JERSEY SHORE ELEMENTARY PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION BY-LAWS

Article I – Name

The name of this independent organization shall be the Jersey Shore Elementary Parent-
Teacher Organization; herein referred to as the JSE PTO, located in Jersey Shore, Pa.

Article 2 – Purpose

The purpose of the JSE PTO shall be to:
a. Provide an organization through which the parents, schools, and teachers work
cooperatively to foster the education of children and youth.
b. Provide financial support for programs funded outside of the District budget.
c. Foster a relationship between education and parents through acts of volunteerism, to
promote physical, mental, social, and educational experiences.
d. Conduct fundraising activities as needed to meet financial objectives.

Article 3 – Membership & Dues

Section 1: Membership Eligibility - All parents and/or guardians of a student at the school, as
well as all school staff and faculty members including the Principal and Assistant Principal are
eligible for membership in the PTO.
Section 2: Dues – Each member shall pay annual membership dues of one dollar ($1.00) to the
JSE PTO. Only members in good standing who have paid their dues shall be eligible to vote or
serve in a board or chair capacity.
Section 3: Voting Rights – Any dues paying member shall have one vote. Voting may take place
by voice, virtual voting, or by written ballet/selection.

Article 4 – Policies

Section 1: The PTO shall operate for charitable, educational, nonpartisan, non-sectarian, and
non-commercial purposes and shall not discriminate based on age, sex, creed, or national
origin.
Section 2: The policies of the PTO are established to maintain a tax-exempt status as defined by
Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 3: The name of the PTO and the names of any of its members in their official capacities
shall not be used in any connection with a commercial concern or political interest or for any
purpose not appropriately related to the Mission of the JSE PTO.
Section 4: The JSE PTO may collaborate with other PTOs within the same school district that
have similar goals and interests but shall not interfere with the administration of these schools
or seek to control its policies.

Article 5 – Volunteer Requirements

Section 1: Any person volunteering at a JSE PTO event or serving in an official JSE PTO
position must have completed the Jersey Shore Area School District’s Volunteer
Requirements in their entirety prior to volunteering.
Section 2: Each PTO member should intend to commit to at least 1-2 hours or more of
volunteering during the school year to help with JSE PTO sponsored events.

Article 6 – Officers & Elections

Section 1: Officers and Election
a. The Executive Officers shall consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, and
Treasurer
b. Officers shall be elected by ballot in the month of April or May. However, if there
is only one nominee for office, election for that office may be by unanimous vote.
c. Officers shall assume their official duties on July 1 st following the closing meeting
in April or May, and shall serve for a term of two years, or until their successors
are elected. Officers may serve an additional year at the discretion of the
Executive Board and with consent of the individual.
d. A person shall not be eligible to serve more than 2 consecutive terms (4 years) in
the same office. A person who has served in that office for more than one-half of
a full term shall be deemed to have served a full term in such office.
e. Officers shall be elected alternating between years for President/Vice President
and Secretary/Treasurer to avoid entire executive board turnover.

Section 2: Vacancies & Removal
a. A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled for the unexpired term by such a
person elected by a majority vote of the Executive Board, unless notice of such
election have been given. In case a vacancy occurs in the office of the President,
the Vice-President shall service notice of the election.

b. Any officer can be removed from office, with or without cause, by a majority vote
at a regular JSE PTO meeting. Advance notice of the vote shall be given to the JSE
PTO Membership at least one week prior to the meeting. The vacant office may
then be filled by the Executive Board by a majority Vote.
Article 7 – Duties of Officers

Section 1: President
a. Preside at all meetings of the organization.
b. Coordinate the work of the officers and committees of the organization in order that
the objections be promoted.
c. Be an ex officio of any established committees, except a committee to elect the
Executive Board if one exists.
d. Perform such other duties as prescribed in these By-Laws or assigned by the
Organization.
e. Spend up to $500 on any one item or combination of related items not included in
the budget, without consent of the general membership, so long as he/she has
majority consent of the Executive Officers.
f. Sign checks, notes, etc. in the absence of the Treasurer
g. Complete contracts and purchases in the name of the JSE PTO with approval of the
Executive Board. Any approved contracts or purchases must be made within the
budgetary restrictions.
Section 2: Vice President
a. Perform the duties of the President in his/her absence, resignation, or ability to
serve.
b. Perform other duties as prescribed in these by-laws or assigned by the Organization.
Section 3: Secretary
a. Prepare meeting agendas in collaboration with the Executive Board and record the
minutes of the general JSE PTO Meetings and Executive Board Meetings.
b. Maintain a current copy of the by-laws and annual membership list and make each
available upon request to any JSE PTO Member.
c. Perform other duties as prescribed in these by-laws or assigned by the Organization.
Section 4: Treasurer
a. Keep a full and accurate account/reporting of the financial transactions of the JSE
PTO.

b. Make available the current financial statements of the JSE PTO to the general
membership and provide financial updates to the membership at JSE PTO meetings.
c. Receive funds and keep written record of all donations, dues, fundraiser sales, and
contributions.
d. Maintain and propose annual budgets.
e. Spend up to $500 on any one item or combination of related items not included in
the budget, without consent of the general membership, so long as he/she has
majority consent of the other Executive Officers.
f. Complete timely filing of any required federal or state tax reporting and/or other
financial reports pertaining to the JSE PTO’s 501©3 Status, as applicable.
g. Complete contracts and purchases in the name of the JSE PTO with approval of the
Executive Board. Any approved contracts or purchases must be made within the
budgetary restrictions.

All officers shall perform the duties outlined in these By-Laws. Upon the expiration of the
term of office or in case of resignation, each officer shall relinquish to the President, without
delay, all records, books, and other materials pertaining to that office. All officers shall
attend meetings regularly, shall not hold another elected office simultaneously.

