By‑Laws of The Orchard Ridge
Elementary School
Parent‑Teacher Organization
Amended by‑laws
dated May 9, 2000
Preamble
This
revision of the by‑laws reflects the original 1987 by‑laws with
revisions and amendments from various meetings of the ORE PTO and the Board of
the PTO over the last thirteen years. It is therefore evolutionary not
revolutionary, and as always remains open to comment and revision, according to
the rules contained within.
Article I Name
The name
of the organization is The Orchard Ridge Elementary School Parent‑Teacher
Organization. The name will be abbreviated to ORE PTO elsewhere in these by‑laws.
Article II ‑ Purpose and
Objectives
1.
To
encourage a closer and more effective relationship between children, parents,
school, staff and community.
2.
To
assist and support the school in its educational functions by providing
equipment and services for the benefit of our children/students that is not
readily available from the Madison Metropolitan School District or other
sources.
3.
To
seek a forum and a mechanism through which parents and teachers may seek to
affect school function and policy.
4.
To
raise money to support the activities undertaken by ORE PTO in support of its
objectives.
Article III Policies
1.
The
ORE PTO is non‑commercial, non‑sectarian and politically non‑partisan.
No one may represent the organization, its officers or its members in support
of or in opposition to any commercial enterprise, religious group or political
party without a majority vote of the ORE PTO Board. However, the ORE PTO may
acknowledge donations of goods and services whatever the source.
2.
The
ORE PTO does not and will not seek to dictate the administrative activities or
policies of the school. This does not, however, preclude the organization from
reviewing, discussing or attempting to influence those activities or policies.
3.
The
ORE PTO may cooperate or interact with other organizations and agencies
involved in the well being of the children/students.
4.
No
moneys may be used or reimbursed for any purpose unless previously authorized
by the ORE PTO at a monthly meeting or through the annual budgeting process. No
moneys may be used for non‑school or non‑ORE PTO purposes. All
expenditures must be properly accounted for in timely fashion. (See Article
VII.)
Article IV Membership
All
parents and guardians whose children are attending Orchard Ridge Elementary
School and its staff.
Article V ‑ Board of
Directors
1.
The
Board of Directors will be the principle operating body directing the
activities of the organization. The Board will consist of the President(s),
Vice President(s), Secretary, Treasurer(s), Volunteer Coordinator(s), Teacher(s), Principal, Fund Raising Chair(s)
and Room Parent Coordinator(s). All Board members volunteer to serve an one‑year
term per position. This term may be renewed by majority vote of the Board.
2.
The
terms of Board Members will begin at the beginning of each school year. In the
March issue of the Rainbow Review (the ORE School newsletter issued
regularly to all students during the school year), applications for the Board
for the next year will be solicited. Members will be voted on by the current
Board from the volunteer pool. The current Board will make every effort to
publish the names of the new Board by the end of May and no later than August
31 of the current year.
3.
Decisions
of the Board will be ratified by vote at a scheduled ORE PTO general meeting in
which each member present of the ORE PTO has one vote, simply majority rules,
and the presence of five (5) members constituting a quorum.
4.
The
President(s) of the Board shall be promoted from the prior years Vice
President(s) and will serve for one (1) year. Every effort should be made to
select two people to serve as Co‑Vice‑Presidents. Past Presidents
should be available for advice for one (1) year after their term has ended, to
help ensure continuity of the ORE PTO.
5.
Any
vacancy on the Board will be filled by the Board by soliciting additional
volunteers from members of the ORE PTO.
Article VI ‑ Officers and
their Duties
1.
The
President(s) shall preside at all meetings of the ORE PTO and of the Board and
will be ex‑officio members of all committees. The President(s) will
appoint special committees and will perform other duties usually pertaining to
the office. The President(s) shall provide a brief synopsis of each Board and
general meeting for publication in the next Rainbow Review and
periodically include budget and financial information.
2.
The
Vice‑President(s) shall aid the President(s) and shall perform the duties
of that office in absence of the President(s).
3.
The
Secretary will keep a correct record of all general meetings of the ORE PTO and
the Board, and have custody of all records pertaining to the ORE PTO, except
those of the Treasurer, conduct the correspondence of the ORE PTO and will send
out all materials for upcoming meetings. Also, the Secretary shall ensure
copies of the by‑laws, the minutes of all meetings and budgets be kept in
the ORE PTO filing cabinet for the purpose of historical continuity.
4.
