BBE PTO Bylaws

I. General

1. NAME

The name of this organization is Brazos Bend Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).

2. PURPOSE

The PTO has been established to promote the welfare and educational, vocation, and character development of children who attend the Brazos Bend Elementary School (School) and to develop and maintain a forum for parents, teachers and citizens within the community interested in the advancement of those purposes. The PTO shall not attempt to direct the administration or policies and activities of the school. The PTO is organized and shall be operated exclusively for the charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501 c (3) of the Internal Revenue Code concerning tax exempt organizations. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, influencing legislation, or participation in political campaigns for public office. The PTO shall not engage, participate, nor intervene in any activity or transaction which would result in the loss of its status as a tax-exempt entity.

3. POWERS

In order to accomplish the foregoing purposes and to finance programs in support thereof, the PTO is empowered to solicit and accept membership dues and voluntary contributions and to receive, invest and distribute funds and to hold property in furtherance of its objectives. No part of the income or assets of the PTO shall benefit any member or other individual or entity.

II. MEMBERSHIP

1. ELIGIBILITY

Membership in the PTO shall be open to those individuals who subscribe to its purpose and objectives have paid the annual dues as hereinafter provided, and who are:
 

(a) Parents, grandparents, or legal guardians of students enrolled in the School.

(b) Members of the faculty, staff and their families.

(c) Interested adults who do not qualify under Article II Section l (a) or l (b) may petition the Board to become members of the PTO.

2. ANNUAL DUES

The annual dues for members shall be determined by the Board of Directors at its sole discretion. Annual dues will be accepted any time throughout the school year. Current dues expire at the end of each school year.

3. MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING

Current members in good standing are defined as members who have paid their annual dues for the current school year and shall have the privilege of making motions, voting, holding office or serving on committees. The Membership Chairperson shall maintain throughout the year a list of current members of the PTO.

III. MEETING OF THE MEMBERS

1. GENERAL MEETINGS

General meetings of the PTO shall be held as scheduled by the Board with there being at least one meeting in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. An election of the officers shall be conducted at a general PTO meeting in the spring semester.

2. ELECTION MEETING

This meeting of the members shall be held during the general meeting in May of each year. The meeting shall be held for the purpose of electing officers of the PTO, as defined in Article IV and Article V of these bylaws, and for the transaction of any other business properly brought before the meeting of the members as determined by the Board.

3. SPECIAL MEETING

Special meetings may be called by the President at the request of a majority of the Board, or at the request of five percent (5%) of the members, to transact any business which needs to be brought before the members.

4. NOTICE OF MEETING

Five (5) days notice shall be required for any General, Special, or Election meeting. Notice for all meetings shall indicate the time, date, place and purpose of the meeting. The meeting shall be called by means of posting on school property and publication. A simple majority of the members of the Board must be present.

5. QUORUM AND MANNER OF VOTING

Current PTO members in good standing present at any General, Special, or Election meeting, shall constitute representation of the entire PTO membership body. Any item of business included in the agenda and properly brought before the meeting may be transacted and voted on during such meeting. The order of business to be followed during each meeting shall be determined by the President. The election of officers and all motions voted upon by the members shall be decided, except as otherwise provided for in these bylaws, by a majority of the voting members present at a meeting provided a quorum is established and maintained throughout the meeting. A quorum shall be met with a simple majority of the Board, which is one-half (1/2) of the Board plus one (1).

IV. THE BOARD

1. DUTIES

The property, affairs, and business of the PTO shall be managed by its Board who shall set and determine the policies of the PTO. The Board shall have the power to adopt an annual budget, disburse funds, approve plans and programs to raise funds, and perform all other duties as may be necessary or desirable to carry out the stated purposes of the PTO.

2. COMPOSITION

The Board shall consist of the Officers of the PTO, the Principal and the Assistant Principal of the School,and optionally,two (2) teacher representatives sharing a single position. All members shall have one vote each on issues concerning the Board.

3. THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE

During the month of February of each year, the Board shall solicit nominees to serve on the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall be elected by the Board at the March meeting and should consist of three (3) PTO members which may include current Officers who will not be Officers the next year. The Nominating Committee shall elect a chairperson from among its members.

At the Election Meeting in May, the Nominating Committee shall be responsible for presenting the nominees for election to each office as described in Article IV and Article V of these bylaws. Nominations for each office shall be accepted from the members at large during the Election Meeting in May following the presentation of the ballot by the Nominating Committee. All nominees shall be current members in good standing of the PTO and shall personally consent to stand election after their names are placed in nomination.

The Nominating Committee is a standing committee of the PTO, not the Board; therefore, it is not governed by Article VI or Article VII of these bylaws.

4. ELECTIONS

The Officers shall be elected by the members during the Election Meeting in May of each year. The Officers shall be elected by ballot.Optionally, two (2) teacher representatives shall be chosen separately by the faculty.

5. TERM OF OFFICE

Officers of the Board shall be elected at each Election Meeting in May to serve in capacity for one (1) year beginning upon election.

6. CONSECUTIVE TERMS

The members of the Board may serve for consecutive terms of the Board but may not serve for more than two (2) consecutive years as an officer in the same capacity,except in which case no candidate can be found to replace the President, Secretary, or Financial Officer. A member serving in one of these key officer positions can volunteer to be nominated for the same position more than two (2) consecutive years to prevent the dissolution of the PTO. All officers must be nominated again and reelected for each term they serve.

7. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

A Board member who, without cause, fails to attend two (2) consecutive General Meetings of the Board may be removed by a majority vote of the Board. A Board member may otherwise be removed from office by a simple majority of the Board for non-performance of Board responsibilities, inappropriate behavior for a Board member or noncompliance with the PTO policies and procedures set forth. Two (2) weeks prior to taking such actions, the President or the Secretary shall send to the Board member being considered for removal, notice of such action by "Registered Mail, Return Receipt Requested."

8. VACANCIES

The Board may fill vacancies in its own membership. A Board member may resign at any time upon written notice to the Board. The remaining members serving on the Board, even though less than a quorum, may by a majority vote appoint a successor, selected from among the members of the PTO, to serve the unexpired term of a Board member who resigns, who is unable to serve, or is removed.

9. REGULAR MEETINGS

Regularly scheduled meetings of the Board shall be held on a regular basis as the Board determines at the beginning of each fiscal year. The Board should hold at least six (6) meetings per year (not including the Special Meetings). The meetings should be open to the General Membership and posted at least three (3) days prior with a copy of the agenda. Any items of business brought before a regular meeting of the Board may be transacted and voted on during such meetings. Members that are not a part of the Board must wait until the New Business segment of the meeting to address the Board. At any time, members of the Board may go into an Executive Session Meeting (Board members only).

10. SPECIAL MEETINGS

Special Meetings of the Officers of the Board may be called by the President or Secretary upon the request of any three (3) Board members, upon twenty-four (24) hours written or verbal notice indicating the time and place of the Special Meeting and the business to be transacted at such meeting.

11. QUORUM AND MANNER OF VOTING

The presence of one-half (1/2) plus one (1) of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum at any Regular or Special Meeting of the Board. All motions voted upon at any meeting of the Board at which a quorum has been established and maintained throughout, shall be decided, except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, by a majority of the Board members present at the meeting.In such instance that a matter needs to be voted on outside of a meeting, the board may utilize email to discuss, make motions, and vote. A quorum within the email must be established.

V. OFFICERS

1. TITLES AND TERMS OF OFFICE

The Officers of the PTO Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Hospitality Chairperson, Membership Chairperson, VIPS Chairperson, Ways and Means Chairperson, Program Development Chairperson, Sponsorship Chairperson, Treasurer, Financial Officer, Secretary and Yearbook Chairperson. All officers shall serve a term of office for one (1) year from installation until successors are elected.

