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Committed to challenging students to achieve academic excellence and personal success

Bylaws

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization is the Westridge Elementary Parent Teacher Organization of the Rockwood School District (hereinafter "Westridge PTO" or "Organization"). It is a local independent unit created by the parents and staff of Westridge Elementary School, having no affiliation with any other association, be it state or national in origin.

ARTICLE II. ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION

The Organization exists as an unincorporated association of its members. The Organization's Articles of Organization consist of these Bylaws, as amended from time to time, and its Articles of Association, if any. In the absence of separate articles of association, the Bylaws shall be deemed to be the Articles of Association. In the event of any conflict between these Bylaws and the Articles of Association, these Bylaws shall govern 

ARTICLE III. MISSION STATEMENT/PURPOSE

This Organization is organized exclusively for the following charitable, educational, or scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code: To promote the welfare and education of children and youth eligible to attend the Rockwood School District and the Westridge Elementary School in the home, school, and community. To support the school in improving education in ways that will adhere to administrative policy and the Rockwood School District's mission, goals, and beliefs. To raise funds for programs and equipment to further the education of children and youth. To bring about a closer relationship between the home and the school, that parents and teachers may work cooperatively in the education of children and youth. To foster communication, cooperation, support, information, and education within the Rockwood School District, including District staff, parents, and the general community.

ARTICLE IV. POLICIES

Section 1: No substantial part of the activities of the Organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and the Organization shall not participate in or intervene (including the publishing or distribution of statements) in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Section 2: This Organization shall be non-commercial, non-sectarian, and non-partisan. No commercial enterprise or candidate shall be endorsed by it. The name of the Organization and names of its officers in their official capacities shall not be used in connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest for any other purpose 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 but can serve as a liaison between parents and administration when concerns arise.

Section 4: The Organization shall be supportive of school educational efforts and student needs. The policies of the Organization shall be developed cooperatively by parents and teachers. The Organization shall conduct all operations in such a way as to reflect positively upon the school and the Rockwood School District.

Section 5: In no way shall one member, officer, or committee chairperson make policy, program, or expenditure decisions, or bind the Organization in any way, absent the consent of at least the PTO Board. When representing the Organization, any member, officer, or committee chairperson shall be aware of the authority extended by the Organization and shall not exceed such authority.

Section 6: This Organization may cooperate with other organizations and agencies active in child welfare, such as conference groups or coordinating councils, provided they make no commitments that bind the Organization absent the consent of at least the PTO Board.

Section 7: The Organization shall act in accordance with all Rockwood School District Board of Education Policies and Regulations, which are incorporated herein by reference, including but not limited to Policies 2950 and 3370 and Regulations 2950 and 3370 pertaining to fund-raising activities. No fund-raising activity of the Organization shall financially benefit a PTO member, faculty member, student or parent without prior PTO Board approval.

Section 8: No part of the net earnings of this Organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers or other private persons except that the Organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered. Services provided by members and officers are voluntary and will not be compensated, unless specifically authorized by the PTO Board prior to completion of such services.

Section 9: Any notice required or permitted to be given to members may be given by written notice (including distribution of flyers and posting notices through the school), by telephone, by facsimile, by electronic mail, or by any combination thereof, or by any other method reasonably designed to reach the members.

Section 10: Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the Organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on: (a) by an Association exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law); or (b) by an Association, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

Section 11: Upon dissolution of the Organization, the Organization shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all the liabilities of the Organization, dispose of all the assets of the Organization by distributing the same to the Principal of Westridge Elementary School. Said Principal shall, upon the advice of the Westridge Elementary School teachers and administration, supervise the expenditure of said assets for essential educational materials and equipment. In the event that this is not possible, said assets shall be distributed to organizations as shall at the time qualify under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Organization's PTO Board shall determine, with preference to be given to educational programs of the Rockwood School District. Any assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court in the county of the principal office of the Organization.

ARTICLE VI. PTO BOARD

Section 1: The PTO Board shall consist of the officers of the Organization, the Principal of the School or his or her designated representative, and a member or members of the faculty. The faculty representative shall be selected annually by the Principal or by the faculty in whatever manner the faculty deems appropriate. Chairpersons of the standing committees and of then active special committees may be invited to attend PTO Board Meetings that pertain to their committee.

Section 2: The PTO Board shall have general charge and control of the affairs, funds, and properties of the Organization and shall maintain records of such in a central location, including current and prior budgets, check registers, governmental forms, committee reports, contracts and correspondence.

