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BYLAWS OF The Special Music School Parent Teacher Association
Article I – Name
The name of the association shall be: the Special Music School Parent Teacher Association. Below, the Special Music School Parent Teacher Association will be collectively referred to as “SMS PTA.”
Article II – Objectives
1. to provide support and resources to the school for the benefit and educational growth of the children
2. to promote and help develop a cooperative working relationship between the parents, teachers and staff of our school
3. to develop parent leadership and build capacity for greater family involvement
4. to foster and encourage parent participation on all levels
5. to provide opportunities and training for parents to participate in school governance and decision-making
Article III – Membership
Section 1. Eligibility
Membership in the association shall be limited to parents, legally appointed guardians, and persons in parental relation to students currently attending SMS. Parents, legally appointed guardians or persons in parental relation to students currently attending SMS are automatically members of the PTA; no membership form is necessary. Additionally, membership shall be open to all teachers currently employed at SMS. In the beginning of each school year, a welcome letter from the association shall inform parents of their automatic membership status and voting rights.
Section 2. Donations
Donations are not a requirement for membership, voting or running for office.
Each member shall be requested to make a voluntary donation.
Section 3. Voting Privileges:
Each parent of a child/children currently enrolled at SMS and each teacher currently employed at SMS shall be entitled to one vote. While proxy voting or absentee balloting is prohibited, paper ballots received on or before the date a vote is held are permitted for parents or teachers unable to attend meetings.
Article IV – Officers
Section 1. Titles
The officers of the association shall be: President or Co-Presidents (see bylaws
Provision below), Secretary or Co-Secretaries, Treasurer or Co-Treasurers, Vice President for Fundraising or Co-Vice Presidents for Fundraising, Vice President for Music or Co-Vice Presidents for Music, Vice President for Communications or Co-Vice Presidents for Communications, and Executive Board Members at Large. The association must elect the mandatory core officers (President, Secretary and Treasurer) in order to be a functioning PTA. Officers sharing a role must assume the duties of the office as outlined below. The term of office for President or Co-President shall be for one year as outlined below.
Section 2. Term of Office and Term Limits
The term of office shall be from July 1st through June 30th. Officers shall be elected by the second Friday in June for a one-year term beginning July 1. Eligibility for office is limited to parents, legally appointed guardians or persons in parental relation who are not employed at SMS. Term limits for each officer position for the association shall be two consecutive one year terms. Candidates may be elected to serve in subsequent terms, provided no other interested candidate is nominated and willing to serve.
Section 3. Duties of Officers
3.1 President or Co-Presidents: The president or co-presidents shall preside at all meetings of the association and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee. The president or co-presidents shall provide leadership for its members. The president or co-presidents shall appoint chairpersons of PTA committees with the approval of the Executive Board. The president or co-presidents shall delegate responsibilities to other PTA members and shall encourage meaningful participation in all parent and school activities. The president or co-president shall regularly attend meetings of the region/district presidents’ council and shall be a core member of the school leadership team. The president or co-presidents shall meet regularly with the Executive Board members in accordance with these bylaws to plan the agendas for the general membership meetings. The president or co-presidents shall be one of the signatories on checks. The president or co-presidents or his/her designee shall represent the PTA on region/district committees. The president or co-presidents shall assist with the June transfer of PTA records to the incoming Executive Board. Prior active participation in Executive Board meetings and one or more committees is a prerequisite for nominees for President or Co-President.
3.2 Secretary or Co-Secretaries: The secretary or co-secretary shall maintain the official record (minutes) of the proceedings and actions of all association meetings. The responsibilities shall include the preparation of notices, agendas, sign-in sheets and materials distributed. The secretary or co-secretary shall prepare and read the minutes of each association meeting and shall make copies of the minutes available upon request. He/she shall maintain custody of the association’s records, preferably on school premises. The secretary or co-secretary shall sign and incorporate all amendments into the bylaws and shall ensure that signed copies of the PTA bylaws with the latest amendments are on file in the principal’s office. The secretary or co-secretary shall be responsible for reviewing, maintaining and responding to all correspondence addressed to the PTA. The secretary or co-secretary shall assist with the June transfer of all PTA records to the incoming Executive Board.
