Responsible for assigning room parents for each classroom to assist teachers and PTO with any school activities such as projects, classroom outings, parties, etc.

Tiger Tales: Prepare a monthly Tiger Tales Newsletter by collecting information and soliciting input from the entire school population. The President, Principal, and school secretary must review final draft. .

Library Representative: Coordinate annual Scholastic Book Fair and act as a liaison between the Burke Librarian and the PTO.

Yearbook Coordinator: Responsible for putting together the Burke School Yearbook, taking photographs, attending all school happenings so that each event can be included in the yearbook publications. Develop a committee to assist, if needed.

Parent Advisory Board (PAB): Represent the Burke School PTO at the citywide PAB meeting and reports back to our PTO with updates.

Technology Coordinator: Work with PTO chairpersons to utilize Burke School website for the use of notification and documentation. Create and update a family-email distribution list to notify parents of PTO activity.  Post financials and approved meeting minutes to Burke PTO website monthly.

Teacher Liaison: Burke teacher that acts as liaison between the Burke PTO and its teachers.