Foothill Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Bylaws
Drafted and revised from April to July 2020, from www.ptotoday.com and incorporating Foothill PTO 2015 bylaws
Adopted at the monthly PTO membership meeting on August 12, 2020
ARTICLE I: NAME, DESCRIPTION, & PURPOSE
Section 1: NAME— The name of the organization shall be the Foothill Elementary PTO (hereafter, “the PTO”). The PTO is located at Foothill Elementary School (hereafter, “Foothill”), 1001 Hawthorn Ave., Boulder, CO 80304.
Section 2: DESCRIPTION—The PTO is a nonprofit organization that exists for charitable and educational purposes including the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 3: PURPOSE—The purpose of the PTO is to enhance and support the educational experience at Foothill, to develop a closer connection between school and home by encouraging parent involvement, and to improve the environment at Foothill through volunteer and financial support.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Membership shall be automatically granted to all parents and guardians of Foothill students, plus all staff at Foothill. There are no membership dues. Members have voting privileges, one vote per member.
ARTICLE III: OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1: EXECUTIVE BOARD—The Executive Board shall consist of the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Community Officer, Fundraising Officer, Communications Officer, Principal, and two Foothill teachers. Officer positions can be shared.
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 membership, approve routine bills, prepare reports and recommendations to the membership, establish fundraising programs, and approve by majority vote unbudgeted expenditures of more than $200.
President: The President shall preside at general PTO meetings and Executive Board meetings, serve as the primary contact for the Principal, represent the PTO at meetings outside the organization, serve as ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee, coordinate the work of officers and committees so that the purpose of the organization is served, and retain all official records of the PTO.
Vice President: The Vice President shall assist the President and carry out the President’s duties in his or her absence or inability to serve. The Vice President also serves as volunteer coordinator.
Secretary: The Secretary shall keep all records of the organization, take and record minutes, prepare the agenda, handle correspondence, and send notices of meetings to the membership.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall serve as custodian of the PTO’s finances, collect revenue, pay authorized expenses, follow all financial policies of the PTO, and hold all financial records.
Community Officer: The Community Officer shall welcome new families to the Foothill community and explore/coordinate community-building opportunities.
Fundraising Officer: The Fundraising Officer shall explore/coordinate external fundraising and sponsorship opportunities.
Communications Officer: The Communications Officer shall manage communications and marketing for the PTO, including but not limited to PTO newsletters, email broadcasts, website, bulletin boards, etc.
Principal: The Principal shall report on general news pertaining to the school, assist in identifying and implementing community-building and fundraising needs, and generally advise the PTO.
Teacher Representatives: The Teacher Representatives shall report on general news pertaining to the students and classrooms and also act as liaisons between parent volunteers and staff.
Section 3: ELIGIBILITY—Any PTO member in good standing may become an officer of the PTO.
Section 4: ELECTIONS—The Foothill principal is automatically a member of the Executive Board. For other Executive Board positions, elections will be held at the regular April meeting. Voting shall be by voice vote if a candidate is unopposed. If more than one person is running for an office, a ballot vote shall be taken.
Section 5: TERMS OF OFFICE—Officers are elected for two years, beginning June 1. Officers may serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office.
Section 6: REMOVAL—An officer can be removed from office with or without cause by a two-thirds (2/3) vote at a meeting where seven days notice has been given via email to the PTO email list subscribers.
Section 7: VACANCIES—If there is a vacancy in the office of the president, the vice president should become the president. At the next regularly scheduled meeting, a new vice president should be elected. If there is a vacancy in any other office, members should fill the vacancy through an election at the next regular meeting. If the vacancy is not filled, existing officers shall divide duties to ensure that the work of the PTO continues until the vacancy is filled.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
Section 1: REGULAR PTO MEETINGS—Regular PTO 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.
Section 2: NOTICE—A meeting may be held with at least 24 hours notice to the membership. Notice for all meetings shall be delivered via email to the PTO email list subscribers.
Section 3: VOTING—Each member in attendance at a PTO meeting is eligible to vote. Absentee and proxy votes are not allowed.
