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Parent Teacher Association » PTA By-laws

PTA By-laws

Humanities Prep PTA Bylaws are a set of rules adopted by members of the association. These rules govern the day-to-day affairs of our PTA.
All PTA bylaws must follow Chancellor's Regulations A-660.  If there is a conflict, the Chancellor's Regulations supersedes the Humanities Prep Bylaws.
BYLAWS OF THE PARENT TEACHERS ASSOCIATION – HUMANITIES PREPARATORY ACADEMY
 
NAME
 
  1. The name of the organization shall be The Humanities Prep PTA, Inc. 351 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011. Hereafter referred to as Humanities Prep PTA.

OBJECTIVES

  1.  
  2. To facilitate the education of the students in the school. To provide support and resources to the school for the benefit and educational growth of the students.
  3. To foster and encourage parent participation on all levels. To build capacity for greater involvement and develop parent leadership.
  4. To facilitate communication between the administration/staff and families. In so doing, to develop trust, transparency, and a cooperative working relationship between the school and parents/guardians.
  5. To discuss school governance at Humanities Prep and provide opportunities for parents to influence and decide upon policies which affect Humanities Prep.
  6. To facilitate a unified approach to neighborhood, district and citywide issues.
  7. To facilitate communication between Humanities Prep and other schools in the Bayard Rustin Educational Complex.

MEMBERSHIP

  1.  
  1. The membership shall consist of all parents, guardians and persons in parental relation to students currently attending Humanities Prep.
  2. Membership automatically begins when the student is enrolled in the school, and is considered active at the beginning of the school year when the student enters the school.
  3. Each member of the association shall have one vote.
  4. Members may be requested to make a voluntary donation.  The payment of a donation is not a condition of membership nor does it affect voting.  There are NO membership dues.
  5. Members deemed to have a conflict of interest as defined in the Policy and Regulations shall not be permitted to vote on restricted issues.
  6. At the beginning of the school year, the Parent-Teacher Association shall distribute a letter to all parents advising them that they are automatically members of the association and encouraging them to participate
  7. Only parent members of the association may vote to offer or withdraw membership to or from staff.  Any such action requires an amendment of the bylaws as defined in Article X, except that only parents not employed by the school may vote, and shall become effective the July 1st following ratification.
  8. Voting will be done in person whether on location or in a virtual setting. No proxy voting or Absentee Ballots are allowed.

