Carl Sandburg Middle School 

Parent Teacher Organization 

(Sandburg PTO) 

Bylaws

Revised and Adopted/Approved 12/3/2019

Article I – Name 

The name of this organization shall be the Carl Sandburg Middle School Parent Teacher Organization to be referred to as “Sandburg PTO.”

Article II – Mission Statement

The PTO is organized for the purpose of supporting and enhancing the educational experiences of Sandburg Middle School’s students by 

• Providing an organization through which the parents, school and teachers can work cooperatively; and
• Providing financial support for programs funded outside of the annual school budget.

Article III – Offices

A. Registered Office

The registered office of the organization shall be at Sandburg Middle School, Harmony Road, Levittown, Pennsylvania. 

B. Other Locations

The organization may also have offices at such other places as the Executive Board may from time to time appoint as the activities of the organization may require. 

Article IV – Members

A. Eligibility

Any person interested in the education and welfare of the children attending Carl Sandburg Middle School may become a member upon payment of dues, as hereinafter provided. 

B. Member Participation

Sandburg PTO members have the right to attend and provide input during PTO meetings. All members are encouraged to volunteer for the organizational fundraisers, functions, and other events sponsored by the PTO. 

C. Dues

The annual dues shall be set by the Executive Board. 

D. Membership

Membership in this organization is not transferable or assignable. 

Article V – Meetings of Members

A. Meeting Locations

Meetings of the members shall be held at Carl Sandburg Middle School, or at such other place or places as may be fixed by the Executive Board. 

B. Frequency of Meetings

A regular meeting of the membership shall be held.  A minimum of four meetings per year will be held, from September through May, at a time fixed by the Executive Board, immediately following regular meetings of the Executive Board. Meetings will not be held during the months of June, July, and August.

C. Notification of Meetings

Written notice of every meeting of the members, stating the time, place and object thereof, shall be given by, or at the direction of, the Executive Board, at least seven days prior to the day named for the meeting. 

D. Special Meetings of the Executive Board

Special meetings of the Executive Board may be called by the President or by a majority of the members of the Executive Board.

D. Voting

1. Each Officer of the Executive Board in attendance at a PTO meeting is eligible to vote. Absentee and proxy votes are not allowed. Votes will generally be conducted by voice for expediency. 
2. Robert’s Rules shall govern. See Article XIV regarding Parliamentary Authority.
3. All votes are by majority unless otherwise stated. 
4. In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker vote shall be held immediately following the vote. The President shall abstain from voting during the tie-breaker vote. 
5. From time to time, for purposes of expediency, votes will need to occur via email. Rules for voting via email are as follows: 

• The email subject line must include “PTO Executive Board Vote Required” for the vote to be valid. 
• Robert’s Rules shall govern. See Article XIV regarding Parliamentary Authority.
• Each member must respond with a Yes or No vote. 
• After three days (72 hours), if there is no response from any Executive Board Officer, the Officer automatically abstains.
• Voting on Executive Board vacancies or other activities related to Executive Board positions may not occur via email. This must be done during in-person meetings. 

E. Quorum

1. Issues may be brought before the Executive Board but may not be voted upon unless there is a quorum. Any issue shall be tabled until the next meeting if there is a lack of a quorum. 
2. A majority of the Officers of the Executive Board constitutes a quorum. Of the five Officers, a minimum of three need to be present for voting to occur. 

Article VI – Officers

Officers

The Officers of the organization shall consist of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and Dance Coordinator. Any position may be shared, if so desired. 

Qualifications

Any PTO member in good standing may become an Officer of the PTO, when a position is vacant.

Election Process

The Officers shall be elected by ballot at the May membership meeting and installed. However, if there is but one candidate for any office, upon motion from the floor, the election may be held by voice vote. 

Every effort will be made to include individuals who seek a position as an Officer on the Executive Board who:

 1) has been present at a minimum of two PTO meetings and has volunteered at PTO events, or 

2) is the parent or guardian of a child that will enter the fifth grade in the fall. 

Such efforts will include, for example, sharing existing positions, or creating new positions and amending the Bylaws for this purpose.

