281 US Highway 46, Great Meadows, NJ 07838

 

 

GREAT MEADOWS REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT PTO BY-LAWS

Adopted February 2011

 

Article I:  Name of Organization

  The Great Meadows Regional School District Parent Teacher Organization

 Article II:  Objectives

  1. To promote the welfare of the children in the home, school and the community.
  2. To improve and secure a more communicative relationship between school and home.
  3. To assist the educational system to raise educational standards and facilities of education.
  4. To offer supplemental enrichment to our children’s education through the public-school structure.
  5. To provide a safe non-Confrontational atmosphere to discuss education events, fundraisers and ways to help out in the GMRSD district.

Article III:  Policy and Procedures

  1. The organization shall be noncommercial, nonsectarian and nonpolitical in its function.
  2. The organization will cooperate with the Board of Education, teachers and administrators in the education of our children.
  3. No officer of this organization may speak individually on the behalf of the organization without the authorization of the Executive Committee.
  4. If the GMRSD PTO should vote to disband, the PTO Officers shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the corporation, dispose of the remaining assets of the corporation by turning some over to the Great Meadows Regional School District Board of Education to be allocated for use by the current Principals at Central Elementary School and Great Meadows Regional Middle School, exclusively for one or more exempt purposes, within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future Federal Tax Code.)  Any such asset not disposed of shall be disposed of by order of the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in the judicial district where the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purpose or to such organization organized and operated exclusively for such purposes as said court shall determine. (Amendments to this provision made & approved January 2012)
  5. Finances (Amendments to this provision made & approved May 2019)
  1. A tentative budget shall be drafted after the school years ends for the following school year and approved at a fall meeting by a majority vote of the members present
  2. The treasurer shall keep accurate records of any disbursements, income, and bank account information.
  3. The Executive board shall approve all expenses of the organization without a forum vote.
  4. Two authorized signatures shall be required on each check.
  5. Authorized signers shall be the President (Vice President in their absence) and the Treasurer.
  6. The treasurer shall prepare a financial statement at the end of the year, to be reviewed by the Audit Committee
  7. The fiscal year shall coordinate with the school year
  8. Upon the dissolution of the organization, any remaining funds should be used to pay any outstanding bills and disbursed for the benefit of the schools (please see policies and procedures, Article III section 4, for the exact dissolution procedure).
  1. The Secretary and secretary only may record the meetings via any recording device they deem suitable. This does not mean that all meetings will be and have to be recorded. Any other recordings of the meeting will be deemed inaccurate.

Article IV:  Membership

  1. Membership is made available to all parents and guardians of any child enrolled in the Great Meadows Regional School District grades PreK-8 and all teachers and administrators who subscribe to the objectives of the organization. (Amendments to this provision made & approved September 2016)
  2. No annual dues are collected.
  3. All members are eligible to participate in the monthly business meetings, voting and in elected officer positions. All appointed positions will be chosen by officers only.
  4. All members will be held accountable to our code of conduct. Anyone found to be breaking the code will be subject to removal.

 Article V:  Officers and Election

  1. Each officer shall be a member of the organization.
  2. Officers shall consist of at least one of the following positions. Each position can have a co position role: (Amendments to this provision made & approved June 2019)
  1. President or Co President
  2. Vice President, Co-Vice President
  3. Treasurer or Co-Treasurer
  4. Secretary or Co- Secretary
  1. The Executive Board shall consist of All officers, building principals, Middle School Liaison and The Community Outreach committee leader. (Open to discussion on who makes up this board)
  2. 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, and prepare reports and recommendations to the membership without a forum vote. (Amendments to this provision made & approved June 2019)
  3. Officers will be elected by a majority vote at the first spring business meeting.
  4. All parties interested in running for an officer’s position must be able to complete the full term at the time of the election.
  5. Announcements for officer positions shall be presented at the prior business meeting. All interested parties must apply via written interest to the PTO email.  All parties running will be announced at the voting meeting and have a chance to speak on their behalf prior to voting.
  6. Officers are elected for a term of three (3) years.  The term of office may not exceed two (2) successive terms of the position unless no one steps forward to assume the responsibilities of the position. At that point the current officer may resume their position for another term if they please, or hold the position year by year until an interested party runs and is elected.
  1. . Newly elected officers shall be sworn in at the next meeting prior to the election.  All officers will be required to sign a copy of the code of conduct and position responsibilities.
  1. Newly elected officers shall begin training with current officers immediately following the elections through the last day of school in June.
  2. Newly elected officers will assume full duties at the start of summer recess once training is completed.
  3. Outgoing officers shall be required to attend the 1st PTO meeting (September) of the new school year following their term to transition and assist the incoming officers.
  4. Outgoing officers shall remain in an advisory position and accessible to newly elected officers through the date of the 1st PTO meeting of the elected school year. At this point all PTO related items and information must be passed on to the new positioned officer.
  5. Officers may opt out of their position at any time for personal reasons.
  6. Should a vacancy occur during the term of an officer; the remaining officers have the authority to appoint a replacement without a forum vote.
  7. The Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents shall fill Presidential vacancies.
  8. The officers have the authority, by majority vote of the officers (President to break all ties), to make disbursements, not approved in the budget, under the amount of $250.00 without the approval of a majority vote at a scheduled meeting. Disbursements made shall not exceed two (2) between scheduled meetings and have a fiscal year limit of $1,000.00.
  9. Neither officers nor committee members shall receive any salary or reimbursement and shall not accept gifts or compensation for their services unless they are of a nominal amount.
  10. All Committee and their leaders are chosen by Executive Board appointment and vote only.