OFFICERS AND THEIR ELECTION

  1.  
  1. The officers of Humanities Prep Parent-Teacher Association shall be:
    1. President or Co-President(s)
    2. Vice President, if only one President
    3. Secretary or Co-Secretaries
    4. Treasurer or Co-Treasurers and
    5. Such other officers (such as additional vice presidents or at-large officers) as the parents from time to time may choose to elect.
    6. At minimum, president, secretary and treasurer (mandatory to constitute a functioning PTA)
  2. The term of office is from July 1 to June 30 of the following year.  Officers should be elected in May for a one-year term beginning July 1 and shall continue to serve so long as they have a student enrolled in the school.  No officer shall serve for more than two (2) successive terms in office, except that any officer elected to fill an unexpired term shall be eligible to serve two (2) additional consecutive terms.   A candidate who has served the maximum number of terms may only be elected to serve an additional term if no other interested candidate is nominated and willing to serve. Members of the same family are not prohibited from serving as officers.
  3. Eligibility is limited to parents, guardians, persons in a parental relation and designated persons who are not employed in the school or a member of a Community Education Council.
  4. Duties of Officers
    1. President – The president (or co-president) shall preside over all meetings of the association and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.  She/he shall appoint all committee chairpersons with the approval of the membership.  The president (or one of the co-presidents) shall be one of the signatories on checks.  The president or designee shall serve on the President’s Council. 
    2. Vice President(s) – The vice-president (or co-vice-president) shall assist the president (or co-presidents) and shall assume the president’s duties in her or his temporary absence or at the president’s (or co-president’s) request.
    3. Secretary – The secretary (or co-secretary) shall maintain the official record of the proceedings and actions of all association meetings.  This shall include notices, agendas, sign-in sheets and material distributed.  The secretary shall prepare minutes of each association meeting in time for review and adoption at the next appropriate meeting and shall make minutes available upon request.  She/he shall maintain custody of the books and reports pertaining to the association, except those of the treasurer.  The secretary shall maintain a log of all amendments to the bylaws and shall ensure that a copy of each is on file in the principal’s office.  The secretary shall be responsible for recording the mail received by the association and for preparing responses or correspondence. She/he shall be responsible for preparing and distributing notices of all association meetings.
    4. Treasurer – The treasurer (or co-treasurer) shall be responsible for the transfer of association monies to the bank accounts of the association; shall maintain all deposit slips with appropriate identification of funds; shall maintain an updated record of income and expenditures and shall be one of the signatories on checks and debit card disbursement forms.  The co-treasurers shall be prepared to provide financial reports on all association meetings.  The co-treasurers shall prepare the interim and annual financial reports
    5. The President shall automatically serve as a core member of the school leadership team.  In the event of Co-Presidents, the PTA Executive Board will select one (1) Co-President to fulfill this requirement. No person employed in the Humanities Prep or a member of a Community Education Council shall be eligible to serve as a parent member representative on the school leadership team.  Election procedures for the school leadership team are spelled out in the school  leadership team bylaws.
  5. Election of Officers
    1. Nominations for officers shall be made by voting members verbally and seconded from the floor, during a regular PTA meeting, no later than the May general membership meeting. 
    2. No special nominating committee shall be formed, rather recruitment volunteers shall gather nominations prior to the April meeting. The process will include all members present at the April and May general membership meetings. Provisions shall be made for a candidates forum before the May general meeting. 
    3. The election of officers shall be held at the annual general spring membership meeting. The voting shall be by secret paper ballot.  If there is only one candidate for each office, vote will be taken by show of hands and that shall be included in the minutes.  The positions of president, secretary, and treasurer must be filled at the spring meeting, but those present may decide to leave other positions open to be filled by incoming parents in the fall at the September or October meeting.  Such positions will terminate on June 30.
    4. Ballots shall be printed in English and other languages as appropriate. 
    5. Ballots shall be counted immediately and in the presence of members. Ballots shall be retained for six months by an officer of the Association. 
    6. Certification of Election - When the final tally of votes is complete, the president shall announce the results of the election to the membership and state that those results are official. The president shall notify the principal and presidents' council in writing of the results of the election by May 31st. 
  6. Installation or Introduction of Officers 
    1. Installation or introduction shall take place at the June membership meeting, and a meeting between outgoing and incoming officers shall take place by June 30th for the transfer of records. 
  7. Vacancies 
    1. A special election will be held to fill the vacancy 
  8. Disciplinary Action 
    1. Any officer who fails to attend three consecutive executive board meetings without good cause, shall be removed from office by recommendation of the executive board and vote of the membership. 
    2. Officers and executive board members accused of misconduct or neglect of duty may be removed only after a membership vote to: 
      1. appoint an investigating committee 
      2. prefer charges 
      3. conduct a hearing 
    3. The investigating committee shall report its findings to the membership. 
    4. The membership shall decide by a two-thirds vote of the members present to remove or absolve. 

MEETINGS 

  1.  
  1. General Meetings 
    1. There shall be monthly general membership meetings during the school year. 
    2. Meetings shall be held in the PTA’s home school or virtually, via Zoom, except in extenuating circumstances.  Under no circumstances are PTA meetings to be held in private residences.
    3. A schedule of proposed general membership meeting dates shall be prepared by the executive board for distribution at the first general membership meeting of the school year. Written notice of each membership meeting, including an agenda, shall be distributed at least ten days prior to the scheduled meeting. 
    4. All members of the parent association may attend and participate at membership meetings subject to restrictions in these bylaws. 
    5. All other persons may attend as observers, and may speak and otherwise participate at the discretion of the chair. 
  2. Special Membership Meetings 
    1. Special membership meetings may be called to deal with a matter or matters of importance that cannot be held until the next general membership meeting.  The president may call a special membership meeting with a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours written notice to parents stating precisely what the topic of the meeting will be. 
    2. Upon receipt of a written request from five association members, the president must call a special membership meeting within five working days of the request and with forty-eight hours written notice to parents. 
    3. Humanities Prep PTA will attend at least one joint meeting per year of the PTAs of all of the schools in the campus building.
  3. A quorum of five (5) members of the association shall be required for the conduct of official business. 
  4. The following order of business shall be observed at all regular general membership meetings of the association: 
    1. Adoption of the Proposed Agenda
    2. Summary and Approval of Minutes 
    3. Treasurer’s Report
    4. President’s/Co-Presidents Report 
    5. Committee Reports
    6. Principal's Report 
    7. Old Business 
    8. New Business 
    9. Adjournment 
  5. Minutes of a previous general or special membership meeting must be available in written form and approved at the next general meeting and available upon request to members. 

