Approved 09/11/2006
Last Amended10/15/2015
Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTOBylaws
I. NAME
1. The name of the organization shall be the Ramsey Magnet School of Science Parent Teacher Organization (Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO).
2. The Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall operate in the City of Coeur d’Alene, in the County of Kootenai, in the State of Idaho.
II. PURPOSE
1. The purpose of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO is to support and enhance the education of the children at Ramsey Magnet School of Science by fostering aspirit of cooperation and promoting open communication between families and staff of the school.
2. The Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO is organized exclusively for educational purposes such as those organizations that qualify as exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
3. The Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall not participate in nor fund propaganda, nor otherwise attempt to influence legislation. The Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall not participate in, nor intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. At PTO Meetings, issues directly related to the educational experience of the children of Ramsey Magnet School of Science and/or the Coeur d’Alene SchoolDistrict may be discussed, however, the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall not take any official position nor encourage any specific action on the part of its Members.
4. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Bylaws, the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any powers that are not in furtherance of the purposes of this organization.
III. MEMBERSHIP
1. Members.
a. All parents, Legal Guardians and or extended family members with guardian approval of current Ramsey Magnet School of Sciencestudents and all current paid employees of Ramsey Magnet School of Science are Regular Members of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO.
b. Regular Members have the right to attend and participate in all public meetings and activities of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO.
2. Voting. Every Regular Member in attendance at Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO Meetings shall be eligible to vote.
IV. MEETINGS
1. Regular PTO Meetings.
a. Regular PTO Meetings shall be held approximately once per month, the time to be established by the Executive Board Members.
b. There shall be a minimum of 3 Regular PTO Meetings per year.
c. The schedule of the Regular PTO Meetings shall be announced at the beginning of each year.
d. At Regular PTO Meetings, normal business of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall be conducted.
e. At Regular PTO Meetings, the Executive Board shall report on events, fundraisers, and the PTO’s financial status.
2. Special PTO Meetings.
a. When voted by the Executive Board or authorized by petition of at least 10 Regular Members, a Special PTO Meeting shall be called.
b. The time, place and purpose of all Special PTO Meetings shall be announced at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.
c. The only business to be conducted during a Special PTO Meeting shall be directly related to the purpose stated when the meeting was announced.
3. Executive Board Meetings.
a. Executive Board Meetings shall be called as needed by the Executive Board to vote on PTO business or take other action that cannot wait until a Regular PTO Meeting.
b. Executive Board Meetings shall be authorized to be conducted via electronic means, with the Co-Secretaries keeping a hard-copy record of any votes taken.
c. Only the Officers of the Executive Board shall be eligible to vote at Executive Board Meetings.
d. Regardless of the number of Executive Board Members in attendance or participating at an Executive Board Meeting, the vote of at least three Executive Board Members shall be required to take action on behalf ofthe Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO.
e. Results of Executive Board Meetings shall be reported at the next Regular PTO Meeting.
f. Bylaws will be provided to each Executive Board Member and reviewed at the first Executive Meeting of the school year, typically in September. District requirements of Policies 4200 and 4200P will also be reviewed for updates at this time.
4. Voting. Unless otherwise dictated in this Bylaws, a simple majority vote of the Members present at any meeting shall be required for all action to be taken by the organization.
V. EXECUTIVE BOARD
1. Officers.
a. The Officer Positions of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall consist of two Co-Presidents, two Co-Secretaries, and two Co-Treasurers.
b. The Executive Board of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall consist solely of the Officer Positions listed above.
c. In the event that there is only one person serving in any given position the responsibilities shall remain the same.
2. Responsibilities.
a. The primary responsibilities of the Co-Presidents shall be:
i. To serve as the principal executive officers of the organization.
ii. To supervise, facilitate and direct all of the activities of the organization, subject to the control of the Executive Board and the direction of the Membership.
iii.To prepare the agenda for each formal meeting of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO.
iv.To preside at all meetings of the Executive Board and all meetings of the Membership.
b. The primary responsibilities of theCo-Secretaries shall be:
i. To keep accurate minutes of all formal Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO Meetings and distribute them to all Officers and the Principal within two weeks of each meeting.
ii. To provide the minutes of the previous meeting for approval at each Regular PTO Meeting.
iii. To report correspondence received by the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO such as teacher requests and thank you notes.
iv. To report Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO notices sent to the school community.
v.To keep a copy of all requests for donations made by the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO.
c. The primary responsibilities of the Co-Treasurers shall be:
i. To be responsible for all Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable for the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO.
ii. To make disbursements as authorized by the Executive Board and/or Membership in accordance with the budget adopted by the Membership.
iii. To present a written financial report at each Regular PTO Meeting and at other times as requested by the Executive Board.
iv. To be responsible for filing all required tax and/or financial forms. The Executive Board shall have an opportunity to review and approve these documents before submittal.
v. To keep organized records of grants requests, approvals and reimbursements.