2. PRESIDENT

The President shall preside without vote over all meetings of the PTO Board, may vote in the event of a tie for Board and General Meetings, and shall have full voting rights in all elections; appoints with the advice and consent of the Board the chairpersons of any special committees; have supervision of any general, executive and administrative powers relating to the control of the Board; and implement the general directives, plans and policies formulated by the Board. The President of the Board must have served on the Board for one (1) year in some capacity in the past.

3. VICE PRESIDENT

The Vice President (“VP”) shall have such powers and responsibilities as may be determined by the Board or the President. In the absence of the President, the VP shall perform the duties and exercise the authority of the President. The Marquee Committee of Fundraising and Upkeep shall report to the VP.  Designated Ad Hoc Committees deemed appropriate shall also report to the VP. The VP shall have parliamentary duties as per Article VIII Section 6 at all PTO meetings.

4. SECRETARY

The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the members of the Board and record the minutes of those proceedings. Those minutes shall be distributed to the members of the Board and posted to the general membership by the Secretary. The Secretary shall notify all Board members of the regular meetings and be responsible for all correspondence necessary for conducting the business of the PTO. The Secretary shall distribute correspondence to all PTO Board members or shall make the necessary arrangements.

5. TREASURER

The Treasurer shall prepare the annual budget, explain the variances between budget and actual and maintain the bank reconciliation. The Treasurer reconciles deposits and records sales records for each fund raiser. The Treasurer shall present monthly financial reports and prepare Federal and State returns and other required reports. The Treasurer shall also maintain the PTO's books on Quicken and review the Petty Cash Accounts.

6. FINANCIAL OFFICER

The Financial Officer shall prepare and make bank deposits, prepare and sign checks (amounts greater than $500 require dual signatures), and maintain check supply. The Financial Officer shall also maintain petty cash.

7. VOLUNTEERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHAIRPERSON

The Volunteers in Public Schools (“VIPS”) Chairperson shall coordinate volunteers in compliance with the Volunteers in Public Schools Program, as described in the Fort Bend lndependent School District Campus VIPS Coordinator Handbook. The VIPS shall be responsible for coordinating scheduling of activities to support faculty and staff. The VIPS shall act as a liaison between volunteers, faculty, and staff.

8. VIPS – PARTIES CHAIRPERSON

The VIPS – Parties Chairperson shall coordinate scheduling of classroom parties. The Parties Chairperson shall be responsible for coordinating resources from the parents and monies appropriated by the PTO to accomplish this purpose.

9. VIPS – FIELD DAY CHAIRPERSON

The VIPS – Field Day Chairperson shall coordinate scheduling of Field Day with the School representative who is in charge of Field Day (typically the PE teacher). The Field Day Chairperson shall be responsible for coordinating resources from the parents and monies appropriated by the PTO to accomplish this purpose.

10. WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRPERSON

The Ways and Means Chairperson (“WM”) shall coordinate scheduling of fundraising activities relating to the PTO and approved by the Board. The fundraising events shall be coordinated by the specific WM and any chairperson chose to conduct any said fundraising shall report to WM. Designated Ad Hoc Committees deemed appropriate shall also report to the WM chairpersons.

11. PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

12. TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES

Two (2) teacher representatives serving on the Board shall provide input from the faculty and advise the Board of special needs of the students. The two (2) teacher representatives shall have one (1) vote on the Board shared between them.These representatives are optional at the discretion of the Principal and Assistant Principal.

13. YEARBOOK CHAIRPERSON

The Historian Yearbook Chairperson shall be responsible for taking and collecting photos throughout the school year of significant functions at the school anddesigning for print the school yearbook by the end of April for delivery to purchasers by the last day of the school year.

14. SPONSORSHIP CHAIRPERSON

The Sponsorship Chairperson shall contact local businesses to obtain sponsorship for the school year, based on the decided upon sponsorship tiers. The sponsorship tiers will be reviewed yearly and decided upon by the Sponsorship Chairperson and President.

15. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT CHAIRPERSON

The Program Development Chairperson (“PD”) shall coordinate all programs of fundraising other than those fund-raisers specified in Article V section 8. All Ad Hoc Committees relating to program development shall report to the PD.

16. HOSPITALITY CHAIRPERSON

The Hospitality Chairperson shall organize and oversee functions hosted by the PTO for the purpose of showing appreciation to the teachers and staff. The Hospitality Chairperson shall be responsible for coordinating resources from the parents and monies appropriated by the PTO to accomplish this purpose. Designated Ad Hoc Committees deemed appropriate shall also report to the Hospitality Chairperson.

17. MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON

The Membership Chairperson shall oversee activities of the Membership Committee, which shall report to the Vice President. The Membership Committee shall conduct an annual drive, be responsible for new membership registration throughout the school year and compile an accurate PTO membership list.

18. DADS PROGRAM CHAIRPERSON

The Dads Program Chairperson shall coordinate volunteers and scheduling of activities to support faculty and staff with positive male role models. The Dads Program Chairperson will coordinate with the School administration to meet needs of the program.

19. MASTERPIECE ART CHAIRPERSON

The Masterpiece Art Chairperson (“MPA”) shall recruit and coordinate volunteers to present the Masterpiece Art program to kindergarten through 2^nd grade classrooms. The MPA is responsible for ensuring the materials and supplies needed are available and provided within the approved budget.

20. JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT CHAIRPERSON

The Junior Achievememt Chairperson (“JA”) shall recruit and coordinate volunteers to present the Junior Achievement program to kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms. The JA is responsible for scheduling trainings as needed and distributing necessary materials.

VI. STANDING COMMITTEE

1. STANDING COMMITTEES

Standing Committees shall consist of the following: Budget Committee, Audit Committee. Standing Committees, except the Nominating Committee, shall report directly to the designated PTO Board Officer who is responsible for overseeing activities of that Committee. Chairperson or committee members must be members in good standing of the PTO.

VII. AD HOC COMMITTEES

1. AD HOC COMMITTEES

Ad Hoc Committees are committees created with approval of the Board when new projects are instituted, or needs are identified. These committees are not permanent and may be increased or decreased on an annual basis. Committees shall report directly to the designated PTO Board Officer who is identified as responsible for overseeing activities of that Committee. Chairperson and committee members must be members in good standing of the PTO.

VIII. MISCELLANEOUS

1. FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year shall end on June 30 of each year.

2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS

Checks and drafts or other orders for the payment of money issued in the name of this PTO over the amount of $500 shall be approved and signed by two (2) officers of the Board.

 3. AUDIT

An audit of the books and records of the PTO shall be conducted and completed each year by an audit committee of not less than two (2) members selected by the Officers from members in good standing, who are not thePresident, Financial Officer or Treasurer for that fiscal year.

4. DISPOSITION OF ASSETS UPON DISSOLUTION

In the event of dissolution of the PTO, all outstanding bills shall be paid and all remaining property and assets of the PTO shall be distributed to the School or, if such disposition is not possible, to one or more PTOs which is qualified as an exempt organization under Section 50l(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and which is selected by the Board. In no event shall the remaining property and assets of PTO be distributed to any member or other individual entity.

5. AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended at any General Meeting of the members, at which a quorum as defined in Article III Section 5 is present and voting throughout, by a vote of two-thirds (⅔) of the members present at such meeting, provided the proposed amendment was present and discussed at the previous General Meeting. A notice of proposed changes will be posted at the school five (5) days prior to the vote.

6. RULES OF ORDER

The rules contained in the latest revisions of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the procedures followed during all meetings of the PTO.

These bylaws were approved and adopted by a majority vote of PTO members present at the PTO Board Meeting held on the 12th day of April, 2023.

Signed by: Stacy Zwerneman                                      4/12/23

BBE PTO Board Secretary                                                                         Date

ATTEST:

Brazos Board Elementary Parent Teacher Organization