Franklin Randall PTO Bylaws

Article I: Name

Article II: Objectives
To sponsor and promote involvement in events and programs that encourage a sense of community both within each campus school, and among the communities of Franklin and Randall Schools and their surrounding neighborhoods.

Article III: Basic Policies
C. No organizational funds or other assets shall personally benefit or be distributed to its members, directors, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization may pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and make payments and distributions in furtherance of the objectives set forth in Article II.
D. The organization shall not directly or indirectly participate or intervene, in any way,

Franklin-Randall Parent Teacher Organization, Inc. Bylaws
The name of this organization shall be the Franklin-Randall Parent Teacher Organization, Inc. herein after referred to as the organization.

To encourage close and effective relationships among Franklin Randall children, parents, schools, and the community.
To provide a forum through which parents, teachers, and administrators can communicate on pertinent issues of general importance or urgency.
To develop united efforts among parents, teachers, administrators, children, and the general public to secure for every child the highest advantages in physical, intellectual, and social education.
To raise and contribute monies to support programs and projects that enhance Franklin and Randall Schools, their communities, and relationships with their neighborhoods.
To promote continuity between Franklin and Randall Schools.
A. The organization shall be non-profit, noncommercial, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan.
B. The name of the organization and the names of any members in their official capacities shall not be used to endorse or promote a commercial concern, or in connection with any partisan interest, or for any purpose not appropriately related to promoting the objectives of the organization.
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including the publishing or distributing of statements, in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office, or devote more than an insubstantial part of its activities in attempting to influence legislation.
E. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or by an organization that receives contributions, which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.
F. Upon dissolution of this organization, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the organization, the remaining assets shall be distributed by the Board to one or more non-profit fund, foundation, or organization with 501(c)(3) status.

Article IV: Membership and Dues
A. Membership shall consist of all parents and legal guardians of children currently enrolled in Franklin or Randall School, and the principals, teachers and educational support staff of these schools who expressly or implicitly demonstrate their consent to be members.
B. The organization shall have no membership dues, but the Board may request
 membership pledges in cases of fiscal necessity.

Article V: Officers
A. The officers of the organization shall be elected by the general membership and hold office for one year except for the president elect who shall serve for the period described below. The officers of the organization shall be the president, president-elect, treasurer, and secretary.
B. The president shall preside at all meetings of the organization, coordinate the work of the officers and committees of the organization, appoint chairpersons of standing committees and the additional Board of Directors member from each Parent Empowerment Standing Committee, appoint special committees, fill vacant Board positions as provided herein, sign checks in the absence of the treasurer, and perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office.
C. The president-elect shall act as an aide to the president, perform the duties of the president in the absence or the disability of the president, perform other duties that may be delegated by the president, and assume the position of president in the following year. If the president-elect is unable to serve as president, the president's position shall be filled by a majority vote of the executive committee and voted on at the next election.
D. The secretary shall record and distribute the minutes of Board meetings. The secretary shall also record minutes at the annual meeting of the general membership, and at other general membership
meetings when voting is scheduled. The secretary shall prepare and distribute the agenda for Board meetings pursuant to the direction of the president, and shall retain copies of all essential correspondence, memoranda, and other documents prepared, transmitted, or received by the organization and/or its officers, except the treasurer.
E. The treasurer shall be responsible for all funds of the organization, keep a complete and accurate account of receipts and expenditures, and make disbursements in accordance with the approved budget and/or as authorized by the Board or Executive Committee. The treasurer shall present financial reports at the Board meetings. The Board may request an audit of the treasurer's records at any time. The treasurer's accounts shall be examined annually by the president, or by a representative or committee appointed by the Executive Committee. An external audit may be recommended by the president or the Board.
F. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Bylaws, the initial Officers shall be appointed by the incorporator at the initial meeting of the incorporator or by written consent, such Officers to serve until their successors take office after the next annual election of Officers.