The
Treasurer shall receive all moneys of the ORE PTO with the exception of the
funds belonging to the Friends of the Library, keep accurate records of all
receipts and expenditures, and shall pay those funds as prescribed by the
budget or other expenditure as approved by general meetings of the ORE PTO. Any
reimbursement request that exceeds the approved budget amount must first be
referred to and approved by the Treasurer and President(s), if the variance is
less than $50 or by the next business meeting of the ORE PTO if greater than
$50 over the approved amount.
Article VII ‑ Financial
Guidelines
1.
Fundraising
will be organized each year with a specific dollar goal sufficient to cover all
budgeted expenditures. A budget will be drawn up by the Board from the
operating expense requests of the committees of the ORE PTO. The requests for
the following year shall be submitted with the Board by May 15 and a
preliminary budget is available for comment by committee chairs and members of
ORE PTO by May 30. The Final Budget shall be approved by the first business
meeting of the ORE PTO in the following school year.
2.
Major
or capital expenditures defined as expenditures greater than $200 and are not
operating expenses of a committee, are to be requested from the available funds
after operating expenses are allocated in the budget process. These funds are
to be requested with full financial details and explanation of need to a
business meeting of the ORE PTO and can be approved by a simple majority vote.
3.
No
moneys of the ORE PTO may be used for any purpose that does not support Article
II of these by‑laws.
4.
Normally
all accounts are paid monthly. The Treasurer can require up to seven (7) days
notice for the urgent release of funds and drawing of a check.
5.
The
Friends of the ORE Library will keep its moneys in an account held by the ORE
school secretary.
6.
All
accounts and financial records should be available for audit by an ORE PTO
business meeting appointed auditor. Only one audit per year can be requested.
The auditor could be a parent volunteer with a financial background.
Article VIII Committees
1.
Committees
are the primary tools of the ORE PTO to perform its functions for the benefit
of the children. These committees are established and appointed by the Board or
the officers as necessary and will be responsible to the Board. A committee can
be formed for a single event or for an on going activity.
2.
Committee
Chairs will be selected in the spring of each year through a volunteer survey.
Committee Members will be recruited through spring and fall volunteer surveys.
3.
Each
Committee Chair may make a budget request and proposal for the next year's
activity by May 15.
4.
A
final report in writing will be submitted at the conclusion of the committee's
work or at the last ORE PTO general meeting of the school year.
5.
The
Friends of the ORE Library is a Committee of the ORE PTO, whose goal is to
provide support for the LMC through fund‑raising activities and by
promoting reading and library use. The funds raised will be kept in a separate
account maintained by the ORE school secretary (See Article VII, item 6.) The
ORE PTO will sponsor the Friends activities making additional funds available
as needed per Article VII. The Friends will report its activities to the ORE
PTO on a timely basis.
Article IX ‑ Parliamentary
Authority
The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, revised, will govern the ORE PTO in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by‑laws.
Article X Amendments
1.
These
by‑laws may be amended at the regular meeting of the ORE PTO by a two‑thirds
vote of the members present and, provided that notice of the proposed amendment
has been provided to all members present at least one month prior to the
meeting. Publication in the Rainbow Review will constitute adequate
notice.
2.
A
committee may be appointed to review and replace these by‑laws only by a
two‑thirds majority vote at a regular general meeting of the ORE PTO.
3.
After
approval by the ORE PTO general meeting one amended copy will be sent to all
officers, to the school and published in the Rainbow Review.
4.
A
dated copy of these by‑laws will be in the hands of each officer of the
ORE PTO and in the school records. A master copy signed by all members present
at approving ORE PTO general meeting will be held in the ORE PTO file cabinet.
1.
Upon
dissolution or liquidation of the ORE PTO, all assets will be distributed to
any legitimate successor organization (e.g., other "Parent‑Teacher"
organization to which the ORE PTO member might be expected to move to if the
Orchard Ridge Elementary School were closed) or to the Madison Metropolitan
School District if none can be identified. In the case of the school population
being split up after Orchard Ridge Elementary School dissolution, the funds and
assets shall be divided proportionally according to percentage of former ORE
students attending the new schools.
2.
In
the event of the dissolution or liquidation of the ORE PTO neither money held
nor property owned by the ORE PTO will be distributed to any private
individual.
These by‑laws, consisting of
four pages with eleven articles are signed by all present at the Orchard Ridge
Elementary School Parents and Teachers Organization General Meeting on May 9,
2000.
The following members present at
the PTO meeting adopted these by-laws:
Todd Boehm Kriss Ellingson
Heidi Frohen Bruce Knutson
Dennis Ahnen Kathleen M. Raab
Ralph Paterson Ann Shultz
Elaine Burke Eric Webb
Kim Jorgensen Sue Radke
Cheryl Wise Lisa Stec
Marge Bils Andrea Kluender
Julie Leser