3. Obligations.
a. All Officers of the Executive Board shall have authority to enter into contracts, agreements or obligations for the purchase of materials or services on behalf of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO but only within approved activities and budgets.
b. Neither the Executive Board Officers nor any PTO Member shall have the authority to enter into any contracts, agreements or obligations on behalf of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science or the Coeur d’Alene School District, nor shall they present themselves as having such authority.
4. District Rules and Regulations.
a. Current copy of Bylaws, record of officers, mailing address and current federal tax status or legal standing with the state of Idaho must be provided to the school principal annually.
b. Current copy of proof of liability insurance coverage provided to the school principal annually.
c. Comply with all legal requirements, association rules, and District Policies and procedures where applicable.
d. Fund-raising by Organization is considered a usual and desirable part of the function of such groups. The specific fund-raising activities must be approved in advance by the principal or by the Superintendent/designee when appropriate.
e. Other projects that an organization wants to undertake for the benefit of the school or its students must be approved in advance by the principal or by the Superintendent/designee when appropriate.
f. Any Organization event or activity should clearly indicate that it is sponsored by a group and not the school or District.
g. Organizations shall handle their own accounting and bookkeeping procedures and maintain their own separate accounts for income and expenditures. Such records shall be provided to the Board or Superintendent/designee upon request.
h. The use of District or school name, logo or mascot by Organizations must be authorized by the principal.
i. The District and Organization will work together to ensure compliance with Title IX.
VI. ELECTIONS.
1. Procedure.
a. The election of officers shall take place as the last Agenda Item during the last or next-to-last Regular PTO Meeting. This is typically in early May or June.
b. All Members of the organization shall be eligible to participate in an election. Only those Members in attendance shall be allowed to vote.
c. The Executive Board shall present a list of recommended eligible candidates for each office.
d. Additional nominations may be made from the eligible Members of the organization in attendance. Each additional nomination must be seconded and must be accepted by the candidate.
e. The election for each office, if non-contested, shall be by voice vote. Any contested election shall be by written ballot.
2. Terms of Office.
a. The term of each office shall be two years.
b. The officers who are elected at the next-to-last or last Regular PTO Meeting of the year shall be sworn in to office at the conclusion of the final Regular PTO Meeting of that year. This is typically scheduled at the end of May or beginning of June.
c. The new Executive Boardshall officially assume control at the conclusion of thelast Regular Board Meeting of the year. This is typically in early June.
d. The timing of the election, swearing-in and new Executive Board control may be adjusted slightly due to any scheduling conflicts at the end of the year.
e. A person shall serve in any office for a maximum of two consecutive terms. Said person shall immediately be eligible to serve in a different office.
f. A person who has served in an office for two consecutive terms shall be ineligible to serve in that office for a period of one year.
3. Eligibility.
a. Eligibility for serving as an Officer of the Executive Board shall be limited to residents of Kootenai County and those Regular Members who are parents or legal guardians of students attending Ramsey Magnet School of Science.
b. Special consideration for prior service to the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO may be considered on a case-by-case basis to a parent who will have one or more children attending school in the fall, but do not have any children attending the Ramsey Magnet School of Science at the time of the election.
c. Special consideration for extended service to the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO may be considered on a case-by-case basis to a parent who no longer has any children attending school in the fall, but holds an Executive Board position and is agreeable to completing their two year term.
4. Selection.
a. A majority of the votes cast by the voting Members shall be necessary for election.
b. Should no person receive a majority of the votes cast, a run-off between the two (2) persons who received the largest number of votes shall be immediately held.
5. Termination. With the advice and consent of the Principal, an elected officer may beterminated prior to the end of the term by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
6. Vacancies.
a. The Executive Board shall temporarily fill any vacancy in office because of death, resignation, inability to serve, termination or for any other reason.
b. An election to fill the unexpired term portion of the term vacancy shall be held at the next Regular PTO Meeting or Special PTO Meeting consistent with the procedures established herein.
c. For purposes of eligibility, a person who is filling a vacancy shall be considered to have served the full term only if more than half of the term of office remains at thetime they fill the position.
