BY-LAWS OF THE BURNS PARK SCHOOL
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Burns Park School Parent Teacher Organization.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
The Organization is to be operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of Sections 170(c), 501(c)(3), 2055(a)(2), and 2522(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, including for such purposes, the making and distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or future amendments of that Section. All actions and activities of the organization shall be carried on in compliance with the provisions and restrictions set forth in the Articles of Incorporation including any amendments that from time to time may be made thereto.
The purposes of this Organization are:
- To promote the intellectual, physical and emotional health of the Burns Park School children in the school and community;
- To promote working relationships among all members of the Burns Park School community in a manner consistent with the Ann Arbor Public Schools’ Nondiscrimination Policy;
- To provide a continuing forum on educational programs and school issues;
- To serve as a liaison among students, faculty and staff, the community, school administration, and the Board of Education;
- To provide a means of broader parent input to the School Improvement Team (SIT) or whatever successor entity is established by the relevant school district governing entity; and
- To promote citizen participation in school affairs.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Parents and guardians who have children attending Burns Park School, the principal, the faculty, and any member of the non-faculty staff designated by the principal shall all be members of the Organization. No payment of dues is required.
Each member may cast a vote on any question before the Organization.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
The Organization shall hold regular meetings in the months of September, October, November, January, February, March, April, and May, with the date of each set at least a month in advance. Notice of the meetings shall be circulated to the membership through an appropriate school-wide distribution medium.
A special meeting may be called on one week’s notice by the President, any three members of the Executive Board (as defined below in Article VI), or any fifty members of the Organization. Notice of such a meeting shall be circulated to the membership through an appropriate school-wide distribution medium.
Five members present shall constitute a quorum at any meeting. A simple majority vote of those present at any meeting shall prevail in all matters before the Organization except the amendment of these By-laws.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS
The Organization shall have the following Officers: a President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator, and Fundraising Coordinator and Technology Coordinator. Co-occupancy of an office is permissible, and one person may serve as more than one officer.
A. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
- PRESIDENT: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Organization and of the Executive Board (as defined below in Article VI), shall serve ex officioon all committees, and on behalf of the Executive Board shall present the annual budget (as discussed in Article VIII below) to the Organization. The President shall be responsible for giving notice of all meetings of the Organization but may delegate this responsibility to the Secretary.
- PRESIDENT-ELECT: The President-Elect shall perform all duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence, resignation, or inability to perform. The President-Elect shall work with the President and shall perform other duties as assigned by the President. In the event of the President’s termination of office, the President-Elect shall become President. In such event, he or she may resign as President-Elect or continue to serve in that role in addition to being President.
- SECRETARY: The Secretary shall keep the records of the Organization, including minutes of its meetings, shall keep a roll of all present at any meeting, and shall publish minutes to an Organization website or other appropriate school-wide distribution medium. The Secretary shall coordinate correspondence authorized by the President, Executive Board (as defined below in Article VI), or the Organization and shall be responsible for any required government filings to ensure the Organization’s compliance with applicable law, other than the tax filings overseen by the Treasurer.
- TREASURER: The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of funds, shall receive all money due to the Organization, shall provide for the safekeeping of such funds, and shall disburse them only upon the authority of the Organization. The Treasurer shall prepare the annual budget (as discussed in Article VIII below) and shall be responsible for ensuring the Organization’s tax filings.
- VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR: The Volunteer Coordinator shall be responsible for organizing all classroom and committee volunteers.
- FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR: The Fundraising Coordinator shall oversee all fundraising and publicity efforts of the Organization, including efforts undertaken by members of the Organization on its behalf, and shall maintain records of community and business solicitations for funds and in-kind donations.
- TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR: The Technology Coordinator shall oversee all aspects of the website including but not limited to functionality, organization and design.
B. NOMINATIONS
Solicitation of self-nominations shall be made annually by the President in April through appropriate school-wide distribution medium. A Nominating Committee shall be constituted, comprising all incumbent Officers not seeking election for the upcoming year as an Officer. For purposes of this Article, a President-Elect’s succession to the office of President shall not be considered the seeking of election. If fewer than three members are eligible to serve on the Nominating Committee, the person or persons eligible to serve shall select additional members to bring the committee’s membership to three. If no member is eligible to serve, then the committee shall be constituted by three members who have attended the most membership meetings during the current academic year up to and including the April meeting who are not seeking election to an Officer position. The committee shall be chaired by the member who has longest served the organization as an Officer, or, if none has so served, as a member.