3.3 Treasurer or Co-Treasurers:
The treasurer or co-treasurer shall be responsible for all financial affairs and funds of the association. The treasurer or co-treasurer shall also be responsible for maintaining an updated record of all income and expenditures on school premises and shall be one of the signatories on checks. The treasurer or co-treasurer shall adhere to and implement all financial procedures established by the PTA. The treasurer or co-treasurer shall be prepared to present and provide copies of financial reports at all association meetings. The treasurer or co-treasurer shall also prepare and provide the January 31st interim and June annual financial accounting reports. He/she shall make available all books or financial records for viewing by members upon request and for audit. The treasurer or co-treasurer shall prepare all financial records and assist with the June transfer of all PA/PTA records to the incoming Executive Board.
3.4 Vice President for Fundraising or Co-Vice Presidents for Fundraising: The vice-president or co-vice president for fundraising, along with the PTA President and the EB, shall plan and help implement the school’s annual fundraising calendar of events, balancing the fundraising needs of the academic and music wings of SMS. Suggestions for new fundraising events shall be examined by the vice-president or co-vice president. The vice-president or co-vice president shall make recommendations for approval of new events to the Executive Board (EB.) The vice-president or co-vice president shall assist with the June transfer of PTA records to the incoming Executive Board.
3.5 Vice President Music or Co-Vice Presidents for Music: The vice-president or co-vice president for music shall, in consultation with the PTA President and the EB, assist the SMS community with the volunteer work for the music program and will share music program related information with the community. The vice-president or co-vice president shall regularly disseminate information to the community about upcoming school related music events and volunteer opportunities.
3.6 Vice President Communications or Co-Vice Presidents for Communications: The vice-president or co-vice president for communications shall, in consultation with the PTA President and the EB, assist the SMS community with the sharing of information. The vice-president or co-vice president shall regularly disseminate information to the community about upcoming school related events, and will help to develop updated Internet communication tools for community wide use.
The community newsletter shall contain, at a minimum, messages from the principal and music director. The vice president or co-vice president shall maintain a list of Executive Board members and shall be responsible for maintaining a current list of members of the community. The vice-president shall create and distribute a school-wide directory. The vice-president shall assist with the June transfer of PTA records to the incoming Executive Board.
3.7 Executive Board Members at Large: Members at large serve at the discretion of the PTA and will typically be responsible for handling at least one annual school-wide event. Members at large shall assist with the June transfer of all PTA records to the incoming Executive Board.
3.8 School Leadership Team Membership: The president of the PTA shall automatically serve as a core member of the School Leadership Team. All other parent member representatives shall be elected by the general membership.
3.9 Community District Education Council (CDEC) Selectors:
In accordance with Chancellor’s Regulation D-140, in the case of Co-Presidents, Co-Secretaries and/or Co-Treasurers, the remaining Executive Board members will determine who will be the CEC, CCHS and CCSE selectors.
Section 2. Election of Officers
The yearly election of officers of the association must be held by the second Friday in June. Any timeline established by the PTA to complete the nominations and election process must adhere to this timeframe. The principal must be notified in writing of the date of the election two weeks prior to the second Wednesday in May.
4.1 Nominating Committee: A nominating committee may be established during the February general membership meeting. If a nominating committee can be established, committee shall consist of at least two members.
4.2 No person employed at SMS shall be eligible to serve on the nominating committee.
Members of the nominating committee are not eligible to run for office. An eligible member of the nominating committee may be considered as a candidate if she/he immediately resigns from the nominating committee in writing. In the case that no two people NOT considering office are available to form a committee, a Co-VP Communications and a Secretary or Co-Secretary shall assume the basic responsibilities for outreach to the membership for recommendations and development of a slate.