Article VII – Duties of Officers

President

The President will:

• Prepare meeting agendas
• Preside at all meetings of the organization and of the Executive Board
• Coordinate activities and appoint ad-hoc Committees as necessary
• Serve as a member ex-officio of all Committees except the Nominating Committee
• Perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office
• Maintain a job binder to be given to successor

Vice President

• Act as an aide to the President and perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President
• Handle all correspondence, that is, sending email to membership, posting to social media on behalf of Sandburg PTO, and maintaining the Sandburg PTO web page
• Keep an up-to-date list of the membership and maintain volunteer lists
• Perform such other duties as may be delegated to the Vice President
• Maintain a job binder to be given to successor

Secretary

The Secretary will:

• Keep meeting minutes, recording motions, decisions and key business 
• Take attendance at meetings 
• Prepare proofread minutes for review and approval of the Officers no later than ten (10) days before the next month’s meeting
• Maintain and compile Bylaws and Bylaw changes 
• Perform such other duties as may be delegated to the Secretary
• Maintain a job binder to be given to successor

Treasurer

The Treasurer will:

• Establish and maintain bank accounts
• Receive and document all monies
• Deposit the funds in depositories approved by the Officers
• Disburse the funds as directed by vote of the organization
• Keep a record of receipts and expenditures 
• Present a monthly financial report to Officers and members
• Follow all financial policies of the PTO
• Perform such other duties as may be delegated to the Treasurer
• Maintain a job binder to be given to successor

Dance Coordinator

The Dance Coordinator will:

• Serve as the point person for the PTO-sponsored dances
• Prepare a final overview of event, which includes a financial report given to the Board and the next schedule executive session 
• Oversee volunteers for PTO-sponsored dances
• Work with the other Officers and PTO member volunteers to delegate tasks as appropriate
• Make sure that all needed items (DJ, snack/drinks, supplies, decorations, volunteers,…) that are procured prior to each dance
• Maintain a job binder to be given to successor

Resignation/Abandonment of Role

Any Executive Officer who wishes to resign from their position should do so in writing to the PTO President prior to next schedule Executive session.   Any Executive Officer who misses two (2) consecutive meetings without notification by phone, text message, or email may be considered to have vacated his/ her position, and can be removed from their existing PTO role.  

Any Vacancy occurring in an Executive Office position shall be advertised to the General PTO membership prior to the next scheduled meeting; the advertisement must meet a minimum requirement of one week prior to any called vote.      

Removal from Office

Any Officer or Committee Chair may be removed from office by majority vote, with just cause that is reviewed with the Building Principal prior to being presented to the Executive Board; if just cause is found a vote will be taken in Executive Session prior to the regularly scheduled PTO meeting.  Advance notice of the vote shall be given to the Executive Board Members at least one week prior to the meeting. 

Definition of Just Cause:  Criminal misconduct of Executive Officer, or some other event which contradicts the Mission Statement of the Neshaminy School District/Carl Sandburg Middle School.  This may include a carelessness or negligence of such a degree or a reoccurrence as to show an intentional or substantial disregard of the Carl Sandburg Student Body, or of the Officers/Chairperson(s) duties or obligation to the PTO.     

The Principal and/or Building Administration reserves the right to dissolve an existing Executive Board member or Board Position if behavior(s) or action(s) are counterproductive in regard to the District’s Mission Statement and/or the PTO Mission Statement of Carl Sandburg.  

Article VIII – Executive Board

Composition of the Board

The Executive Board shall consist of the five voting Officers of the organization (specifically, the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Dance Coordinator, and Secretary). The Executive Board will also include non-voting members, the School Principal and a staff liaison, appointed by the Principal. 

Duties of the Board

The duties of the Executive Board shall be: 

• To distribute PTO information with the goal of making information accessible to every Carl Sandburg family;
• To transact necessary business in the intervals between membership meetings and such other business as is necessary to conduct the affairs of the organization; 
• To present a PTO report at the regular membership/school community meeting; 
• To approve payment of routine bills within the limits of the budget;
• To fulfill all duties under the Bylaws; and review the Bylaws annually 

Article X – General Policies

General Policies

1. The PTO shall operate for charitable, educational, nonpartisan, non-sectarian, and non-commercial purposes and shall not discriminate based on age, sex, creed, or national origin. 
2. The name of the PTO and the names of any of its members in their official capacities shall not be used in any connection with a commercial concern of political interest or for any purpose not appropriately related to the Mission of the PTO. 
3. The PTO may cooperate with other PTOs within the same school district that have similar goals and interests but shall not interfere with the administration of these schools or seek to control their policies. 