VII. FINANCES
1. Financial Prohibitions.
a. As a volunteer organization, the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall not pay or provide any remuneration to the Officers of the Executive Board, Committee Chairpersons, Committee Members or any other Member of the organization for their volunteer service to the organization.
b. There shall be no commingling of Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO funds with the personal, professional, or business accounts of any individuals, groups or businesses. This shall include a prohibition against providing Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO funds as a loan to anyone for any purpose.
2. Financial Institution.
a. The financial institution used by the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO shall be a Federal or State Chartered Bank or Credit Union approved by the Executive Board.
b. The authorized signatures of the account shall be at least one Co-President and the Co-Treasurers. Any two of these individuals, and only these individuals, are authorized to withdraw funds, write checks, drafts, or other expenditures for the payment of money on behalf of the organization.
c. An authorized disbursement to any of the authorized signatories on the account requires the consent and action of another signatory. For example, the Treasurer cannot write a check made out to the Treasurer – one of the Co-Presidents or Co-Treasurers must sign the check.
d. The Co-Treasurers are responsible for ensuring all monies of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO are deposited in a timely manner into the account.
e. Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO will maintain bond insurance at all times. All bank statements will be reviewed, dated and initialed by an Executive Board Member who does not have an authorized signature on file at the current financial institution prior to the Co-Treasurers use of said statement.
3. Annual Budget.
a. The Fiscal Year shall run from September 1 of one calendar year through August 31 of the next.
b. At the first scheduled Regular PTO Meeting of the year, the Co-Treasurers shall prepare and present a proposed budget for the upcoming year.At a minimum, the Budget shall include:
i. Current Balance as of the date of the meeting.
ii. Expected and reasonable expenditures through the remainder of the fiscal year.
iii. Reasonable estimates for fundraising activities during the new fiscal year. If funds allow, the Co-Treasurers may assume zero fundraising during this period for planning purposes.
iv. A listing of non-discretionary funds committed to the current fiscal year (for example, Scholarship awards committed to the recipients).
v. A listing of recommended discretionary expenditures proposed for the current fiscal year.
c. The proposed budget must be in balance, meaning the Projected Balance is non-negative.
d. The PTO may discuss the proposed budget as needed. Changes to the proposed budget may be made as determined by the discussion.
e. The Co-Presidents shall not allow a vote on a proposed Budget that is not in balance.
f. Approval of the budget is by majority vote. The PTO must vote to approve a Budget at this meeting.
4. Changing the Approved Budget
a. The Co-Treasurers shall keep track of actual expenditures vs. budget items.
b. The Co-Treasurers shall not reimburse an expense that exceeds the Approved Budget for that budget item.
c. A proposal to modify the Approved Budget may be made by any PTO Member (including the Co-Treasurers) at any scheduled Regular PTO Meeting. If the majority of the eligible PTO Membership votes to accept the proposed change, the Co-Treasurers will update the Approved Budget prior to the next report.
d. By majority vote, the Executive Board may, at any time, vote to modify the Approved Budget. This vote shall be included in the Secretary’s minutes at the next Regular PTO Meeting.
5. Reporting
a. The Co-Treasurers shall keep track of all actual deposits and expenditures.
b. At every Regular PTO Meeting, the Co-Treasurers shall provide a written financial report that the Co-Secretaries keep with the minutes of the meeting. At a minimum, the report shall contain:
i. Updates of expenditures and income by line item on budget spreadsheet presented at each Regular PTO Meeting.
ii. The current Closing Balance.
iii. The remaining balance of all budget items.
c. The Co-Treasurers shall complete an End-Of-Year report of all financial activities within 31 days of the end of the Fiscal Year.Copies of the report shall be distributed to the Principal of the school and to the other Executive Board Members.
d. The Co-Treasurers shall be responsible for the timely completion and submittal of anyother financial or tax records, reports or forms.
6. Oversight. The Co-Presidents are responsible for organizing an independent review of the Ramsey Magnet School of Science PTO finances at least once a year. The Co-Presidents shall appoint a qualified person or persons to conduct and provide written documentation of the review. A copy of this documentation shall be kept in PTO files.
7. Dissolution