Section 4: QUORUM—Greater than 50% of Executive Board members present and voting constitute quorum for the purpose of voting, with the exceptions of amendments to these bylaws (see ARTICLE VI) and dissolution of the organization (see ARTICLE VII).
ARTICLE V: FINANCIAL POLICIES
Section 1: FISCAL YEAR—The fiscal year of the PTO begins June 1 and ends May 31 of the following year.
Section 2: BANKING--All funds shall be kept in a checking account in the name of the PTO, accessible by the Treasurer and one other officer, either the President or another officer designated by the President, and held at a local financial institution.
Section 3: BUDGETING—The Treasurer shall develop the PTO’s annual budget for the upcoming school year, to be approved by vote prior to the end of the current school year.
Section 4: REPORTING—All financial activity shall be recorded in a computer-based accounting system. The Treasurer shall reconcile the accounts monthly and report all financial activity monthly. The Treasurer shall prepare a financial statement at the end of the fiscal year for review by the Executive Board.
Section 5: CONTRACTS—Authority to sign contracts is limited to the President or the President’s designee.
ARTICLE VI: BYLAWS AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed by any PTO member. Amendments shall be presented at a PTO meeting and then sent via email to the PTO email list subscribers with at least 14 calendar days notice before the meeting to amend. At the meeting, a quorum of 10 members is required. Two-thirds (2/3) of members present and voting must vote to approve.
ARTICLE VII: DISSOLUTION
The organization may be dissolved at a meeting with 14 calendar days notice via email to the PTO email list subscribers, a quorum of 10 members, and two-thirds (2/3) approval of all members present and voting. In the event of dissolution of the PTO, any funds remaining shall be donated to Foothill.
ARTICLE VIII: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Any officer who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending before the Board, or such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting solely in the best interests of the organization as to that matter, shall voluntarily recuse himself or herself from that matter.
ARTICLE IX: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The authority for this organization shall be Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
These bylaws were adopted on August 12, 2020.
Amended (date): ____________
Drafted and revised from April to July 2020, from www.ptotoday.com and incorporating Foothill PTO 2015 bylaws
Adopted at the monthly PTO membership meeting on August 12, 2020
ARTICLE I: NAME, DESCRIPTION, & PURPOSE
Section 1: NAME— The name of the organization shall be the Foothill Elementary PTO (hereafter, “the PTO”). The PTO is located at Foothill Elementary School (hereafter, “Foothill”), 1001 Hawthorn Ave., Boulder, CO 80304.
Section 2: DESCRIPTION—The PTO is a nonprofit organization that exists for charitable and educational purposes including the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 3: PURPOSE—The purpose of the PTO is to enhance and support the educational experience at Foothill, to develop a closer connection between school and home by encouraging parent involvement, and to improve the environment at Foothill through volunteer and financial support.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Membership shall be automatically granted to all parents and guardians of Foothill students, plus all staff at Foothill. There are no membership dues. Members have voting privileges, one vote per member.
ARTICLE III: OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1: EXECUTIVE BOARD—The Executive Board shall consist of the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Community Officer, Fundraising Officer, Communications Officer, Principal, and two Foothill teachers. Officer positions can be shared.
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 membership, approve routine bills, prepare reports and recommendations to the membership, establish fundraising programs, and approve by majority vote unbudgeted expenditures of more than $200.
President: The President shall preside at general PTO meetings and Executive Board meetings, serve as the primary contact for the Principal, represent the PTO at meetings outside the organization, serve as ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee, coordinate the work of officers and committees so that the purpose of the organization is served, and retain all official records of the PTO.
Vice President: The Vice President shall assist the President and carry out the President’s duties in his or her absence or inability to serve. The Vice President also serves as volunteer coordinator.
Secretary: The Secretary shall keep all records of the organization, take and record minutes, prepare the agenda, handle correspondence, and send notices of meetings to the membership.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall serve as custodian of the PTO’s finances, collect revenue, pay authorized expenses, follow all financial policies of the PTO, and hold all financial records.