Article VI: The Board of Directors
A. The Board shall consist of the officers of the organization, the chairpersons of the standing committees, an additional appointee from each Parent Empowerment Group committee, a teacher representative from each school, the principals of both school as ex-officio members, and four members at large. The officers of the organization, the chairpersons of the standing committees, the additional appointees from the Parent Empowerment Group committees, the four members at large and the two teacher representatives shall be voting members of the Board. The principals may participate in Board discussions and functions except that they shall not be entitled to vote. All members of the Board shall be members of the organization. Chairpersons of Standing Committees and the additional director appointee from each Parent Empowerment Committees shall serve on the Board for the shorter of one-year from the date of their appointment, or until the expiration of the annual period of the Board's authorization of their respective committees as described in Article XI.
B. The duties of the Board shall be:

1. To transact the business of the organization.

2. To approve plans of the standing committees.

3. To approve a budget for the organization.

4. To monitor and, as necessary, amend the budget during the year.

5. To approve all expenditures over $200.

6. To approve all plans for raising funds for the organization.

C. The president and the two principals shall establish a schedule of PTO events for the school year, including Board meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the president or by a simple majority of the voting members of the Board, with one week's notice to all Board members. A quorum of the Board shall consist of not less than eight voting members.
D. Any member of the organization may request to place an item on the agenda for a Board meeting by contacting the president.
E. In the event that a matter not included on the agenda is raised at a Board meeting, discussion of such matter shall be allowed if approved by the majority of voting members present. However, the presiding officer must defer any vote on the matter to a later meeting to provide notice to all Board members prior to a vote.
F. Board meetings are open to all members of the organization.
G. If two individuals share a position as a voting Board member, they shall share a single vote. All persons voting must be present at the meeting.
H. In voting on all matters relative to the business of the organization, Board members shall avoid conflicts of interest, or the appearance of a conflict of interest, in all situations. A conflict of interest exists when a Board member's individual interests or gain may be reasonably viewed as having the power to substantially influence or control that member's vote on a matter. In the event of a conflict of interest, the Board member shall abstain from voting.
I. The Board may refer a voting matter to a general membership meeting, provided at least two-thirds of voting Board membership affirmatively votes for such referral.

Article VII: Executive Committee
A. The Executive Committee shall consist of the president, the president-elect, the secretary or treasurer, and two of the Board members at large nominated by the president. The president's nominees to the Executive Committee shall be confirmed by a vote of the Board at the first Board meeting of the newly constituted Board. -The president may invite non-voting Executive Committee participation by any other Board member when useful to the conduct of Executive Committee business.
B. The Executive Committee shall have the power, whether or not circumstances require immediate action, to transact business usually handled by the Board between regular Board meetings.
C. The Executive Committee can authorize expenditures of $200 or less. Amounts greater than this can be discussed but must be approved by the Board.
D. A report of all Executive Committee actions and/or expenditures shall be made to the Board at the next scheduled Board meeting. The Board may reverse, alter, or otherwise modify actions taken by the Executive Committee, unless doing so would subject the organization to unreasonable monetary loss or liability.

Article VIII: Nominations and Elections
A. The Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three members no later than March 1st.
The Committee shall be responsible for preparing slates of nominees for Officers and
 Members at Large who serve as Board members for election by the general membership.
 Members at large shall be elected for one-year terms. Consideration for participation in the
 Nominating Committee should be given to diverse participation and representation of grade
 levels, geographic areas, and ethnic groups when selecting the committee.
B. To advance participation by as many communities as possible in the Franklin and Randall neighborhoods, nominees for election to the Board shall be nominated upon diligent recruitment that considers diversity and representation across grade levels, geographic areas, and ethnic groups. Joint nominees for a single Board membership position may be designated. All nominees must consent to nomination. At least one month prior to the election, the general membership shall receive notice describing the recruitment of nominees and how persons may advise the Nominating Committee of their interest in serving.
C. At least two weeks prior to the election, the slate of nominees and all other Board of
 Director candidates shall be published in the Franklin-Randall Newsletter or a separate notice
 distributed via backpack mail.
D. The election of officers and members at large shall be conducted by a vote of the members at the annual meeting of the organization. If there is but one nominee (or co-nominees) for any position, a voice vote shall be used. If there are two or more nominees (or sets of co-nominees), there shall be a raised hand vote. A majority vote wins for each position. Each member is entitled to one vote. In the case of parents or legal guardians, each member is entitled to only one vote regardless of the number of children they may have enrolled in the schools.
E. Officers and other Board members assume their duties at the next scheduled Board meeting following the election. No officer or member at large shall be eligible to serve in the same office for more than two consecutive years.
F. In the event that an Officer or other Board membership position is vacated, the membership at large shall be notified and invited to submit nominations, with the prior consent of the nominees, to the president who shall fill the vacancy by appointment. Prior to notifying the membership at large of an Officer or other Board membership position vacancy, the president may appoint an individual as an acting officer.
G. The Board will invite the past president to serve on the following year's Board as a member at large. If the past president agrees to so serve, election of members at large to the Board shall be limited accordingly. .

