PTO BYLAWS
Stanley Elementary School
10 Whitman Road
Swampscott, MA 01907
ARTICLE I – NAME, DESCRIPTION & PURPOSE
Section 1: NAME
The name of the organization shall be Stanley Elementary School PTO, Inc.
("PTO"). The PTO is located at 10 Whitman Road, Swampscott MA 01907.
Section 2: DESCRIPTION
The PTO is a non-profit organization that exists for charitable and
educational purposes, including the making of occasional distributions to
organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 3: PURPOSE
The purpose of the PTO is to enhance and support the educational
experience at Stanley Elementary School, to develop a closer connection
between school and home by encouraging parental involvement, and to
improve the environment at Stanley School through volunteer and financial
support.
ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be automatically granted to all parents and guardians of
Stanley Elementary School students, plus all staff at Stanley Elementary
School.
Page 1 of 7
Section 2: DUES
Dues rates are established by Board of Directors, prior to the beginning of
the school year. A member must have paid dues to be considered a member
in good standing with voting rights. The Board of Directors shall have the
authority to waive dues in appropriate circumstances. Membership is for one
school year.
ARTICLE III – DIRECTOR AND OFFICERS
Section 1: BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
The Board of Directors shall consist of the following Officers: President, Vice
President(s), Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Officers. These officer
positions shall be elected by PTO members by majority vote. These Board
positions may be amended and/or added to with a majority vote of the PTO
at a publicly held meeting. Officers’ responsibilities may be delegated to
assistants. The Board shall be self-perpetuating and shall fill such vacancies
as may exist. The Board shall elect its members annually in the last month of
the school year.
Section 2: TERM OF OFFICE
The term of office for all Directors and Officers shall be one school year, the
term beginning immediately upon election, and ends upon Officer election in
June meeting of each school year. Officers and directors shall serve until
their successors have been elected.
Section 3: QUALIFICATIONS
Any PTO member in good standing may become a Board Member and/or
Officer of the PTO.
Page 2 of 7
Section 4: DUTIES
Board of Directors: Develop the PTO’s annual budget, establish and oversee
committees to conduct the work of the PTO, and carry out the purpose of
the PTO.
President: President will serve as official representative of the PTO, retain all
official records, oversees and has working knowledge of all committees.
President shall work closely with Stanley Principal, other Swampscott
PTO/PTA Boards, and Swampscott Superintendent Office.
The following Vice Presidents:
Social Events Chair: Assists President in all tasks related to PTO events and
student programs, oversees event-related committees.
Community Relations Chair: Attend School Committee meetings and report
findings to the Board. Act as liaison with other local schools related to
community events.
Cultural Arts Chair: Collaborates with the school principal to coordinate all
cultural arts events. Acts as point person with all outside vendors, and
solicits feedback from teachers/students after events in order to plan future
events.
Fundraising Chair: Manages fundraising efforts of the PTO.
Treasurer: Posts all financial transactions as they occur throughout the
month. Creates monthly budgets and Treasurer reports for PTO meetings.
Manages the balance sheet and maintains proper accounting records as
reconciled with bank statements. Leads the annual budget development
process in April, presents the budget for approval in May. Files annual tax
return by November 15. Files annual incorporation filings with State by Nov
1st, and Certificate of Change of Directors and Officers, as needed.
Reconciles the checkbook, writes checks as needed, makes deposits in a
timely fashion, as needed, keeps financial transaction forms available for all
volunteers.
Secretary: Responsible for accurately taking minutes at the PTO meetings,
typing up and distributing in a timely manner. Manages the email listserv
Page 3 of 7
and sends communication email reminders via Stanley Chronicle. Also
responsible for updating the PTO website.
Section 5: COMPENSATION
Board members and Officers shall serve without compensation.
