BYLAWS OF
LANIER MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION

ARTICLE I:  Name 

1.1           The name of the organization shall be the Lanier Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), a nonprofit corporation.  It shall have no affiliation with any state or national organization with similar objectives.

ARTICLE II:  Purpose 

2.1           The purpose of the PTO is to support the mission of Lanier Middle School and to foster excellence in education at Sidney Lanier Middle School by supporting and enriching the activities and programs that promote a positive environment through involvement of parents, school, and community.

2.2           The organization is organized and shall be operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary and educational purposes as defined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or corresponding provisions hereafter in effect.

2.3           In the event of dissolution of this organization, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligation of the organization, the remaining assets shall be distributed in accordance with Article Ten of the Articles of Incorporation.

ARTICLE III:  Policies 

3.1           This organization will cooperate with the faculty and administration to support Lanier Middle School and shall not seek to direct the administrative activities of the school.

3.2           This organization shall be non-commercial, nonsectarian and nonpartisan.

ARTICLE IV:  Members and Dues 

4.1           The organization shall have one class of members, consisting of parents or guardians of students enrolled at Lanier Middle School , members of the faculty and staff, or any person connected with the school, who have contributed annual dues to the PTO.

4.2           The annual dues shall be set by the Executive Board of Directors of the PTO.

4.3           The organization shall conduct an annual enrollment of members, but persons may be admitted to membership at any time.

4.4           Each member who has joined the PTO on an individual membership is entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the members.  A family membership shall be entitled to one vote per adult not to exceed two (2) votes on each matter submitted to a vote of the members.

4.5           Only paid members of the organization shall be eligible to participate and vote in the business meetings or to serve in any of its elective or appointive positions.

ARTICLE V:  Executive Board 

5.1           The Board of Directors shall be called the Executive Board and shall consist of the officers of the organization.  The Principal of the school shall serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

5.2           Duties of the Executive Board shall be to:

a.               Tr ansact necessary business in the intervals between meetings of the PTO and such other business as may be referred to it by the PTO;

b.               Create Standing and Special committees;

c.               Appoint an audit committee at the end of each year consisting of members who are not authorized signers to audit the treasurer’s accounts;

d.               Prepare and submit a budget for the year to the organization for adoption;

e.               Approve routine bills within the limits of the budget; and

f.                Fill vacancies of offices and chairs.

5.3           Meetings

a.               Regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held prior to each General Meeting of the organization.

b.               A majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.

c.               Special meetings of the Executive Board may be called by the President or by a majority of the members of the Executive Board upon one day prior notice being given.

ARTICLE VI:  Officers and Their Election 

6.1           Definition and Term of Office

a.               The Executive Board officers shall be the President, President - Elect, Vice President of Fundraising, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Communications Coordinator, Parliamentarian, Historian, Social/Community Service Chair; and two (2) Volunteer Coordinators.

b.               The Executive Board officers shall be elected for a term of one year by a voice vote unless a written ballot is requested by five members or more at a General Meeting.

c.               Officers shall assume their duties July 1 after the election until June 30 of the following year.

d.               Officers shall be limited to serving two (2) successive terms in the same office.

6.2           Nominating Committee

a.               Officers shall be nominated by a Nominating Committee prior to election at a General Meeting.

b.               The Nominating Committee shall consist of seven (7) members.  The President shall appoint the Chair.  The Nominating Committee Chair in consultation with the President shall select six additional members from the membership at large.

c.               The Nominating Committee shall be approved by a majority vote of members present at a General Meeting.

d.               The Nominating Committee shall make every effort to submit a slate of representatives reflective of the school enrollment groups.  The consent of each candidate must be obtained prior to being placed in nomination.

6.3           Vacancies and Removal from Office

a.               Any officer resigning prior to the end of his or her term shall notify the President.  The President shall appoint a person to fill any vacancy in an office.  The newly appointed officer will hold the office until the next Executive Board meeting.  The Executive Board shall either approve the newly appointed officer or shall appoint another person to fill the vacancy.  In either case, the newly appointed officer shall serve until the next general election.

b.               The Executive Board may remove any elected officer from office by a two-thirds vote of the Board members voting, provided there is a quorum present, at a special meeting duly called for that purpose.

ARTICLE VII:  Duties of Officers 

7.1           The President shall:

a.               Set the agenda for and preside over General Meetings and Executive Board meetings;

b.               Serve as the liaison to the Principal;

c.               Serve as a voting member of the Shared Decision Making Committee (SDMC);

d.               Make every effort to foster a sense of community and encourage teamwork within the PTO;

e.               Have signature authority on all PTO bank accounts;

f.                Appoint the Chair of the Nominating Committee;

g.               Appoint Chairs of Special Committees, subject to the approval of the Executive Board;

h.               Coordinate the work of the officers and committees of the PTO in order that the purposes of the PTO may be promoted;

i.                 Maintain a position of impartiality and therefore shall not vote on any question except in the case of a written ballot vote; and

j.                 Serve on the budget committee to create a budget for the school year.