Article XI – Financial Policies

Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the PTO shall begin on July 1st and end on the following June 30th. 

Banking

All funds shall be kept in a checking account in the name of Sandburg PTO and held at a local financial institution decided by the PTO. A monthly Treasurers Report will include an account registrar that notes all deposits and withdrawals going through the account. The treasurer will create this registrar, which will be independently reviewed for accuracy by another board member (typically the Vice President) prior to reporting to the full Executive Board. 

Debit cards shall be distributed to the President and Treasurer at a minimum. Additional Officers of the Executive Board may also have debit cards if so desired and agreed upon by majority vote; however, only one person per household shall hold a debit card. 

Handling of Funds

1. Any funds taken in by through a PTO organized event should be calculated by multiple Executive Officers and recorded; then submitted to the Treasurer within 72 hours of the conclusion of the activity/event.
2. All funds received by the Treasurer must be deposited into the PTO bank account within 5 days of receipt by the Treasurer. 
3. Separate deposit receipts should be maintained for funds received from each unique fundraising event. 
4. Reimbursement requests should be submitted to the Treasurer within 90 days of the incurred expense or by three weeks prior to the end of the fiscal year, whichever comes first, and must be accompanied by a receipt. 
5. From time to time, a Sandburg staff member will request a cash advance to cover a purchase for a school activity. Any cash advance must be documented in detail. All unused funds must be returned to the Treasurer immediately following the purchase.

Reporting 

All financial activity shall be recorded in a manual ledger, which is then input into a computer-based accounting system. The Treasurer shall reconcile the account monthly and report all financial activity to the Executive Board. 

Contracts

Authority to sign contracts is limited to the President or the President’s designee and an additional signature of another Executive Board Officer.

Ending Balance

The organization shall leave a minimum of $2,000 in the treasury at the end of each fiscal year. 

Article XII – Bylaws and Amendments

A. Date of Effect

These Bylaws will be in effect from the date they are approved until amended or dissolved. 

B. Bylaws Amendments

Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Executive Board. This may be done at an Executive Board meeting. 

These Bylaws may be amended under the following conditions:

• A Board member shall submit the revision request to the Secretary; and
• The request shall be seconded by a Board member; and
• The revision request shall be approved by a majority vote by the PTO Executive Board. 
• All approved amendments shall become effective immediately and recorded by the Secretary. 
• All updated and revised Bylaws should be accessible to the general membership via the PTO Website. 

Article XIII – Dissolution 

A. Dissolution 

The Executive Board may choose to dissolve the PTO by majority vote. The PTO may be dissolved provided prior notice is given to the building level Administration.

The Principal and/or Building Administration reserves the right to dissolve the PTO if behavior(s) or action(s) are counterproductive in regard to the District’s Mission Statement and/or the PTO Mission Statement of Carl Sandburg.  

B. Remaining Funds

1. Upon dissolution of the PTO, the remaining PTO funds will be used to pay any outstanding PTO debt/obligations and will be further used for immediate need in consultation with the Principal to benefit the students. 
2. The remaining funds will be held in escrow by the Principal for use by a future Carl Sandburg PTO. If a PTO is not formed within 24 months, the funds shall revert to the Carl Sandburg Student Activities Account.

Article XIV – Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the PTO in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they do not conflict with these Bylaws. 

A copy of Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be held by the Secretary and be made available at each meeting. General guidelines of these Rules are as follows:

• Motion/issue is made
• Motion/issue is seconded
• Motion/issue is discussed
• President restates the motion/issue and calls for the vote, calling first for all in favor, and second for all opposed. 
• In the case of a tie, a tie-breaker vote shall be held, in which the President shall abstain.