Bethesda Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization Bylaws
Bethesda Elementary School
Parent Teacher Organization
Bylaws
Article 1: Organization Name
The name of this association is the Bethesda Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization (BES PTO), and its principal place of business shall be 4907 Bethesda Road, Thompsons Station, Tennessee 37179.
Article 2: Purposes
The objectives of the Bethesda PTO are:
1. To promote the welfare of the children of BES in the school, community, and home.
2. To raise the standards of the school.
3. To bring into closer relation the school and the home, that parents and teachers may cooperate positively and intelligently in the education of children and youth.
4. To conduct such fundraising activities as would be useful toward financing the aforementioned objective.
The organization is organized exclusively for the charitable, scientific, literacy or educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding Section of any future Federal tax code (hereinafter “Internal Revenue Code”).
Article 3: Basic Policies
The following are basic policies of BES PTO:
1. The organization shall be noncommercial, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan.
2. 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 purposes not appropriately related to promotion of the Objectives of the organization.
3. The organization shall not -directly or indirectly- participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition of any candidate for public office.
4. The organization shall work with the school to provide quality education for all children and youth and shall seek to participate in decision making process establishing school policy, recognizing that the legal responsibility to make decisions has been delegated by the people to boards of education, state education authorities and local education authorities.
5. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall benefit, or be distributable to its members, directors, trustees, officers, or otherwise private persons except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensations for services rendered and to make payments and distributions furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article 2.
6. 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 501c(3) of the IRS Code or by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170c(2) of the IRS Code.
7. This PTO shall keep accounts and records as shall be sufficient to establish the items of gross income, receipts, and disbursements of the organization.
Article 4: Officers and Elections
1. Officers and members of the Executive Board shall not be paid members of the PTO.
2. The officers of the organization shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. With any officer position, there may be a “Co” position on an as needed basis. The position of a “Co”-officer is not mandatory but can be utilized to split the work, or as a training position to prepare an individual to take over the following school year.
3. All Executive Board members must be a Tier III Volunteer according to Williamson County Schools and their policies.
4. The advisory members shall be parents of BES or previous officers, selected by the current officers. The honorary members to be selected by the officers shall be individuals who can contribute to the well being of the school and activities of the PTO. The volunteer coordinator(s) shall be parents of BES and selected by the officers. These positions shall be non-voting positions.
5. Officers shall be elected by a written ballot at an association meeting no later than the end of the school year. At least seven days’ notice must be given that a meeting is to be held which will include voting for new officers. If there is but one nominee for any office, elections for that office may be by voice vote.
6. Officers shall assume their official duties following the close of the last meeting at the end of the school year and shall serve for a term one year or until their successors are elected.
7. A person shall not be eligible to serve more than three consecutive terms in the same office, unless voted in and approved by the rest of the Executive Board.
8. There shall be a nominating committee composed of at least four members who shall be appointed by this PTO at a regular meeting at least one month prior to the election of the officers. The committee may elect its own chairpersons.
9. The nominating committee shall nominate an eligible person (a current PTO member in good standing and has served one year previously on a committee) and report its nominees at a meeting prior to election in May. If there is no person willing to serve in one or more of the four offices at the appointed time of elections, the nominating committee may continue that search until such time as the persons are found. The “Co” positions may be filled during annual elections or any time during the first three months of the school year. One week notice must be given prior to the election of this position.
10. A vacancy occurring in the office of Vice President, Secretary or Treasure, shall be filled for the un-expired term by a person elected by a majority vote of the Executive Board, one week notice of such election having been given. In case a vacancy occurs in the office of the President, the “Co” President may serve the remainder of the President’s term. If there is not a “Co” position, the Vice President shall serve the remainder of the term.
Article 5: Duties of Officers and Executive Board
1. The President shall:
a. Be the principles executive officer of the organization and subject to the counsel of the Executive Board and the direction of the organization.
b. Preside at all meetings of the associations utilizing the most recent edition of Roberts Rules newly revised.
c. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed in these bylaws or assigned by the association.
d. Be a member ex-officio of all committees.
e. Coordinate, with the Vice President, the work of the officers and committees of association.
2. The Vice President Shall:
a. Act as an aide to the President.
b. Perform duties of the President in the absence or inability of that officer to serve.
c. Be a member ex-officio of all committees.
3. The Secretary shall:
a. Record the minutes of all meeting of the association, either written or recorded.
b. Present a recapitulation of the previous meetings minutes through written report to all board members.
c. Post general meeting minutes to organizations website within one week of meeting date.
d. Have a current copy of the bylaws.
e. Maintain a membership list in conjunction with the membership Chairperson.
f. Perform other delegated duties as assigned.