Section 3: The duties of the PTO Board shall be as follows: to transact necessary business in the intervals between Organization meetings; to approve chairpersons of standing committees and approve the plans of the standing committees; to interpret the bylaws, policies, and standing rules of the Organization; to present a report at the general meetings of the Organization; to prepare a budget for the upcoming fiscal year; to approve routine bills within the limits of the budget; to appoint the nominating committee; to appoint a committee to review Bylaws as needed; to appoint a committee of not less than two members, or an independent auditor or CPA, at least two weeks before the May Meeting to audit the treasurer's accounts; and to make budget adjustments as necessary, provided they do not individually exceed $1000.00. Any individual budget adjustment over $1000.00 requires the approval of the general membership.

Section 4: The President of the PTO Board shall have the right to vote only in the case of a tie vote. All other members shall each have one vote.

Section 5: Each standing committee chairperson shall present the committee's plans to the PTO Board prior to execution of the same.   Any expenditure for such plans should fall within the budgeted funds for his/her committee during the school year.   Any additional expenditure over budgeted amount should be presented to the PTO Board for advance approval.

Section 6: Regular meetings of the PTO Board shall be held during the school year, as stated in the Standing Rules. The time, place and regularity of such meetings are to be fixed by the PTO Board at its first meeting of the year.

Section 7: Special meetings of the PTO Board may be called by the President, the Principal, or by a majority of the members of the PTO Board upon at least two days' notice.

Section 8: All officers are required to attend all scheduled Organization meetings and are expected to attend a minimum of two Organization-sponsored events during the school year.

Section 9: On or before the first board meeting of the year, each officer shall be assigned to serve as a liaison and shall provide assistance to the identified standing or special committee chairs.

Section 10: A majority of the members of the PTO Board must be present at the PTO Board meeting in order to conduct business. Unless otherwise provided herein, a simple majority of those present and voting shall be required for the passage of any motion, resolution, or other vote.

ARTICLE VII. OFFICERS AND THEIR ELECTION

Section 1: The officers of this Organization shall include, at a minimum, a President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. Any office may be held by two persons so designated by the prefix "co-". The officers shall be elected annually by a verbal vote at the regularly scheduled Spring general PTO meeting by a majority vote of at that meeting. If the PTO Board includes a President-Elect, the office of President shall be filled by the prior President-Elect.

Section 2: Officers shall assume their official duties on July 1st and shall serve no more than two years or until their successors are elected and installed.  No person shall serve more than three consecutive terms in the same office. Additional officers will be chosen according to the needs of the Organization and upon the approval of the PTO Board.

Section 3: Nomination of officers shall be made and presented one to two months prior to the April vote. Current President or President-Elect may present candidates. Current President or President-Elect shall report at the election meeting the name of one candidate for each office to be filled. Additional nominations may be made from the floor. The consent of each candidate must be obtained before the candidate's name is placed in nomination by the committee or from the floor.

Section 4: A vacancy occurring in an office shall be filled by a majority vote of the PTO Board at their next regular meeting.

Section 5: Any officer absent from three consecutive meetings, shall be deemed inactive unless absences are due to extenuating circumstances and the PTO Board receives notification of such. Any office having an inactive officer shall be declared vacant and shall be filled as provided herein. In addition, an officer failing to adequately participate or fulfill duties of the office may be subject to removal from office by decision of two-thirds of the PTO Board. Such officer is entitled to a written notification from the President or the Principal at least two weeks prior to the vote regarding removal. President reserves the right to add newly created positions and remove existing positions and/or find candidates to replace PTO Board positions.

Any volunteers representing the PTO Organization that does not demonstrate positive conduct and behavior while attending PTO events and/or on Westridge Elementary property, will be subjected to disciplinary action.  The President and the Principal reserve the right to review/discuss and make recommendation for removal of volunteers at any point during the school year.

ARTICLE VIII. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1: The President (or Co-Presidents) shall:

Section 2: The President-Elect, if any, shall:

Section 3: The Vice-President(s) shall:

 Section 4: The Secretary (or Secretaries) shall:

Section 5: The Treasurer(s) shall:

Section 6: The Treasurer's accounts shall be examined annually by an Audit Committee of not less than two members or an independent auditor appointed by the PTO Board no later than July 20 of every year.  When the Audit Committee or auditor is satisfied that the Treasurer's final report is correct, they shall sign a statement of that fact at the end of the report.

