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PROPOSED AMENDED
GREAT MEADOWS REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT PTO BY-LAWS
Adopted February 2011
Article I: Name of Organization
The
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.
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. An independent CPA will audit the organization according to State guidelines for charitable organizations. The fiscal year will run from September 1 through August 31 of each year.
5. All banking transactions shall require two (2) officers’ signatures.
6. 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 same 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 Liberty Elementary School, exclusively for one or more exempt purposes, within in 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 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)
Article IV: Membership
1. Membership is made available to all parents and guardians of any child enrolled in the
2. No annual dues are collected.
3. All members are eligible to participate in the monthly business meetings, voting and in elected and appointed positions.
Article V: Officers and Election
1. Each officer shall be a member of the organization.
2. Officers shall consist of :
or or or
a. President a. Co-President a. Co-President a. President
b. Vice President b. Co-President b. Co-President b. Co-Vice Pres.
c. Secretary c. Secretary c. Vice-Pres. c. Co-Vice Pres.
d. Treasurer d. Treasurer d. Secretary d. Secretary
e. Treasurer e. Treasurer
3. The President or Co-Presidents and Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents make up the Executive Committee.
4. Officers will be elected by a majority vote at the April business meeting.
5. Nominations for officer positions shall be proposed at the March business meeting by any non-officer PTO member or as communicated by an officer if the nominee cannot be present.
6. Officers are elected for a term of two (2) 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.
7. Newly elected officers shall begin training with current officers immediately following the April elections through the last day of school in June.
8. Newly elected officers will assume full duties at the start of summer recess once April-June training is completed.
9. Outgoing officers shall attend the 1st PTO meeting (September) of the new school year following their term to transition and assist the incoming officers.
10. 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.
11. Officers may opt out of their position at any time for personal reasons.
12. Should a vacancy occur during the term of an officer, the remaining officers have the authority to appoint a replacement.
13. The President or Co-Presidents and Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents shall fill Presidential vacancies.
14. The officers have the authority, by majority vote of the officers, 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.
15. 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.
Article VI: Duties of Officers
1. The President or Co-Presidents shall preside at all meetings of the membership. The President/Co-Presidents shall coordinate the work of the officers and committee chairpersons in order to promote the objectives of the organization.
2. The Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents shall act as an aid to the President and perform all Presidential duties in the case of the President or Co-Presidents’ absence.
3. The Secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the membership and Executive Board. The Secretary will provide a copy of the minutes to the
membership at each business meeting.
4. The Treasurer shall oversee all organizational funds, keep a full and accurate
account of receipts and expenditures and shall present financial statements at
regular PTO meetings. The Treasurer shall close the books at the end of the fiscal
year before giving them to the accountant.
Article VII: Committees
l. Only members of the organization shall be eligible to serve in any elected or
appointed position.
2. Any member is eligible to volunteer and participate on any and all committees.
3. The PTO Officers may create any committee they feel is necessary to promote the objectives of the organization.
4. The chairpersons of any and all committees 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.
5. The chairperson of any and all committees shall be responsible for keeping the
President apprised of any and all committee activities and meetings.
6. Chairperson positions are volunteer positions. All committee chair positions are available to every member of the organization on a yearly basis. If more than one person is interested in chairing a committee, the decision will be put to a ballot vote at the May business meeting. If a sitting committee chair expresses interest in returning to her/his position the following year, and they are not contested, that member shall continue to oversee her/his chosen committee.
7. The Executive Committee can, at any time, ask a committee chair 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 )
8. 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 committee. The chairperson will then make every attempt to get all monies to the Treasurer as soon as possible.
Article VIII: Meetings
l. At least five (5) business meetings shall be held during the course of the school year. All meetings will be held on school premises.
2. All general meetings shall be publicized at least thirty (30) days in advance and special sessions at least fourteen (14) days in advance.
3. The members present at any general meeting shall constitute a quorum.
4. Election will be held at the April business meeting.
5. At no time shall a PTO meeting be used as a forum to air personal grievances.
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 and chairperson 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.
Article X: Books and Records
1. The corporation 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
corporation for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.
Article XI: Amendments
1. The by-laws must be reviewed by the membership annually in November.
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. In the event that a regular meeting is not planned a special session can be called if fourteen days advanced notice is given to the membership.