Article VI:  Duties of Officers (Amendments to this article made & approved May 2019)

  1. The President shall serve as leader and key contact for the PTO; preside at all PTO meetings; be an official member of all committees; appoints chairpersons for special committees; coordinate the work of the officers and committees so that the PTO’s objectives can be met. Oversees the website and the emails and is the official correspondent for the PTO. Reviews all communications between the PTO and the School District.
  2. 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 shall also oversee the committees of this organization and act as the Middle School 8th Grade Liaison. Share responsibilities with the secretary in creating and overseeing the PTO Newsletter, website, Facebook and district announcements
  3. The Recording Secretary and Communications Secretary (shall be held by one person) shall keep the minutes of all general meetings and all meetings of the Executive Board; prepare correspondence and perform all other duties assigned; maintain master documents; help recruit committee chairpersons for all vacant standing committees of the board; keep the calendar of events for the PTO. The secretary will also oversee communications and marketing for the PTO, including but not limited to PTO newsletters, website, Facebook, and district announcements, etc.
  4. The Treasurer shall receive all funds of the organization, keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures, and pay out funds in accordance with the approval of the executive board. He or she will present a financial statement at every meeting and at other times of the year when requested by the executive board and make a full report at the end of the year. The treasurer shall oversee all incoming teacher grants and confirm funds are available.

Article VII: Committees/Chairperson

  1. Only members of the organization shall be eligible to serve in any elected or appointed position.

1a.   Only officers can appoint committee members.  Announcements for committee positions shall be presented at the second to last meeting.  All interested parties must apply via written interest to the PTO email.  All parties interested will be announced at the voting meeting and have a chance to speak on their behalf if they choose to.

1b. Any individual may be involved in multiple Committees as deemed necessary based on interest and demand. Committee members are appointed by the Executive Board.

1c.  Committee members are appointed every three (3) years.  The term of the member may not exceed two (2) successive terms of the position.  In order to be considered for a committee position there must be an opening.  If no one shows interest in a committee position the open positions will be filled by the PTO officers.  Each committee will have one appointed leader.  To be chosen by the PTO officers,