Section 7: A check will be considered valid with one authorized signature if that signature is not the individual charged with receiving the bank statements and reconciling the accounts.

Section 8: All PTO Board members shall be bonded annually. Positions will be determined by the President.

Section 9: All officers shall perform the duties outlined in these Bylaws and those assigned from time to time. Failure to assume these responsibilities may result in removal as provided herein.

Section 10: Upon the removal or resignation of any officer, such officer shall turn over to the President or PTO Board, without delay, all records, books, and other materials pertaining to the office, and shall return to the Treasurer or the PTO Board, without delay, all funds pertaining to the office. Furthermore, upon expiration of their terms, all officers shall deliver all official materials related to their office to their successors.

ARTICLE IX. PTO CHAIRPERSONS/EXTENDED TEAM

Section 1: Standing committees are committees with on-going functions that continue throughout the year. The chairperson of each committee shall serve for a one-year term. The incoming President, with the approval of the incoming PTO Board, shall appoint chairpersons of the standing committees after the spring election.

Section 2: The chairpersons of all standing committees shall mutually plan activities with the PTO Board, and no committee work shall be undertaken without the approval of the PTO Board.

Section 3: No chairpersons of any standing committees may handle the collection of funds and store on their personal property. After each PTO event, a committee representative must make arrangements with the Treasurer to hand over all funds with in a 24-hour period. Failure to comply may be subjected to further review by the PTO Board and potential dismissal from volunteer duties for the remainder of the school year.

Section 4: The PTO Board may create special committees as needed to promote the purposes and interests of the Organization. Special committees are directly responsible to the PTO Board. The President, with the approval of the PTO Board, shall appoint chairpersons of the special committees. Special committees shall be automatically dissolved upon completion of its assignment or upon decision by the PTO Board.

Section 5: An individual may serve unlimited terms as a committee chairperson, if appointed year to year.

ARTICLE X. BUDGETARY POLICY

Section 1: The PTO Board shall see that a budget shall be presented for approval at the first general membership (open) meeting of the academic year. The Board has authority to make budget adjustments during the year, provided they do not individually exceed $1000.00; the Board shall have no power to make the Organization liable for any debt(s) in an amount exceeding the cash assets of the Organization which have not been otherwise appropriated.

Section 2: Each committee chairperson has access to the budgeted funds for his/her committee during the current school year only. These funds will be disbursed by the Treasurer provided the expense falls within the committee's budget and is substantiated by a purchase order or receipt.

Section 3: Any expenditure that requires carry-over or any anticipated expenditure occurring before the next year's budget is approved may be approved at the last meeting of the year.

ARTICLE XI. MEETINGS/VOTING

Section 1: There shall be regular general meetings of the Organization, scheduled prior to the beginning of the school year. A regular meeting schedule may be established in the Standing Rules of the Organization. Special meetings of the general membership may be called by the President, Principal or by a majority vote of the PTO Board, five days notice having been given. Members shall be notified no later than five days in advance of the date of any rescheduled general membership meeting.

Section 2: Voting shall be determined by a simple majority of members present.

 ARTICLE XII. PARLIMENTARY PROCEDURE

Section 1: Robert's Rules of Order (current edition) shall govern this Organization in all cases to which they are applicable and not in conflict with these Bylaws.

ARTICLE XIII. AMENDMENTS

Section 1: A committee may be appointed to review the Bylaws, as revised and amended, every three year(s). The committee shall draft any proposed amendments for presentation to the membership as provided for in Section 1 of this Article.

ARTICLE XIV. STANDING RULES

The PTO Board may maintain a list of Standing Rules to serve as a further operating guide for the Organization. These Standing Rules should be revised yearly to reflect the procedures of the current PTO Board 

STANDING RULES of the WESTRIDGE ELEMENTARY PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION OF BALLWIN, MISSOURI

The Westridge PTO will be the Charter Organization for all Scout troops forming from the Westridge Elementary School.

There shall be at least three regular monthly meetings of the organization each year. The second Tuesday of each month shall be the regular meeting date unless otherwise provided by the PTO Committee of the Organization. Five days' notice shall be given if the meeting dates are scheduled other than the second Tuesday. Special meetings may be called by the PTO Committee upon at least five days' notice.

First regular scheduled general membership meeting of the academic year is held in August. Unapproved budget is presented to the general membership for approval by the majority of those presented at the August meeting.

Chairpersons are responsible for completing and submitting to the treasurer a "Request for Reimbursement Form" within two weeks of their event. Westridge PTO does not reimburse taxes unless purchases are made from Sam's.