Community Officer: The Community Officer shall welcome new families to the Foothill community and explore/coordinate community-building opportunities.
Fundraising Officer: The Fundraising Officer shall explore/coordinate external fundraising and sponsorship opportunities.
Communications Officer: The Communications Officer shall manage communications and marketing for the PTO, including but not limited to PTO newsletters, email broadcasts, website, bulletin boards, etc.
Principal: The Principal shall report on general news pertaining to the school, assist in identifying and implementing community-building and fundraising needs, and generally advise the PTO.
Teacher Representatives: The Teacher Representatives shall report on general news pertaining to the students and classrooms and also act as liaisons between parent volunteers and staff.
Section 3: ELIGIBILITY—Any PTO member in good standing may become an officer of the PTO.
Section 4: ELECTIONS—The Foothill principal is automatically a member of the Executive Board. For other Executive Board positions, elections will be held at the regular April meeting. Voting shall be by voice vote if a candidate is unopposed. If more than one person is running for an office, a ballot vote shall be taken.
Section 5: TERMS OF OFFICE—Officers are elected for two years, beginning June 1. Officers may serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office.
Section 6: REMOVAL—An officer can be removed from office with or without cause by a two-thirds (2/3) vote at a meeting where seven days notice has been given via email to the PTO email list subscribers.
Section 7: VACANCIES—If there is a vacancy in the office of the president, the vice president should become the president. At the next regularly scheduled meeting, a new vice president should be elected. If there is a vacancy in any other office, members should fill the vacancy through an election at the next regular meeting. If the vacancy is not filled, existing officers shall divide duties to ensure that the work of the PTO continues until the vacancy is filled.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
Section 1: REGULAR PTO MEETINGS—Regular PTO 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.
Section 2: NOTICE—A meeting may be held with at least 24 hours notice to the membership. Notice for all meetings shall be delivered via email to the PTO email list subscribers.
Section 3: VOTING—Each member in attendance at a PTO meeting is eligible to vote. Absentee and proxy votes are not allowed.
Section 4: QUORUM—Greater than 50% of Executive Board members present and voting constitute quorum for the purpose of voting, with the exceptions of amendments to these bylaws (see ARTICLE VI) and dissolution of the organization (see ARTICLE VII).
ARTICLE V: FINANCIAL POLICIES
Section 1: FISCAL YEAR—The fiscal year of the PTO begins June 1 and ends May 31 of the following year.
Section 2: BANKING--All funds shall be kept in a checking account in the name of the PTO, accessible by the Treasurer and one other officer, either the President or another officer designated by the President, and held at a local financial institution.
Section 3: BUDGETING—The Treasurer shall develop the PTO’s annual budget for the upcoming school year, to be approved by vote prior to the end of the current school year.
Section 4: REPORTING—All financial activity shall be recorded in a computer-based accounting system. The Treasurer shall reconcile the accounts monthly and report all financial activity monthly. The Treasurer shall prepare a financial statement at the end of the fiscal year for review by the Executive Board.
Section 5: CONTRACTS—Authority to sign contracts is limited to the President or the President’s designee.
ARTICLE VI: BYLAWS AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed by any PTO member. Amendments shall be presented at a PTO meeting and then sent via email to the PTO email list subscribers with at least 14 calendar days notice before the meeting to amend. At the meeting, a quorum of 10 members is required. Two-thirds (2/3) of members present and voting must vote to approve.
ARTICLE VII: DISSOLUTION
The organization may be dissolved at a meeting with 14 calendar days notice via email to the PTO email list subscribers, a quorum of 10 members, and two-thirds (2/3) approval of all members present and voting. In the event of dissolution of the PTO, any funds remaining shall be donated to Foothill.
ARTICLE VIII: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Any officer who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending before the Board, or such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting solely in the best interests of the organization as to that matter, shall voluntarily recuse himself or herself from that matter.
ARTICLE IX: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The authority for this organization shall be Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
These bylaws were adopted on August 12, 2020.
Amended (date): ____________