7.2           The President-Elect shall:

a.               Act as an aid to the president and perform the duties of the President in the absence or inability of that officer to act;

b.               Work with the school administration to produce the Parent Handbook and Calendar for the school year;

c.               Serve on the budget committee to create the budget for the school year; and

d.               Have signature authority on all PTO bank accounts.

7.3           The Vice President of Fundraising shall:

a.               Coordinate and oversee all PTO fundraising activities and events;

b.               Appoint as many assistants and/or subcommittees as deemed necessary to accomplish the task of raising funds for the PTO;

c.               Serve on the budget committee to create the budget for the school year; and

d.               Have signature authority on all PTO bank accounts.

7.4           The Treasurer shall:

a.               Keep records of all financial transactions of the PTO;

b.               Have signature authority on all PTO bank accounts and insure that two of the four authorized officers sign all checks;

c.               Present a financial report at each Executive Board meeting and General Meeting of the PTO and at other times as requested by the Executive Board or the PTO;

d.               Keep books of account and records including bank statements, receipts, budgets, invoices, paid receipts and cancelled checks for a period of seven years;

e.               Preside over the budget committee meetings to prepare an annual budget for the school year for approval by the Executive Board and General Membership of the PTO;

f.                Provide a copy of the Treasurer’s report to any PTO member upon request;

g.               Make disbursements in accordance with the budget adopted by the PTO;

h.               Prepare and present an annual Treasurer’s report at the last meeting of the school year;

i.                 Submit books and financial records to the auditing committee as requested; and

j.                 Be responsible for the preparation and filing of any state or federal tax filings.

7.5           The Recording Secretary shall:

a.               Take minutes at each meeting and prepare them to be presented at the next meeting; and

b.               Keep an accurate permanent record of all meeting minutes with a copy of amendments entered.

7.6           The Communications Coordinator shall:

a.               Conduct all correspondence as directed by the PTO and/or the Executive Board;

b.               Read all important communications at meetings;

c.               Create, maintain and distribute an accurate roster of the Executive Board and Committee Chairs;

d.               Give proper notice of all Executive Board and General Meetings;

e.               Coordinate and oversee all PTO communications committees.

7.7           The Parliamentarian shall:

a.               Rule on any point of parliamentary procedure when called upon to do so;

b.               Serve as Chair of any bylaws revisions committee;

c.               Assure that all parts of the bylaws of the PTO are upheld and are revised as necessary.

7.8           The Historian shall:

a.               Collect and preserve a record of the activities and achievements of the PTO and make historical facts available on request; and

b.               Maintain and update an alumni database.

7.9           The Social/Community Service Coordinator shall:

a.               Work with Lanier faculty and staff to provide community service opportunities to students in accordance with the requirements of the Middle Years of International Baccalaureate program; and

b.               Work with chair and co-chair of events listed below to oversee various parent, teacher and student social events.

7.10       The Volunteer Coordinators shall:

a.               Administer and coordinate the volunteer program in the school;

b.               Serve as liaison for HISD’s Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) program; and

c.               Develop and implement strategies for encouraging and rewarding volunteerism.

7.11       General Duties of All Officers

a.               All officers shall maintain information pertinent to the office and shall deliver it to their successor as appropriate.

b.               All officers shall make efforts to attend all Executive Board and General Meetings.

c.               All officers shall perform the duties outlined in these bylaws and those assigned from time to time.

ARTICLE VIII:  General and Special Meetings 

8.1           General Meetings of the PTO shall be held a minimum of four (4) times during the school year.  The Executive Board shall establish the time, date and number of these meetings prior to the beginning of the school year.  Five (5) days notice shall be given if any change of date is needed for a General Meeting.

8.2           Special meetings of the PTO may be called by the President or by a majority of the Executive Board, ten (10) days notice having been given.

8.3           Twenty (20) members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any General Meeting or special meeting of the PTO.

ARTICLE IX:  Standing and Special Committees 

9.1           Standing committees represent activities that continue in the program of the PTO.  Such committees shall be created or abolished by the Executive Board as may be required.  No committee work shall be undertaken without approval from the Executive Board.

9.2           Standing Committee Chairs shall be nominated by the same Nominating Committee that selects the officers of the PTO prior to election.

9.3           Standing Committee Chairs shall be elected for a term of one year by a voice vote unless five members or more at a General Meeting requests a written ballot.

9.4           Special Committees shall be appointed as deemed necessary by the President and/or Executive Board.  The President, subject to the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint Chairs to serve for a designated period of time.

ARTICLE X:  Financial Policies 

10.1       The fiscal year of the organization shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30.

10.2       An audit committee shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Board before the last meeting of the year.

10.3       The Audit Committee shall review the books and records of the PTO and report to the PTO at a meeting not later than October of the same year.

ARTICLE XI:  Parliamentary Authority 

In the absence of provision to the contrary, Roberts’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall prevail.

ARTICLE XII:  Amendments 

Bylaws may be revised or amended by vote of a majority of the Executive Board.  Copies of proposed revisions or amendments shall be given to each Executive Board member prior to the meeting at which the vote will occur.

ARTICLE XIII:  Action without a Meeting 

Any action required or permitted to be taken at a meeting of the Executive Board may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice, and without a vote, if consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by members of the Executive Board having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to take such action at a meeting of the Executive Board.

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