4. The Treasurer shall:
a. Have custody of all funds of the association.
b. Keep a full and accurate account of receipts and expenditures and keep a minimum balance of $12,000 going into the start of each school year.
c. Make disbursements as authorized by the Executive Board in accordance with the budget adopted by the association. Any checks needing to be issued over $500 should have two signatures. The President, Vice President, and Treasurer are he only officers who have authority to sign checks.
d. Present a financial report at every meeting of the association and at other times when requested by the Executive Board.
e. Have the accounts examined annually or upon change of officer by an auditing committee, of not fewer than three members. Consisting of one school employee/sponsor, one or more Executive Board members, and one PTO member chosen by the officers who, satisfied that the Treasurer’s annual report is correct, shall sign a statement of that fact at the end of the report.
All officers shall perform the duties outlined in these bylaws and those assigned from time to time. Upon the expiration of the term of office, or in case of resignation, each officer shall turn over to the President, without delay, all records, books, and other materials pertaining to the office, and shall return to the Treasurer, without delay, all funds pertaining to the office.
5. The duties of the Executive Board shall be:
a. To transact necessary business in the intervals between association meetings and such other business as may be referred to it by the association.
b. To assist the Fundraising and Volunteer Coordinators in creating standing and special committees.
c. To approve plans of the standing committees.
d. To present a report at the regular meetings of the association.
e. To select an auditing committee to audit the Treasurer’s accounts.
f. To prepare and submit to the association for adoption of a budget for the year.
g. To approve routine bills within the limits of the budget.
Regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held during the school year, limit to be fixed by the board at its first meeting of the year. The Executive Board shall meet once per month from June through May. The subsequent meeting will be scheduled by the close of each current meeting. A meeting may be called by the President with three days’ notice. No other business shall be transacted than the agenda items noticed in the call.
Article 6: Membership and Dues
Section 1: Membership
Any parent or guardian of an enrolled Bethesda Elementary School student, or a current Bethesda Elementary School faculty or staff member who subscribes to the purpose of this PTO may become a member of the PTO upon Payment of annual dues. Membership in this PTO shall be available without regard to race, color, creed, or national origin.
Section 2: Dues
Dues will be established annually by the Executive Board and approved at the Spring General Membership meeting. It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Board to set dues at a reasonable amount (no to exceed $25 per family).
Section 3: General Membership
General Membership meetings shall be held at a minimum of twice per school year, or as called by the Executive Board and/or President. The first General Membership meeting of each school year shall be held no later than September 30th and shall include approval of the PTO’s current year budget.
Article 7: Impeachment Process
1. Any person holding an elected position of the PTO may be impeached, after due process, by a two-thirds (2/3) secret ballot vote of the board only after a request for resignation has been made and not completed.
2. An Article of Impeachment must be sponsored by two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the General Membership and must specify cause.
3. If an Article is received by the President, all Board Members shall be officially notified. In the event that Articles of Impeachment are brought against the President, then the Vice President will serve as presiding officer until the matter is resolved.
4. An Article of Impeachment may be accepted by a majority of the Board at a scheduled meeting. The officers subject to impeachment may speak to the question and the question may no be called by the Chair until the officer subject to impeachment has no more to say or utilized a thirty-minute period.
5. The Executive Board shall appoint a replacement if there is an impeachment of an officer.
Article 8: Dissolution of Organization
1. The Organization may dissolve and terminate in the following manner:
a. If the dissolution of the organization is because the school is being closed, the organization shall hold a meeting for the purposes of dissolution.
b. If there is nonsupport of the organization due to not-interest from the public, teachers, and/or both.
c. Dissolution of the organization shall be placed before members for a vote. Letters will be sent out to all members.
d. Only those persons who are members at the date of submission of dissolution shall be entitled to a vote.
e. Approval of dissolution of the organization shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present.
Article 9: Voting
Article 10: Amending the Bylaws
These Bylaws may only be amended as follows:
a. A proposed amendment(s) must carry the acknowledgement of the Executive Board.
b. A notice of meeting to amend the Bylaws shall be sent to the membership thirty (30) days prior to the meeting date.
c. The Bylaws amendment must carry a two thirds (2/3) vote of approval of all members present at this meeting.
Approved: _____________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________________
Bethesda Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization
4907 Bethesda Road
Thompsons Station, TN 37179