Bylaws and Policies

Bylaws

Adopted: November 3, 2015

Article I Name

The name of the organization shall be JB Nelson Parent Teacher Organization.

Article II Purpose

The purpose of this organization is to support the education of children attending JB Nelson Elementary School by fostering the relationships between school, teachers, and parents through volunteer and financial support.

Article III Members

Section 1. Any parent, guardian or other adult standing in loco parentis for a student at JB Nelson are automatically members of the organization.
Section 2. The principal, teachers and support staff employed by JB Nelson are automatically members of the organization.
Section 3. Members have voting privileges; one vote per family. Members must be present in person or by telephone/video/technological means to vote. Proxy voting is not permitted.
Section 4. Members are eligible for nomination to serve as an officer and/or committee chairperson, and/or committee member.
Section 5. Members are expected to disclose potential conflicts of interest and may be asked to sign a statement of affirmation.

Article IV Officers and Elections

Section 1. Officers. The officers shall be the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.
1. President. The president shall preside over meetings of the PTO and executive board, serve as primary contact to the principal, represent the PTO at meetings outside the PTO, serve as ex officio member of all committees except the nominating committee, and coordinate work of all officers and committees to ensure the purpose of the PTO is served.
2. Vice President. Assist the President, and chair meetings in the absence of the President.
3. Secretary. The secretary shall keep all records of the PTO, 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, bylaws, rules, membership list, and other necessary items, and ensures they are available and accessible at meetings.
4. Treasurer. The treasurer shall receive all funds of the PTO, keep accurate records of income and expenses, and remit funds in accordance with the approval of the executive board. He or she will present a financial statement at every meeting and when requested by the executive board, and will present a full report at the end of the fiscal year.
Section 2. Nominations and Elections. Elections will be held at the last meeting of the school year. The nominating committee shall consist of the executive board; they shall select candidates from the general membership for each office and present the candidates at a meeting held one month prior to the election. At that meeting, nominations may also be made from the floor. Voting shall be by a show of hands. If more than one person is running for an office, a ballot vote shall be taken.
Section 3. Eligibility. Members are eligible for office if they are members for at least 14 calendar days before the candidates are presented for nomination.
Section 4. Terms of Office. Officers are elected for a one-year term with a limit of 2 consecutive years. Each person elected shall hold only one office at a time.
Section 5. Vacancies. If there is a vacancy in the office of the president, the vice president will become the 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 regularly scheduled meeting.
Section 7. Removal from Office. Officers can be removed from office without cause by a two-thirds vote of those present (assuming a Quorum) at a regular or special meeting where previous notice of at least 7 calendar days has been given.

Article V Executive Board

Section 1. Membership. The Executive Board shall consist of the officers, elected from the general membership, the principal, the faculty liaison, and any standing committee chairs.
Section 2. Duties. The duties of the Executive Board shall be to transact business between meetings in preparation for the general meeting, create standing rules and policies, create standing and temporary committees, prepare and submit a budget to the membership, approve routine bills, prepare reports and recommendations to the membership, and approve by majority vote of the board any unbudgeted expenditures of no more than $200.
Section 3. Meetings. Executive board meetings may be held monthly, as needed, to be determined by members of the executive board. Special meetings may be called by any two board members, with 24 hours notice.
Section 4. Quorum. Half the number of executive board members plus one constitutes a quorum.

Article VI General Meetings

Section 1. General Meetings. General meetings shall be held to conduct the business of the PTO. Meetings shall be held monthly during the school year or at the discretion of the Executive Board. General meetings are open to all members.
Section 2. Special Meetings- Special meetings may be called by 2 or more officers, by 1 officer and 4 or more members, or by 10 or more members. Notice of the special meeting must be shared with the entire membership with a minimum of 7 days notice. A restricted agenda must be presented with the notice.
Section 3. Quorum. Five (5) members of the PTO present and voting constitute quorum for the purpose of voting.

Article VII Committees

Section 1. Membership. Committees may consist of members and board members, with the president acting as an ex officio member of all committees.
Section 2. Standing Committees. The following committees shall be held by the organization: Compliance and Communications.
Section 3. Additional Ad Hoc Committees. The board may appoint additional ad hoc committees as needed.

Article VIII Financial Policies

Section 1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the PTO begins July 1 and ends June 30 of the following year.
Section 2. Banking. All funds shall be kept in a checking account in the name of JB Nelson PTO and held at a local financial institution.
Section 3. Reporting. All financial activity shall be recorded in a computer-based or manual accounting system. The Treasurer shall reconcile the account(s) monthly and report all financial activity monthly. The PTO shall arrange an internal audit of its financial records each year; an external audit will be performed in the event an internal audit reflects need to do so.
Section 4. Ending Balance. The organization shall leave a minimum of $8,000 in the treasury at the end of each fiscal year.
Section 5. Contracts. Authority to sign contracts is limited to the President or the President’s designee.

Article IX Bylaws Amendments

The Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed by the Amendments Committee or any PTO member. Amendments presented at a PTO meeting shall be considered for voting at a subsequent meeting. Amendments must be shared in writing with the entire membership no less than thirty (30) days prior to voting. Two-thirds (2/3) approval of all members present and voting is required to adopt an amendment to the bylaws.