BY-LAWS

BRENTWOOD ELEMENTARY P.T.O., INC.


ARTICLE I


The name of this organization shall be the Brentwood Elementary P.T.O., Inc. of Plainfield, Indiana.


ARTICLE II


The objectives of this organization shall be:


to encourage active participation and interest of parents in their children’s academic and social development;


to encourage a supportive and cooperative relationship between school and home;


to encourage pride and enthusiasm in each child for his/her school;


to help provide each child with the best possible educational experience.


ARTICLE III


Policies


Section 1. This organization shall be non-commercial, non-sectarian, and non-partisan.


Sections 2. No commercial enterprise and no political candidate shall be endorsed by this organization. Neither the name of the organization nor the names of its officers in their official capacities shall be used in connection with any commercial concern or with any partisan interest or for any purpose other than the regular work of the organization.


Section 3. This organization shall not seek to direct the administrative activities of the school or to control its policies.


Section 4. This organization shall comply with all federal and state laws and regulations concerning not-for profit corporations.


Section 5. The fiscal year of this organization shall be from July 1 to June 30 of the following year.





Section 6. Upon dissolution of this organization, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of this PTO, the remaining assets shall be distributed to Brentwood Elementary. If Brentwood Elementary ceases to exist, remaining PTO assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section

501 ( c ) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal

code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state of local government, for a public purpose.


ARTICLE IV


Membership


Section 1. All certified personnel associated with Brentwood Elementary School and all parents or guardians of children enrolled in this school are full (voting) members of the Brentwood Elementary P.T.O.


Section 2. All other persons who are interested in the objectives for which this association was organized may become associate (non-voting) members.


Section 3. All full (voting) members are eligible to attend any business meeting, vote on all business before the organization, and serve in any of its elected or appointed offices.


ARTICLE V


Officers and Board Representatives and their Duties


Section 1. Elected officers of the organization shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer.


Duties of the President.


Prepare agendas and preside at all meetings of the membership and Executive Board.


Call special meetings of the Executive board, if needed by notifying each board member.


Represent the Brentwood Elementary P.T.O., or appoint a representative to do so, on the coordinating council of the Plainfield Community School Corporation.


Prepare and distribute a P.T.O. newsletter four times a year, timed to precede major P.T.O. projects if possible, or contribute to weekly school bulletin. All communications must be approved by the principal.


Receive outgoing officers’ handbooks no later than June 15 and present them to the incoming officers not later than June 30.


Sign a signature card at the bank on or before July 15 in order to have co-signing authority for the checking account.


Be bonded in a minimum amount of $7500.00 to be paid for by the P.T.O.


Be available to receive and count monies and make deposits as requested by the Treasurer.


Perform all other duties pertaining to the office.


Duties of the Vice-President.


Preside in the absence of the President.


Fill any remaining portion of the President’s term of office in the event of a resignation or dismissal.


Have responsibility for sending out volunteer sign-up sheets and provide names of volunteers to the event chairmen as needed.


Serve as Room Parent Chairman.


Be an ex-officio member of any appointed committee as directed by the President.


Sign a signature card at the bank on or before July 15 in order to have co-signing authority for the checking account.


Be bonded in a minimum amount of $7500.00 to be paid for by the P.T.O.


Be available to receive and count monies and make deposits as requested by the Treasurer.


Perform other duties that may be delegated to him/her.


Duties of the Secretary.


Record the minutes of all general business meetings and Executive Board meetings. The minutes shall be in typed form within seven calendar days after each meeting and be signed by the Secretary or by his/her designee in the event the Secretary is unable to attend the meeting. The minutes shall contain at a minimum the following information;


actions taken by the membership;


the beginning and ending Treasurer’s balances;


both the date of the meeting and the date of transcription;


a record of actions taken by the Executive Board between general business meetings, as announced at the next meeting;


Keep a record of attendance at all Executive Board meetings and general business meetings.


Copy, if needed, and distribute handouts at PTO meetings.