Article 8 – Executive Board

Section 1. Make-Up of Executive Board
a. The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary,
Treasurer, Principal of the school, and Teacher Representative or another
representative appointed by the Principal.
Section 2 – Principal or Representative Appointed by Principal
a. The Principal and Teacher Representative assigned are not required to pay annual
Dues and shall have one vote. The Principal acts as a liaison between the school and
the JSE PTO and ensures that all PTO activities are in accordance with school policies
and procedures. The Teacher representative acts as a liaison between the School
Teachers and the PTO.
Section 3 – Duties
a. Transact Necessary business (in the interval) between the organization meetings and
such other business as may be referred to it by the organization.

b. Create and approve purpose of standing and special committees to fill current needs
of the organization
c. Present a report at the regular meetings of the organization
d. Prepare and submit to the Organization for adoption of budget and annual calendar.
e. Approve expenditures within the limits of the budget. The Executive Board may
approve unbudgeted expenditures up to $500 with majority vote of the Executive
Board.
Section 4 – Meetings
a. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be held no less than twice annually on a date
determined by the executive board. Special meetings of the executive board may be
called by the President of a majority of the members of the Board with three-day
notice given. A quorum shall constitute two-thirds of the Executive Board Members.

Article 9 – General Membership Meetings

Section 1: Meeting Frequency
a. The general membership meetings of this organization shall be as needed to approve
items, no less than 5 meetings annually at any date and time pre-established by the
Executive Board.
b. Special meetings may be called by the President or Executive Board so long as ample
notice is given.
c. Meetings may be cancelled or postponed by the President or Executive Board if there
is no new business or items needing approval.
d. At all meetings, a majority of the number of members present shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business.
Article 10 - Funds

Section 1: Use
a. All JSE PTO funds shall be used for programs, events, or items that directly benefit
the students of the school, with the exception of staff appreciation luncheons,
breakfasts or other special events.
Section 2: Income/Expense
a. All income derived from JSE PTO fundraisers must be documented and submitted to
the Treasurer within 7 days of receipt. All funds received by the Treasurer, officer, or

committee chair must be held in safe keeping at the school, in a safe, or locked bag,
and deposited in the bank account within 4 days of receipt by the treasurer or within
24 hours if removed from safe keeping.
b. Reimbursements for all expenses shall be made only after receipts for the
expenditures have been reviewed and approved by the JSE PTO Treasurer.
Reimbursement requests should be submitted to the Treasurer within 30 days of the
incurred expense or by three weeks prior to the end of the fiscal year (June 30),
whichever comes first.
c. Non-Budgeted Expenditures or requests for reimbursement may be submitted to the
JSE PTO in advance of a scheduled general JSE PTO meeting by any member in good
standing. So long as ample notice was given in advance of the meeting, a vote for
approval of the monetary expense exceeding maximums as set forth in these by-laws
shall be taken at that meeting or the following meeting if more time is needed.
Advance notice of an upcoming vote shall be published to the general membership at
least 1 week prior.
d. The Executive Board is authorized to carry-over funds for the following fiscal year as
necessary.
e. Expenditures of non-cash profits outside of the general operating budget derived
from fundraisers awarded in the form of account credits, such as Scholastic Dollars,
can be authorized by majority vote of the Executive Board.
Article 11 – Committees

Section 1: Standing and Special Committees
a. Standing and special committees shall exist for the purpose of carrying out a specific
set of relative duties or a JSE PTO sponsored fundraiser. Committees and their duties
may be removed, revised, or formed at any time at the request of the President with
a majority vote of the Executive Board to fulfill the needs of the organization.
b. Chairpersons of standing and special committees shall be elected annually by the
PTO membership in April or May or at a general meeting following the formation of a
new committee. In the event a chair is elected for a newly formed committee, their
initial term will end in the second May following their approval. Vacancies after an
election can be filled by the Executive Board with a majority vote.
c. Officers of the Board may also act as Chairs of committees or fundraisers.
d. The Chairperson of each committee shall present a plan of work to the Executive
Board for approval.

e. The Chairperson of each committee shall keep a written record of the activities and
make available their records to the Secretary and future Chairperson upon
resignation or at the expiration of their term.
f. A person may serve as a chair of a committee for no longer than 2 terms (4 years). In
the event of a vacancy, the incumbent may remain as chair for one additional term.

Article 12 – Authority and Amendments

Section 1: Rules
a. All meetings of the Organization and the Executive Board shall be conducted in
accordance with the “Robert’s Rules of Order,” when not in conflict with these By-Laws.
Section 2: By-Laws Amendments
a. These by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the organization by a two-
thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the amendment
has been given at least 14 days in advance of the scheduled meeting.
b. A committee may be appointed to submit a revised set of by-laws as a substitute for the
existing by-laws by a majority vote at a meeting of the organization, or by a two-thirds
vote of the Executive board. The requirements for adoption of a revised set of by-laws
shall be the same as the case of an amendment.
c. By-laws should be reviewed annually.
d. All approved amendments or revised by-laws shall become effective immediately and
recorded by the Secretary.

Article 13 – Dissolution

The JSE PTO may be dissolved provided prior notice is given to membership, a vote is taken at
the next scheduled membership meeting and the request is approved by a majority vote of
those present. Upon a vote to dissolve the PTO, the remaining PTO funds shall first be used to
pay any outstanding liabilities and then either:
1. A vote shall be taken by the membership to spend remaining funds on an item or
items that benefit the students; or
2. The remaining funds be held in escrow by the Principal for use by a future school
PTO. If a new PTO is not formed with 24 months, the funds shall revert to the School
and be used towards the benefit of the students under the discretion of the