The Nominating Committee shall review self-nominations and recommend a slate of nominations for presentation at the Organization’s May meeting. This slate shall include at least one nominee for each office (including President, if the office of President-Elect is vacant) unless no self-nomination for a respective office occurs. Notice of the slate shall be sent to the members at least one week preceding the May meeting by an appropriate school-wide distribution medium. Nominations for an office to be filled may always be made from the floor at the May meeting.
C. ELECTIONS
The office of President is a term of one year and shall be assumed at the conclusion of the May meeting by the President-Elect. If there is a vacancy in the office of President-Elect, the President shall be elected. Each other Officer shall be elected by the membership at the May meeting for a term of one year to commence at the conclusion of the meeting.
D. REMOVALS
Officers may be removed at a duly called meeting by either a majority vote of the membership or a two-thirds vote of the reminder of the Executive Board (as defined below in Article VI), but removal by Executive Board vote may be overridden by subsequent majority vote of the membership.
E. VACANCIES
Vacancies of offices shall be filled without requirement to convene a Nominating Committee by election at the next practicable meeting of the Organization. An office held by a sole officeholder may have a co-officeholder elected, with the consent of the sole officeholder, pursuant to this provision anytime in the year.
ARTICLE VI: EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Organization’s daily affairs shall be governed by an Executive Board, comprising all the Officers plus any additional At-Large members as the Officers or Organization may from time to time appoint and remove, with no appointment lasting beyond the conclusion of the upcoming May meeting. Such At-Large members will have such titles, terms, attendance, and voting rights as the Officers or Organization determine appropriate. In no event shall such At-Large members exceed ten in number, and any appointments or removals of such At-Large members by the Officers shall be announced to the members through an appropriate school-wide distribution medium and subject to override by the Organization.
The Executive Board shall be empowered to act on behalf of the Organization between meetings of the Organization except that it cannot abrogate an action previously taken by the Organization. It shall otherwise transact all business for the Organization and shall report on any actions taken between meetings at the next meeting of the Organization.
The Executive Board shall convene at the call of the President or of any two of its members on at least one week’s notice (unless such notice is unanimously waived). Notice shall be distributed by any appropriate medium. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Executive Board, and all matters at such meetings may be decided by majority vote. The Secretary shall not be required to keep minutes of such meetings but shall assist the President in assuring all relevant matters conducted are reported at the next meeting of the Organization.
The Executive Board or its designated representative shall confer with the Principal each month to review issues concerning the Organization and the School. It shall also present the annual budget (as discussed in Article VIII below) to the Organization at the September meeting.
ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES
The President, in consultation with the Executive Board, shall establish committees as needed and make appointments to said committees, including, if desired, appointing Chairs, who in turn can make committee appointments on the President’s behalf. The President may also delegate responsibilities under this Article to the Volunteer Coordinator. Membership on all committees shall be open to any member of the Organization.
ARTICLE VIII: BUDGET AND AUDIT
An annual budget for the Organization shall be prepared by the Treasurer in consultation with the President. This budget shall be presented by the Executive Board to the Organization for approval at the September meeting.
Any expenditure over $500 that is not within the scope of the approved budget must be authorized by a vote of the Organization or by a vote of the Executive Board that is reported at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Organization.
The financial accounts of the Organization shall be audited each fiscal year by a volunteer from within the Organization, other than the Treasurer or President, but if no such volunteer can be found, an external auditor may be selected by the Secretary in consultation with the Principal.
ARTICLE IX: COMMUNICATIONS
The Organization shall publish an annual school directory to appear as soon as practicable after the beginning of school. The Organization shall also publish, no less than monthly during the school year, a communiqué to the membership distributed through an appropriate school-wide medium. Use of the Organization’s communication resources shall be subject to reasonable policies prescribed by the Executive Board or Organization.
ARTICLE X: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Unless unanimously waived at any given meeting, the rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Organization in all cases to which they are applicable and not inconsistent with these By-laws.
ARTICLE XI: INDEMNIFICATION
The Organization indemnifies all officers, volunteers, and others serving at their behest for any personal or other liability arising from their good faith acts that arise within the scope (or what is erroneously but reasonably believed to be within the scope) of their duties to the Organization to the maximum extent permitted by law, including law required to keep the Organization’s tax exempt status, provided such acts are not intentionally wrongful or reckless.
ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS
These By-laws may be amended at any meeting of the Organization by a two-thirds vote of the members voting, provided that notice of the proposed change shall have been sent to the members by the proposing member through an appropriate school-wide distribution medium at least one week before the vote is to be taken.
Last Amended October 27, 2020