Handle correspondence between the Executive Board, staff and membership.


Provide all Board members with a complete list of Board members’ addresses and phone numbers.


Be an ex-officio member of any appointed committee as directed by the President.


Assist the Treasurer as needed in reconciling receipts and expenditures with bank records on a monthly basis and preparing a signed report noting any exceptions that have occurred.


Perform other duties that may be delegated to him/her.


Duties of the Treasurer.


Receive all monies of the organization and deposit them into the PTO bank account and other organization as selected by the executive committee. Sums of cash must be counted by at least tow board members and deposited the same day. All other receipts should be deposited within 2 business days.


Keep an up-to date financial record of all receipts and expenditures, including documentation.




With the Assistant Treasurer, prepare a written signed financial report and present it at each monthly meeting, or if no meeting is scheduled, provide such report of the Executive Board not later than the 15th of the month.


Have co-signing authority for the checking account and sign a signature card at the bank by July 15.


Keep a ledger of receipts, expenditures, and profits of all P.T.O. activities and functions, as given to him/her by the committee chairmen.


Be bonded in a minimum amount of $7500.00 to be paid for by the P.T.O.


Provide completed account books to the designated Professional Accountant as directed by the Executive Board not later than July 15.


File income tax returns as required by federal and state law as soon as possible after completion of the annual review of the financial records, but no later than the filing deadline established by law.


Be an ex-officio member of any appointed committee as directed by the President.


Perform other duties that may be delegated to him/her.


Duties of the Assistant Treasurer.


Reconcile receipts and expenditures with bank records on a monthly basis and prepare a signed report noting any exceptions that occurred.


With the Treasurer, prepare a financial report for presentation at the monthly business meeting.


Fill any remaining portion of the Treasurer’s term of office in the event of resignation or dismissal.


Be an ex-officio member of any appointed committee as directed by the President.


Perform other duties that may be delegated to him/her.




Section 2. Appointed Representatives to the Executive Board shall be the Advisor, two Faculty Representatives (one from the primary grades and one from the intermediate grades), and two Parent Representatives (one from the primary grades and one from the intermediate grades).


The Advisor shall advise the Executive Board by offering information and suggestions from past experience.


The two Faculty Representatives shall:


provide the Executive Board with suggestions and insight representative of the faculty’s interests and concerns.


communicate the interested and concerns of the P.T.O. to the faculty.


The two Parent Representatives shall:


provide the Executive Board with suggestions and insight representative of the parent’s interests and concerns.


send a P.T.O. calendar and letter of introduction to the parents of new students, explaining the current P.T.O. projects and extending a personal invitation to attend the next scheduled P.T.O. meeting.


act as Hospitality Committee at P.T.O. meetings by greeting attendees, distributing any paperwork, securing the signatures of all attendees for purposes of attendance, and directing any questions to the appropriate source.


Section 3. Each officer is to be provided a notebook containing a copy of the current By-laws, past minutes and Treasurer’s Reports as designated in the Standing Rules, and information regarding all P.T.O. functions that will assist in future activities. Each notebook is to be turned over to the incoming officers at the end of the school year and should contain any additional information that is pertinent to the position.


Section 4. Incoming officers are to be introduced at the May meeting and present a preliminary agenda and budget for the following year that follows the guidelines outlined by these By-laws and Standing Rules and has been approved by the principal. Incoming officers shall also attend as many spring functions as possible in the learning capacity.


Section 5. All elected officers and appointed representatives are expected to attend every P.T.O. meeting and abide by Executive Board policies. If an officer or representative in unable to attend a scheduled meeting, he or she shall notify the President prior to the meeting.


Section 6. The Principal of Brentwood Elementary School shall review all P.T.O. functions and projects for approval or disapproval.


ARTICLE VI


Executive Board


Section 1. The Executive Board members shall consist of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, and the Principal of Brentwood Elementary School.


Section 2. The presence of 3 members of the Executive Board shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.