Section 6: BOARD MEETINGS
The Board shall meet bi-annually during the school year, or at the discretion
of the Board. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Meeting
dates may be set in advance by the Board for the year, or may be called on
one week's notice to Board members by the President, the Treasurer or five
Board members. At this meeting the Board shall determine PTO strategy,
review the PTO budget and consider the Principals objectives form the
upcoming year. The Board may also vote on issues that do not require a PTO
meeting vote (see Member Meetings Section 2: Voting) as needed.
Section 7: REMOVAL
An Officer can be removed from office for reasons such as but not limited to
failure to fulfill his/her duties, after reasonable notice, by a two-thirds vote
of the Board.
Section 8: VACANCY
If a vacancy occurs on the Board, the Board shall elect a PTO member to fill
the vacancy, for the remainder of the Officer’s term, if deemed necessary
ARTICLE IV – MEMBER MEETINGS
Section 1: PTO MEETINGS
PTO meetings shall be held to conduct the business of the PTO. Meetings
are held monthly during the school year or at the discretion of the Board.
The meetings should be scheduled and published prior to the school year.
Page 4 of 7
Changes in dates must be made at least 1 week prior and broadly
communicated.
Section 2: VOTING
All PTO expenditures in excess of $500 requiring a vote will take place at PTO
meetings. Each member in good standing in attendance at a PTO meeting is
eligible to vote, one vote per family. Absentee or proxy votes are not
allowed.
Section 3: QUORUM
Nine (9) members of the PTO present constitute a quorum for the purpose of
voting.
Article V - COMMITTEES
Section 1: MEMBERSHIP
Any PTO member in good standing may be on a Committee.
Section 2: STANDING COMMITTEES
The following committees shall operate under the PTO: After School
Program, Welcome Committee, Hospitality Committee, Library Committee,
Science Fair, Grant Writing, Holiday Fair, Beautification Grounds, Big Blue
Bargain, Book Fair, Box Top Committee, Fitness Walk, Fun Field Day, Safety
Committee, Stanley Family Non-Fiction Reading Program, Stanley School
Directory, Staples Kitz, T-Shirt Committee, Talent Show Committee.
Section 3: ADDITIONAL COMMITTEES
The Board may create and/or dissolve committees as needed.
Page 5 of 7
ARTICLE VI – FINANCIAL POLICIES
Section 1: FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the PTO begins July 1 and ends June 30 of the following
calendar year.
Section 2: BANKING
All funds shall be kept in a bank account in the name of Stanley Elementary
School PTO, Inc., requiring two Officer’s signatures and held at a local
financial institution.
Section 3: REPORTING
All financial activity shall be recorded in a manual or computer-based
accounting system. The Treasurer shall reconcile the account(s) monthly and
report all financial activity monthly to the Board. The PTO Board shall
arrange an independent review of its financial records each year.
Section 4: BUDGET AND EXPENDITURES
The PTO budget will be set and approved by June of previous school year.
Any new expenditure of $500 or more which initiates a new line item on
budget must be approved by PTO member meeting vote.
Section 5: ENDING BALANCE
The organization shall leave a minimum of $2500 in the PTO treasury at the
end of each fiscal year.
Section 6: CONTRACTS
Contract signing authority is limited to the President and/or the Board’s
designee, after authorization by the Board.
Page 6 of 7
ARTICLE VII – BYLAW AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed by any PTO member.
Amendments presented at a PTO meeting shall be considered for voting at a
subsequent meeting. Two-thirds approval of all members present and
voting is required to adopt an amendment to the Bylaws.
ARTICLE VIII – CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
These Bylaws comply with our Conflict of Interest Policy outlined in
Addendum A of these Bylaws. The PTO voted on and approved the Conflict
of Interest Policy in June 2014.
ARTICLE IX - DISSOLUTION
In the event of dissolution of the PTO, any funds remaining shall be donated
to Stanley Elementary School, or, in the event such school no longer exists to
a school or nonprofit PTO/PTA of the Boards choice.
These bylaw amendments were adopted on June 4, 2014.
Page 7 of 7