  1. Executive Board Committee made up of All officers, building principals, Middle School 8th Grade Liaison.   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, and prepare reports and recommendations to the membership without a forum vote
  2. The Community Outreach Committee made up of the appointed leader, the school nurses, and one (1) other appointed member from each school. The Community Outreach Liaison shall coordinate with school representatives (including the Nurse but not excluding others) to provide support to students and/or families in need. They will be responsible for coordinating the help from the PTO for events such as food drives, clothing drives and other events that would benefit the district community.
  3. Copy Committee made of the appointed leader and two parents from each school.  The duties of the copy committee will be to help and assist any and all chairpersons in getting copies made for their events/activities done in ample time to be distributed.
  4. Audit Committee made up of all Board members and Community Outreach Committee leaders.  Leader will be the Treasurer of the PTO.
  5. Conflict of Interest Committee made of the Executive board and one (1) parent and (1) administrator from each school.  Leader will be the PTO President.
  6. Grant Committee made of the appointed leader and one parent from each school.  The duties of the grant committee will be to help research and apply for any state aid grants available to help the PTO/district receive grant aid money.
  1. Any member is eligible to volunteer and participate in several ways for any event or activity.
  1. Chair - A parent or Guardian that steps up to the main point of contact for the PTO officer, the school administration and the volunteers. (Please see below on how to become a chair)
  2. Volunteer - A parent or Guardian that wants to help at an event but cannot or does not have the time or experience to be the main chair.
  3. Donator/Sponsor - any member in the community that would like to give money or items to help make an event or activity run better.
  1. The PTO Officers may create any committee they feel is necessary to promote the objectives of the organization without a forum vote.
  2. The chairpersons of any and all events/activities shall present a plan of action to the PTO Officers and report the status of such committee to the membership during business meetings. If the chairperson is unable to attend the business meeting, they can apprise the President of the committee status.
  3. The chairperson of any and all events/activities shall be responsible for keeping the President apprised of any and all activities and meetings.

5a. All chair positions must be chosen before the first meeting of the current school year.  Most events will have a minimum of one (1) chairperson and a maximum of two (2) unless decided by the Officers board.

  1. Chairperson positions are volunteer positions. All events/activities chair positions are available to every member of the organization on a yearly basis on a first come, first served basis. If a sitting chair expresses interest in returning to her/his position the following year, and they are not contested for cause (see article 7) by the Executive board, they may continue to chair their event/activity.

6a. All open chair positions will be listed on the PTO website.  Any member may reach out in any manner to volunteer for any chairperson position.  Events will be removed from the list as positions are filled.

6b.  When a sitting chair is reaching the time of aging out (the year before) of a school or district it is their responsibility to notify the PTO officers.  Their event/activity will be listed as needing a chairperson.  The chairperson aging out will be expected to train and be available to the new chairperson for the current year of training.  The outgoing chair will be required to fill out a “how to form” and return it to the PTO officers.

  1. The Executive Committee can, at any time, ask a committee member, chair/volunteer to step down from their position if the chairperson is found not to be working in the best interest of the organization. (i.e.; incomplete projects, monetary discrepancies, insubordination, acting outside of the PTO bylaws or Code of Conduct).

7a.  If a chair steps down or is removed for any of the above reasons, the PTO officers, at their discretion, will communicate the open position on the website with exceptions of timing and/or difficulty level.

7b. No one chairperson or committee member will be removed without cause. 

7c. No member can restrict any other member from volunteering.  Restrictions are at the discretion of the Executive Board.

  1. If an officer cannot be present at an event where money is being collected for the organization that responsibility will fall upon the chairperson of the event/activity. The chairperson will then make every attempt to get all monies to the Treasurer as soon as possible.

Article VIII: Meetings

  1. At least five (5) business meetings (unless due to an unforeseen circumstance beyond the control of the organization) shall be held during the course of the school year.  All meetings will be held on school premises. In the event of a prolonged school closure due to an unforeseen circumstance, meetings can be conducted online.  (Amendments to this provision made & approved June 2020)
  2. All general meetings shall be publicized in advance and special sessions at least seven (7) days in advance.
  3. The members present at any general meeting shall constitute a quorum.
  4. Election will be held at the first spring business meeting.
  5. At no time shall a PTO meeting be used as a forum to air personal grievances against but not limited to other members, officers, administrations or the BOE.
  6. Meetings will be conducted by the PTO President or the Vice President in their absence.
  7. A member of the administration must be present at the meeting in order to conduct business,

Article IX: Voting

  1. All expenditures over $250.00, not in the previously approved budget, must be presented at a regularly scheduled business meeting to the general membership for a vote.
  2. All members shall have an equal vote on operational and financial issues before the organization.
  3. All voting for officer positions shall be done in ballot form to ensure objectivity and privacy.
  4. An email vote may be used between meetings in special situations that would be beneficial to the organization.
  5. The President shall have the tie-breaking vote in all matters before the organization
  6. Results of all votes will be entered into the minutes and will be announced at the end of the voting meeting.
  7. Officers only will have a vote on making changes to the bylaws by a majority voice vote.
  8. All meeting minutes must be voted on at the meeting immediately following. Once voted on, the approved minutes will be posted on the PTO website for the public to see.