Article IX: Standing Committees
A. On an annual basis, the Board may, in its discretion, authorize the creation of such number and type of Standing Committees as it determines may assist in the function of the organization. Authorization for any such Committee shall be limited to a period of one year, subject to renewal by specific Board re-authorization.
B. As set forth in Article V (B), the President shall appoint the chairpersons of standing committees. Chairperson shall recruit and appoint members of the committees with due regard for the purposes of the organization. The Board shall review standing committees annually. Each standing committee functions as an individual group but is responsible for informing the Board of its planned activities and securing Board approval. The president shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
C. Committees may include, but are not limited to:
The African American Parent Empowerment Group, the Hispanic Parent Empowerment Group and the Hmong Parent Empowerment Group. Each of these Parent Empowerment Groups shall seek ways to facilitate and strengthen the relationships among the members of the Parent Empowerment Groups and the Franklin-Randall students; family and staff with the goal of increasing the sense of belonging to our common school community for all members. In addition to the chairperson of each of these Parent Empowerment Groups, an additional appointee as authorized in Article V and Article VI from each of these groups shall serve on the Board of Directors.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee. This Committee shall be responsible for working with and advising the principals and the Board regarding the physical facilities of the schools and their environs.
The Cultural Arts Committee. This committee shall be responsible for selecting and making arrangements at each school for the cultural arts programs that are funded by the organization.
The Fundraising Committee. This committee shall be responsible for planning and implementing the fundraising activities of the organization, except for the parking fundraising.
The Social Committee. This committee shall be responsible for coordinating the refreshments at the Board and general meetings. This committee is also responsible for planning, organizing, and hosting special events during the school year.
The Volunteer Services Committee. This committee shall be responsible for recruiting parents and others to volunteer for school-related activities, and matching volunteers with volunteer service opportunities.
The Curriculum Committee. This committee shall be responsible for addressing issues of curriculum development and the continuity between the two schools.
The Communications Committee. This committee shall be responsible for coordinating, publishing, and distributing the Franklin-Randall Newsletter.
The Parking Committee. This committee shall be responsible for the coordination of the parking fundraising at Olive Jones Field and Randall School parking lots. This includes coordinating volunteers for all events planned for parking.
10 The Community Building Committee. This committee shall seek ways to facilitate and strengthen the relationships among Franklin-Randall students, families, and staff with the goal of increasing the sense of belonging to our common school community for all members.

Article X: Decision Making Process
Roberts' Rules of Order, revised (1990) or later edition once published, shall govern the
 organization's meetings in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not in
 conflict with these by-laws.

Article XI: General Membership Meetings
A. The schedule of regular general membership meetings for the year shall be established by the Board at the first meeting of the school year or as soon as feasible thereafter.
B. Advance notice and the agenda for each meeting shall be published in the Franklin-Randall Newsletter or a separate notice distributed via backpack mail, not less than seven days before each general membership meeting.
C. The annual meeting will be scheduled in April unless otherwise designated by the Board. The election of officers and members at large shall be held at the annual meeting.
D. A quorum shall consist of those present and voting at a general membership meeting, but not less than ten members.
E. All general membership meetings are open to any member of the organization.

Article XII: Amendments
The by-laws may be amended at any Board meeting by a two-thirds majority of the voting Board members present and voting, provided that the general membership receives at least two weeks' written notice that a vote on amending the by-laws has been scheduled. An amendment of the by-laws shall be referred to the general membership for a vote if at least 35 members of the organization petition for such referral.