EXECUTIVE BOARD 

  1.  
  1. The Executive Board shall be composed of elected officers plus chairs of the standing committees. 
  2. Responsibilities of the Executive Board: 
    1. Shall plan and execute the tasks necessary to implement the programs and policies adopted by the general membership. 
    2. Shall recommend to the membership eligible members to fill vacant positions. 
    3. Shall have the authority to spend up to $250.00 for operating expenses or emergency needs without prior approval of the membership. Such expenditures are to be reported by the treasurer at the next membership meeting. 
    4. Shall be required to attend all executive board meetings 
  3. Meetings 
    1. Regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held monthly, September through June. 
    2. A schedule of Executive Board meeting dates shall be prepared by the board and distributed at the first general membership meeting of the school year. 
    3. All meetings are open to the full membership of the PTA but may not participate in an executive board vote.
    4. The president may call a special meeting of the Executive Board with a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours telephone notice to executive board members and written notice to the general membership. 
    5. Upon the written request of at least three executive board members, the president must call an executive board meeting within five days after receipt of the request and with notice as specified in Item 3.c above. 
  4. Each member of the Executive Board shall be entitled to one vote.
  5. A quorum of three (3) members of the association shall be required for the conduct of official business.

COMMITTEES 

  1.  
  1. Standing Committees.  
    1. There shall be the following standing committees:
      1. Membership: The Membership Committee shall be responsible for 1) maintaining a list of members which shall be available without home addresses at every membership meeting. 2) coordinating outreach efforts with the Parent Coordinator when possible
      2. Budget: The Budget Committee shall be responsible for drafting 1) a proposed budget each spring for approval by the membership, and 2) a written review of the prior year's budget, both of which must be presented at the May membership meeting. 
      3. Fund Raising: It shall be the responsibility of the committee to plan and execute all fund raising activities approved by the membership. The committee shall collect all monies from such activities, record the income and turn all funds over to the treasurer for deposit. At the next membership meeting following a fund raising activity, the committee chair(s) shall report all income, expenditures and profit from that activity and shall prepare a written report pursuant to Parent Associations and the Schools.
      4.  Hospitality: The Hospitality Committee shall be responsible for arranging light refreshments at meetings of the membership and at any of its activities, as appropriate. It shall ensure that members as they are enrolled, are provided with a copy of Parent Associations and the Schools, as well as, the association's bylaws, and shall use all opportunities, such as parent- teacher conferences to provide information and assistance to parents.
      5.  Communications: This committee shall be responsible for developing a network to facilitate communication among parents, and shall prepare a bimonthly bulletin to all parents and staff which contains, at a minimum, messages from the principal and co-presidents, a list of incoming executive board and membership meeting dates, information concerning the election of officers, student and parent events and school policies, the PTA's budget, and any other such material as deemed appropriate by the association. Provisions will be made to provide translations and interpreting. 
      6.  Building campus: This committee shall represent Humanities Prep on the campus level that deals with matters of common concern, such as safety and space utilization.  The committee shall have rights to consultation with the school building principals on building issues, including but not limited to matters affecting the health and welfare of their students.
    2. Committee chairpersons shall be appointed and removed by the president with the approval of the membership. The president shall request the names of persons interested in serving as chair or co-chair of a committee. The president shall propose committee chairs which shall be approved by the membership. At the first membership meeting, and thereafter, the president shall provide the opportunity for members to join committees. 
    3. Each chair or co-chair of a standing committee shall be a voting member of the Executive Board. 
    4. It shall be the responsibility of committee chairpersons to schedule meetings as necessary, notify committee members, schedule, organize and manage the required activities of the committee, maintain accurate records of all activities, income and expenses, and report monthly to the Executive Board and general membership. 
  2. Ad-Hoc Committees 
    1. Where an issue or situation arises that necessitates the establishment of a committee, an ad-hoc committee may be formed by the Executive Board to meet the need, and dissolved when the need no longer exists by majority vote of the Executive Board. 
    2. The president with the approval of the Executive Board shall appoint the chair or co-chairs of ad-hoc committees. 
    3. The chair or co-chairs shall not be voting members of the Executive Board. 
    4. Chairpersons of ad-hoc committees shall have the same responsibilities as in Section 1.d above. 