The nominating committee shall seek out the membership in writing, for recommendations of candidates for all offices. The nominating committee will also be responsible for conducting the election process. This includes the following:
¨ canvassing the membership throughout the months of February – April for all eligible candidates
¨ preparing and distributing all notices at least ten calendar days in advance of any meeting(s) pertaining to the nominations and election process;
¨ preparing ballots, attendance sheets, ballot “box,” tally sheets and all other materials pertaining to the election;
¨ determining and verifying the eligibility of all interested candidates, prior to the election;
¨ reporting the names of previously nominated candidates during the April meeting;
¨ ensuring that an opportunity is provided to all members allowing for nominations (this includes self-nomination) to be taken from the floor and then officially closed during the April meeting;
¨ sending a reminder meeting notice which includes the names of all eligible candidates and the officer positions they are seeking to the membership at least two (2) weeks prior to the spring election meeting;
¨ notifying the principal of the date of the election in writing two weeks prior to the second Wednesday in May;
¨ scheduling the election at a time that ensures maximum participation;
¨ ensuring that only eligible members receive a ballot for voting;
¨ completing the spring election during the period of time between the day that falls ten days after the second Wednesday of May and the second Friday in June of each school year;
¨ ensuring that the election is certified by the principal or his/her designee immediately following the;
¨ maintaining on file the ballots from any contested election for a period of six months or until a determination of any grievance filed, whichever is longer.
If a nominating committee is not/can not be formed by the end of February, the executive board must communicate that the nominations and election process outlined above will proceed under the direction of at least one member of the association who is not running for office, or by a VP Communications and a Secretary, if their positions are not anticipated to be contested. The member(s) will be selected to serve in this role by vote of the general membership at the March general membership meeting. They will perform the responsibilities and adhere to the timeframe outlined in this section of the bylaws.
4.2 Notices: The meeting notice and agenda for the spring general membership election meeting shall be distributed not less than ten (10) calendar days prior to the date. All meeting notices and agendas shall be available in English. The distribution date shall appear on all notices. It shall list all candidates in alphabetical order by surname under the office for which they were nominated.
4.3 Voting Requirements: There shall be one vote per member for the child/children currently attending SMS. Additionally, each teacher currently employed at SMS shall be entitled to one vote. While proxy voting or absentee balloting is prohibited, paper ballots received on or before the date a vote is held are permitted for parents or teachers unable to attend meetings.
4.4 Contested Elections and Use of Ballot:
¨ Written ballot shall be used in all contested elections.
¨ Names of candidates shall appear on the ballot in alphabetical order by surname under the title of the office(s) for which they were nominated. Names of candidates for the positions of co-presidents must be listed as a team.
¨ Ballots shall be printed with voting instructions .
¨ Ballots shall be distributed once voter eligibility has been established.
¨ Ballots shall be counted immediately following the election and in the
presence of the members.
¨ Ballots shall be retained for six months by the chairperson of the
nominating committee or if there is no nominating committee, by an officer. If he/she will no longer be an eligible member after June 30, the ballots shall be turned over to the incoming Secretary.
4.5 Uncontested Elections:
In uncontested elections, members may vote by show of hands or by acclamation to accept the slate of incoming officers.
Section 5. June Transfer of Records
The outgoing PTA Executive Board shall arrange for the orderly transfer of records and information of the PTA, which shall include an overview of all PTA transactions for the school year, to the incoming Executive Board. There shall be at least one meeting in June for this purpose. Any member of the Executive Board may request the assistance of the district or region presidents’ council during this process.
Section 6. Certification of the Election
The results of the election shall be announced by the chairperson of the nominating committee or by the member selected to conduct the nominations and election process.
Section 7. Vacancies
All mandatory officer vacancies must be filled within one month of the vacancy.
The preferred method of filling vacancies will be Expedited Special Election (See Sect. 8). If such a process is not possible, then vacancies will be filled by succession of the next highest ranking officer. For the purposes of filling vacancies by succession, the ranking of officers shall be in the following order: president or co-presidents; vice-president or co-vice-presidents; treasurer; secretary.
Officers who wish to resign their positions must do so in writing to the secretary, and, at that time, shall turn over all records to the secretary. In the event of the resignation of the secretary, he/she must transfer records to the president or co-presidents.
Section 8. Special Expedited Election Process
Special Expedited elections shall be held to fill vacancies in the mandatory officer positions (President, Secretary and Treasurer) in the event they cannot be filled through succession. The Executive Board shall be responsible for announcing vacancies in any or all of the core mandatory officer positions. Notice of any vacancies must be communicated to the general membership at least forty-eight hours prior to holding special election process to fill the vacancy. Officer vacancies can be filled at a special meeting provided there has been at least a five calendar day written notice to the membership.