Once the budget has been set and approved at the first regular scheduled general membership meeting of the academic year, all requests for appropriations shall use the Westridge PTO Appropriations Request Form which can be accessed in the school office or on the PTO website.

Revised:

Dec. 2019

  • preside at all meetings of the Organization and of the PTO Board;
  • be a member ex officio of all committees except the Nominating Committee;
  • be authorized to appoint any special committee necessary to conduct the work required for the annual report;
  • maintain the right to table discussions or voting, at his/her discretion, for such reasons as new agenda items, time constraints, or items that require additional information;
  • work with the Secretary to prepare the agenda for each meeting;
  • be an authorized cosignatory for all accounts of the Organization;
  • work with the principal on designated duties and tasks;
  • attend District-wide meetings, such as the Presidents' Forum;
  • attend Rockwood Presidents' Forum Leadership Conference or appoint another representative from the PTO Board;
  • drafts annual budget with principal, treasurer, vice president and president elect;
  • delegate the duties of any position that remains vacant; and
  • perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office.
  • aide the President(s)
  • attend District-wide meetings, such as the Presidents' Forum upon availability;
  • compile and organize informational PTO pages for the school newsletter (monthly); 
  • be an authorized cosignatory for all accounts of the Organization;
  • attend Rockwood Presidents' Forum Leadership Conference;
  • perform other duties as may be assigned to him/her by the Organization or PTO Board;
  • oversee and serve as a resource for specific committees (to be determined at the PTO Board meeting immediately preceding the beginning of the school year);
  • drafts annual budget with principal, treasurer, president, and vice president;
  • assist the President and perform such duties that the President may delegate; and
  • perform the duties of the President in the President's absence.
  • perform the duties of the Secretary or Secretaries in their absence.  
  • aide the President(s) and President-Elect;
  • perform the duties of the President and President-Elect in the absence of both officers;
  • attend District-wide meetings, such as the Presidents' Forum;
  • compile and organize informational PTO pages for the school newsletter (monthly); 
  • be an authorized cosignatory for all accounts of the Organization;
  • attend Rockwood Presidents' Forum Leadership Conference;
  • perform other duties as may be assigned to him/her by the Organization or PTO Board;
  • oversee and serve as a resource for specific committees (to be determined at the PTO Board meeting immediately preceding the beginning of the school year);
  • drafts annual budget with principal, treasurer, president, and vice president;
  • assist the President and perform such duties that the President may delegate; and
  • perform the duties of the Secretary or Secretaries in their absence. 
  • record the minutes of all meetings of the Organization and of the PTO Board;
  • be responsible for all incoming and outgoing correspondence for the Organization; 
  • report on all relevant correspondence at each PTO Board meeting;
  • aid the President(s) in preparing the agenda for all meetings;
  • make copies of the minutes of the prior meeting available to all members of the PTO Board before each meeting;
  • maintains current organization electronic mail distribution list for Organization communicating purposes;
  • publish all "unapproved" meeting minutes within one week of meetings to the President(s). Following the President(s) approval, publishes these minutes to the PTO Committee and school website as "unapproved;"
  • publish the Organization newsletter (if any); and
  • maintain a current copy of the Bylaws and Standing Rules, if any, as well as the records of all meeting minutes, a list of all committees and their members, and a list of the current members of the Organization.
  • receive all monies of the Organization and maintains sole responsibility for collection and deposits on behalf of the PTO Board;
  • keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures and disburse funds as budgeted or approved by the PTO Board;
  • be responsible for the maintenance of the bank account and records of the Organization;
  • be responsible for the filing of any necessary financial and tax forms with the appropriate governmental authorities;
  • be responsible for the maintenance of all financial records of the Organization;
  • comply with the statutory requirements and Rockwood School District Board of Education Policies and Regulations, including those provided in the Student Activity Funds Procedures Manual established by the Rockwood School District Board of Education;
  • turn the financial books of the Organization over to an Audit Committee of not less than two members or an independent auditor appointed by the PTO Board at the end of the school year for examination;
  • provides change at all fundraising activities. It is the duty of the treasurer to contact the chairperson of the event and work out a reasonable amount;
  • will be available at all fundraising activities for tabulating, recording, and safeguarding of cash proceeds;
  • drafts annual budget with principal, president, president elect and vice president;
  • present a statement of account at every meeting of the Organization and any other times as requested by the PTO Board; and
  • maintain a file of the budget reports presented at Organization meetings.