 Article X: Books and Records

  1. The organization shall keep correct and complete books and records of all accounts and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its members, officers and committees.
  2. Any member of the organization may inspect all books and records of the organization for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.
  3. Meetings may be recorded by dictation, by the sitting secretary. These Meeting Minutes are used to accurately record the communication that took place.  This is to ensure the accuracy of the minutes being kept. 
  4. Minutes not approved are subject to change.

 Article XI: Amendments

  1. The by-laws must be reviewed by the membership annually at the second business meeting of the current school year.
  2. The by-laws may be amended at any regular business meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
  3. The by-laws must be posted and available for review by the membership annually.
  4. A proposed amendment to the by-laws shall be announced at a regular business meeting at least thirty days prior to the next business meeting. If a regular meeting is not planned a special session can be called if seven (7) days advance notice is given to the membership.
  5. Any member may propose an amendment and must present their proposal in writing. The proposed amendment will be discussed in open discussion.  At that time if the amendment is deemed appropriate the officers will vote by voice at the next meeting.
  6. All proposed amendments to the bylaws must be for the good of the PTO. The officers have the right to deem any proposal detrimental to the PTO.  The President has the right to strike any proposal if the officers feel it is not in the best interest of the PTO.

Article XII: Parliamentary Authority (Article added May 2019)

  1. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern meetings when they are not in conflict with the organization’s bylaws or any other special/ standing rules.
  2. Standing rules may be approved by the Executive Board, and the secretary shall keep a record of the standing rules for future reference.

Article XIII: Conflict of Interest Policy (Article added May 2019)

  1. Purpose

The purpose of the conflict-of-interest policy is to protect this tax-exempt organization’s interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an officer or director of the organization or might result in a possible excess benefit transaction. This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit and charitable organizations.

  1. Definitions.
  1. Interested Person. Any director, principal officer, or member of a committee with a governing board­ delegated powers who has a direct or indirect financial interest, as defined below, is an interested person.
  2. Financial Interest. A person has a financial interest if the person has, directly or indirectly, through business, investment, or family:
  3. An ownership or investment interest in any entity with which the organization has a transaction or arrangement.
  4. A compensation arrangement with the organization or with any entity or individual with which the organization has a transaction or arrangement; or a potential ownership or investment interest in, or com­pensation arrangement with, any entity or individual with which the organization is negotiating a transaction or arrangement. “Compensation” includes direct and indirect remuneration as well as gifts or favors that are not insubstantial
  5. A financial interest is not necessarily a conflict of interest. A person who has a financial interest may have a conflict of interest only if the appropriate governing board or committee decides that a conflict of interest exists.

 

  1. Procedures
  1. Duty to Disclose.
  • In connection with any actual or possi­ble conflict of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence of the financial interest and be given the opportunity to disclose all material facts to the directors and members of committees with governing board delegated powers who are considering the proposed transaction or arrangement.
  • Determining whether a conflict of interest exists. After disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts, and after any discussion with the interested person, he/she shall leave the governing board or committee meeting while the determination of a conflict of interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining board or committee members shall decide whether a conflict of interest exists.
  1. Procedures for Addressing the Conflict of Interest.
  • An interested person may make a presentation at the governing board or committee meeting, but after the presentation, he/she shall leave the meeting during the discussion of, and the vote on, the transaction or arrangement involving the possible conflict of interest.
  • The chairperson of the governing board or committee shall, if appropriate, appoint a disinterested person or committee to investigate alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement
  • After exercising due diligence, the governing board or committee shall determine whether the organization can obtain, with reasonable efforts, a more advantageous transac­tion or arrangement from a person or entity that would not give rise to a conflict of interest.
  • If a more advantageous transaction or arrangement is not reasonably possible under circumstances not producing a conflict of interest, the governing board or committee shall determine by a majority vote of the disinterested directors whether the transaction or arrangement is in the organization’s best interest, for its own benefit, and whether it is fair and rea­ In conformity with the above determination, it shall make its decision as to whether to enter into the transaction or arrangement.
  1. Violations of the Conflict-of-Interest Policy
  • If the governing board or committee has reasonable cause?to believe a member has failed to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest, it shall inform the member of the basis for such belief and afford the member an opportunity to explain the alleged failure to disclose
  • If, after hearing the member’s response and after making further investigation as warranted by the circumstances, the governing board or committee determines that the member has failed to disclose an actual or possible conflict of interest, it shall take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action.