Section 9. Disciplinary Action
PTA officers or executive board members can be removed from office due to criminal behavior violations of federal, state or city law, to protect the safety of students, and/or when determined to be in the best interest of the school. Such a removal can only be made by the Chancellor or his/her designee, OR by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board, following a discussion with maximum possible attendance. Any document or statement submitted by the person facing removal must be included in the record of such a meeting. Any such vacancy would be filled according to the vacancy provision above.
Article V – Executive Board
Section 1. Composition
The Executive Board shall be composed of the elected officers of the association as defined above: President (or co-presidents), Vice-President (or co-VP, etc.) Treasurer (or co-treasurers), Secretary (or co-secretary), and Members at Large. Persons employed at SMS or community school board members and or community and citywide education councils in the district or region shall be ineligible to serve as an elected officer of the association. Officers shall be expected to attend Executive Board meetings.
section 2: Meetings
Regularly scheduled meetings of the Executive Board shall be held monthly, September through June.
Section 3. Voting
Each member of the Executive Board shall be entitled to one vote.
Section 4. Quorum
Five members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum, allowing for official business to be transacted.
Article VI – Meetings
Section 1. General Membership Meetings
1.1 The general membership meetings of the association shall be held each month from September through June. Written notice of each membership meeting shall be distributed. A ten calendar day notice shall be preferred prior to the scheduled meeting. The date of distribution shall appear on all notices.
1.2 All eligible members may attend and participate during general membership meetings and may speak to agenda items subject to restriction in these bylaws.
1.3 Observers may speak and otherwise participate, if acknowledged by the chair.
Section 2. Order of Business
The order of business at meetings of the association, unless changed by the Executive Board shall be:
¨ Call to Order
¨ Reading and Approval of Minutes unless waived
¨ President’s Report
¨ Treasurer’s Report
¨ Principal’s Report
¨ Music Director’s Report
¨ School Leadership Team Report
¨ Committee Reports
¨ Old Business
¨ New Business
¨ Adjournment
Section 3. Quorum
In the absence of a quorum of leadership and members at any general meeting, the PTA cannot authorize the expenditure of funds or conduct other business. A quorum shall consist of the president or a co-president, three other members of the executive board, and 10 additional members.
Section 4. Minutes
Minutes of the previous general or special membership meeting shall be available in written form and read for approval at the next general membership meeting unless the group agrees to waive reading of the minutes. Copies of the minutes must be made available upon request to any member.
Section 5. Special Membership Meetings
5.1 A special membership meeting shall be called to deal with a matter(s) of importance that cannot be postponed until the next general membership meeting. The president may call a special membership meeting with a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours written notice to parents stating precisely what the topic of the meeting will be.
5.2 In addition, upon receipt of a written request from five (5) association members, the president must call a special membership meeting within five working days of the request and with forty-eight (48) hours written notice to parents.
Article VII – Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees
1.1 The president may appoint standing committee chairpersons with the
approval of the Executive Board but is not required to do so. Ad-hoc committees shall be established by Executive Board approval. Only chairpersons of the standing committees will be allowed to vote on Executive Board issues. The standing committees of the association may be one of the following but may also be any other committee agreed upon by the Executive Board:
Membership: The membership committee shall be responsible for encouraging parent participation, outreach and recruitment.
Budget: The budget committee shall be responsible for drafting 1) a proposed budget each spring for approval by the membership, 2) a written review of the prior year’s budget, both of which must be presented for vote at the May membership meeting, and 3) presenting the budget process.
Audit: The audit committee shall conduct an internal audit or shall recommend that an external audit of all financial affairs of the organization be conducted based upon their initial findings. The treasurer shall make all books and records available to them. The audit committee shall prepare a written report or provide copies of the external report to be presented to the membership at a general membership meeting or upon completion of their review.
Article VIII – Financial Affairs
Section 1. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the association shall run from July 1 through June 30.
Section 2. Signatories
The president or co-presidents, and treasurer or co-treasurers shall be authorized to sign checks. All checks require at least two signatures. Signatories shall not be related by blood or marriage. If possible, three signatories should be on record with the bank in any given year; a vice-president or secretary may provide the third signature if an additional person is needed.