FINANCIAL AFFAIRS 

  1.  
  1. Fiscal Year:  The fiscal year of the association shall run from July 1st through June 30th. 
  2. Signatories: The president (or co-presidents) and co-treasurers shall be authorized to sign checks. All checks require at least two signatures. 
  3. The president shall be reimbursed for board-related expenses as needed.
  4. The Budget Committee shall be responsible for 
    1. Preparing a proposed budget for adoption by the membership at the May membership meeting. 
    2. A written review of the prior year’s budget for discussion at the May membership meeting. 
    3. The budget may be amended by vote of the general membership at any membership meeting. 
    4. All expenditures not included in the budget at the time of its adoption must be approved by resolution of the membership. 
  5. Banking
    1. PTAs that have established online access to checking accounts are able to make payments through their bank’s online bill payment system
    2. A disbursement form must be completed for all transactions; the form must be signed by two (2) account signatories and filed with the PTA’s financial records.  
    3. The PTA may possess and use an ATM/Bank card issued by the banking institution connected to the PTA checking account.  Linking the debit card to a personal account is prohibited.  The ATM card can be used for the following approved transactions:
      1. Transactions for online vendors
      2. vendors who do not accept a physical check
    4. ATM Cash/Bank card withdrawals are prohibited
  6. Fund Raising 
    1. The fund-raising committee shall be responsible for researching and presenting to the membership in the spring, all information and data relevant to proposed fund raisers for the following year. The membership shall vote to approve all fundraisers prior to the signing of contracts or agreements, and pursuant to planning with the Principal of all fundraisers involving students during school hours. 
    2. Upon approval of the membership, the fund-raising committee shall be responsible for all arrangements, notices, committee assignments and other logistical details in preparation for the activity. 
    3. The treasurer, at least one other officer, and additional persons as needed shall be designated and approved by the executive board to collect, count, tally and record all orders and payments. 
    4. The treasurer shall arrange to deposit all receipts by the end of the school day when possible. Two persons shall transport all funds to the bank, and deposit slips shall identify the source of all monies deposited. 
    5. The chairperson of the fund-raising committee shall prepare a report of each fundraiser to be distributed to parents and filed in the Principal’s office as required. 
    6. The Parent-Teachers Association will not engage in any fundraising activities which are prohibited by the Board of Education:
      1. Sale of tickets to movies and theaters for children’s attendance, unless the project is directly connected to the curriculum
      2. House to house solicitations of funds by children, except where a parent may decide to solicit funds with his or her children
      3. Sale of raffle tickets to children
      4. Bingo or any other form of gambling
      5. Political contribution-i.e. school board office, political parties, sectarian groups.
  7. Audit 
    1. As the need arises, the president shall request volunteers to form an audit committee of three persons. The Committee should be comprised of a majority of persons from the general membership. Executive board members, other than those who are check signatories, may serve. 
    2. The Audit Committee shall prepare an audit of all financial affairs of the organization with the help of the Treasurer who shall make all books and records available to them.  
    3. The Audit Committee shall prepare a written report to be presented to the membership at its May meetings. 
  8. Financial Accounting 
    1. The association shall prepare an interim financial accounting by January 31st and an annual financial accounting by June 30th of all income and expenditures. 
    2. A copy of the accounting or a summary thereof must be filed in the principal's office and distributed to all parents in the association's newsletter or in an email. 

Entitlement


      1. Humanities Prep PTA is entitled to use school buildings, including school safety or security coverage for eight (8) hours per month outside school hours and shall determine the hours, and whether the time will be over one or more days.  These hours apply 12 months a year.

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY 


      1. All procedural questions not covered by these bylaws shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, provided they are not inconsistent with law, policy, regulation and these bylaws. 

AMENDMENTS 


    1. These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the association by a two- thirds vote of the members present, provided the amendment has been presented in writing to the membership at the previous meeting, and appears in the notice of the meeting at which it is to be amended. Amendments are effective immediately unless otherwise stated in the motion. A thorough review of these bylaws shall be conducted every three years.