Section 3. The duties of the Executive Board are to:


meet at least three times a year, including;


after elections in April to establish a preliminary agenda and budget for the following year to be presented at the May meeting;


in the early fall to review the status of fall projects;


in the late winter to review the status of spring projects.


transact necessary business between general business meetings and make an announcement of any actions taken at the next meeting so a record can be entered in the minutes.


approve routine bills within the limits of the budget.


Appoint a Professional Accountant to review the Treasurer’s records and accounts, with the review to be completed by August 15.


Appoint committees as needed to carry out the projects approved by the P.T.O. and school..


Finalize the preliminary calendar of events and budget presented at the May meeting not later than July 1 to be ready for distribution with the school handbook in August.


report Executive board decisions on a regular basis to the general membership.


Review the By-Laws annually and recommend changes as needed.


Section 4. After any officer’s absence from two consecutive meetings, the Executive board shall notify the officer that a replacement will be appointed at the next meeting if a written continuance is not given.


Section 5. If an officer does not comply with the policies as established by the Executive Board, after written notification of such policies, the Board may, at its discretion dismiss the officer and appoint a replacement at the next meeting.


Section 6. In the event of the resignation or dismissal of any member of the Executive board, it shall be the duty of the Board to fill the vacancy by a majority vote. The exceptions shall be the office of President that will be filled automatically by the Vice President and the office of Treasurer that will be filled automatically by the Assistant Treasurer.


ARTICLE VII


Selection and Appointment of officers and Representatives


Section 1. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer, shall be elected annually in April.


Section 2. A Nomination Committee shall be appointed by the President in January. The committee shall consist of the President, The Principal, and one other P.T.O. member not currently on the Executive Board. This committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for presentation at the March meeting using the following requirements:


consult the volunteer forms sent out at the beginning of the year;


make notice in a newsletter in January that the committee is seeking candidates and giving descriptions of the positions for election;


make available at the February business meeting a sign-up sheet giving descriptions of the positions for election;


make personal telephone calls to parents known to be active in the school in order to fill out the slate, if necessary;


obtain names of parents from the Kindergarten Center who would be interested in working with the Brentwood Elementary P.T.O.


Section 3. The rules for election are:


The consent of each candidate must be obtained before being presented for nomination. Nominations may be made from the floor at the March meeting as long as consent of the candidate accompanies the nomination.


Election shall be by ballot unless there is only one candidate for an office, in which case a motion may be made for a voice vote.


Officers shall serve a term of one year, from July 1 to June 30 of the following year with the exception of the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer. These officers shall serve an additional 1 month in order to familiarize the incoming Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer with financial procedures. The outgoing Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer shall have no voting rights on the Executive Board during the 13th month.


No elected officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms in any one office and no more than three consecutive terms on the Executive Board. This shall not include vacancies filled by appointment by the Executive Board.


Section 4. The appointed office of Advisor must be from the previous year’s Executive Board and shall be the outgoing President, if possible. The Advisor shall be appointed by the incoming President not later than May 1.


Section 5. The appointed offices of Primary Parent Representative, Intermediate Parent Representative, Primary Faculty Representative, and Intermediate Faculty Representative shall be made by the Executive Board no later than August 1.


ARTICLE VIII


Meetings


Section 1. General meetings shall be held at least four times during the school year. Dates are to be determined by the Executive Board for inclusion in the school and corporation calendars.


Section 2. Those full (voting) members present at the general meeting, after due notice, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.


Section 3. All business shall be transacted by majority vote except as specified otherwise in these By-Laws.


Section 4. All voting shall be by voice unless any one full (voting) member requests a paper ballot.


Section 5. Special meetings may be called by written petition of 10 full (voting) members to the Executive Board, with not less than one week notice being given to the membership.





ARTICLE IX


By-Laws


Section 1. These By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the organization by a majority vote of the full (voting) members present, provided notice of the proposed amendment(s) shall have been given at the previous general meeting.


Section 2. Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern this organization in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these By-Laws.


Adopted April 20, 2004