Section 3. Budget
3.1 The budget committee shall consist of two (2) persons and be chaired by the treasurer. The committee shall be responsible for:
¨ presenting the budget process for membership approval which must be voted on by no later than the October membership meeting
¨ a written review of the prior year’s budget for discussion at the May membership meeting
¨ preparing a proposed budget for adoption by the membership at the May membership meeting
¨ The development and/or review of the budget process which includes:
Ø The outgoing Executive Board must review the current budget, annual financial status, accounting, expenditures and outstanding bills and prepare a proposed budget for the next school year. The proposed budget must be presented to and approved by the membership no later than the May meeting.
Ø The incoming Executive Board must review the proposed budget in September for presentation and discussion during the September meeting. Budget amendments may be proposed at this time.
Ø The counting and handling of any cash, checks, or money orders received requires at least two non-related PA members to participate. Received monies shall be given as soon as possible to the treasurers to be recorded and deposited. In the case of fundraising events, funds should be counted and tallied immediately after the event by the event chair, prior to delivery to the treasurer or co-treasurer.
Ø All funds shall be deposited in the bank account by authorized board members in a timely manner. Funds shall be kept in a secured and locked location.
Ø Documentation related to every transaction must be maintained i.e., cancelled checks, deposit receipts, purchase orders, PA minutes related to the expenditure, etc.
3.2 The budget may be amended by vote of the general membership at any
membership meeting.
3.3 All expenditures not included in the budget at the time of its adoption must be approved by vote of the membership.
3.4 The Executive Board is authorized to make an emergency expenditure not to exceed $200 with a two-thirds approval by the Executive Board. These expenditures shall be reported to the general membership at the next association meeting in writing by the treasurer. The minutes of the meeting must reflect a vote taken by the association to accept this action.
3.5 Similarly, the President or Co-Presidents are authorized to make expenditures up to $50 between meetings, which likewise must be reported in writing, at the next meeting (Exec. Board or general), and followed by a vote to accept by the general membership.
Section 4. Audit
4.1 The president shall request a volunteer, or small committee, to conduct financial audit, as needed. Executive Board members, if they are not check signatories, may serve. If additional assistance is needed to perform the audit function, the president shall request aid from the Office of Family Engagement and Advocacy (OFEA) District family advocate.
4.2 The audit committee shall conduct an audit of all financial affairs of the
association with the help of the treasurer who shall make all books and
records available to them. The audit committee may also recommend that an external audit of the association’s financial records be conducted.
4.3 Additional duties of the audit committee may include the examination of all relevant financial statements and records of disbursements, verification of all association equipment and ensuring compliance with bylaw provisions for the expenditure of funds.
4.4 The audit committee shall prepare a written report or provide copies of the external report to be presented to the membership at a general membership meeting or upon completion of their review and investigation. This report shall be included for review and discussion during the June transfer of records.
Section 5. Financial Accounting
5.1 The treasurer shall prepare and provide copies of the Interim Financial Accounting Report by January 31st and the Annual Financial Accounting Report by the June meeting including all income and expenditures, to be presented and reviewed by general membership. Copies of these reports shall be provided to the principal.
5.2 The treasurer shall be responsible for all monies of the association and shall keep accurate records in a form consistent with these bylaws and applicable Regulations of the Chancellor. The treasurer, secretary, at least one other PA officer, and additional persons as needed shall be designated and approved by the PA Executive Board to collect, count, tally and record all orders and payments. In accordance with Chancellor’s Regulation A-610, parents must obtain written approval from the principal before collecting fund raising proceeds from students. The treasurer or co-treasurer shall transport all funds to the bank, and deposit slips shall identify the source of all monies deposited. All parties involved in these financial transactions shall initial the deposit slips. The treasurer shall make all authorized disbursements and shall, in a timely manner, deposit all monies of the association in a responsible banking institution selected by the association. All records of the association including checkbooks, ledgers, cancelled checks, invoices, receipts etc., shall be maintained and secured on school premises if possible.
All collected monies for next day bank deposit must be secured on school premises if possible.
Article IX – Amendments
These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the association by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided the amendment has been presented in writing to the membership at least 10 days in advance of the meeting, and appears in the notice of the meeting at which it is to be amended. Amendments are effective immediately unless otherwise specified. A thorough review of these bylaws shall be conducted every three (3) years. These bylaws shall not contain language that does not conform with Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 and Department of Education guidelines.