Point Webster Middle School
Parent Teacher Organization By-Laws
ARTICLE I
Establishment and Purpose
The Point Webster Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (hereafter referred to as
PTO) is hereby established for the purpose of the development of social, cultural, and educational
programs for the enrichment of the students. The PTO will develop programs and proposals to
support students and fulfill its purpose.
ARTICLE II
Membership
All faculty, staff, and parents/legal guardians of students of the Point Webster Middle
School shall be members of the PTO. Voting rights shall be extended only to a member who is in
attendance at a meeting.
Executive Board
There shall be an Executive Board of the PTO, which shall consist of the officers of the PTO
(President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary), the Principal, Assistant Principal, and up to two
teacher representatives.
Officers/Representatives
Section 1 – Elections of Officers:
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There shall be an election of all officers/representatives at the meeting held each May.
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Notification of upcoming nominations shall be sent out to the membership prior to the April
meeting. Nominations shall be solicited at the April meeting and shall be accepted until 10
days prior to the meeting in May and shall be distributed prior to the May meeting. No
person shall be eligible for election unless that person indicates, either in person (to the
PTO President) or in writing, willingness to serve in the nominated position.
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If there is only one candidate for any or all offices, the PTO Secretary shall cast a vote in
favor of each candidate running unopposed.
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Two candidates may run jointly for each office.
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Voting shall be by secret ballot if more than one person is running for the same office. No
person shall hold more than one office simultaneously.
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Any member who is present at the meeting is eligible to cast one vote.
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Each winning candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast for that position. In case
of a tie, a run-off election will be run that same night.
Section 2 - Vacancies in Office
A vacancy occurring in any office or representative, except that of president, shall be filled
by vote of the membership at the meeting following the announcement of the vacancy. Notice of
the vacancy shall be given to the membership prior to the meeting at which the vote shall occur. If
the office of presidency is vacated the vice-president shall act as the president until the position is
filled. The vacating president shall appoint a president pro-tem in the case of the absence of both
president and the vice-president.
Section 3 - Removal from Office
An officer/representative may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the
membership at a general meeting if prior written notice to this effect has been distributed to the
membership.
Section 4- Term of Service and Duties of Officers
A. Terms of Service
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Elected officers/representatives shall serve for a term that begins immediately after the
closing of school in June of that year and ends with the close of school the following June.
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A maximum of four years in succession is the most allowed for all office holders. Additional
years for a specific office holder may be permitted if the office holder has
B. Duties of Officers
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The Executive Board is the group to which the PTO looks for overseeing the implementation
of its purpose (Article I). It may do so through various task forces or committees.
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All members of the Executive Board are bound to represent fully and fairly the duly
constituted concerns of parents and teachers. Such concerns are to be determined by
majority vote of the PTO membership, taken at the next scheduled meeting.
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The president shall chair and preside over all general meetings, shall present the agenda,
and shall have the authority to limit discussion time within the guidelines of the general
rules of a meeting. The president is an ex-officio member of all committees. The president
has the right to appoint, as necessary, any member to a vacancy on any standing
committee and has the authority to conduct the day to day activities necessary for the
functioning of the organization. The president shall be one of two authorized signatures on
all financial transactions.
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The vice-president shall exercise full powers of the president in the event of the president’s
absence, resignation, removal or disability. The vice-president shall conduct an annual bylaw
review and present said review to the membership.
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The recording secretary shall be responsible for the taking, maintaining, and reporting of
the minutes of the general meetings. The minutes are to be submitted to the membership
for approval prior to the next meeting. The recording secretary shall be responsible for
maintaining a copy of the minutes.
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The corresponding secretary shall compose, mail and/or distribute, and keep copies of all
correspondence of PTO business. The corresponding secretary shall be responsible for mass
media notification and coverage of PTO events. The corresponding secretary shall report to
the membership on all aforementioned business.
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The treasurer shall be responsible for the financial affairs of the PTO. All money shall be
deposited in interest-bearing accounts. At each regular meeting of the PTO, she/he will give
an accounting of money transactions since the last meeting. The treasurer shall be
empowered to disburse monies up to $100.00 with approval of just the President and
principal, but monies of over $100.00 will require approval of the PTO membership. At each
regular meeting of the PTO, the treasurer shall prepare and present a detailed itemized
monthly accounting of money transactions since the last meeting to the membership. The
treasurer shall prepare a year-end income and expense summary and said summary will be
distributed at the last meeting of the school year. The treasurer shall be one of two
authorized signatures on all financial transactions. A copy of these reports shall be
maintained on school property.
Section 5- Committees
Committees shall be formed for each project designated by the PTO. Each committee shall
have its own chairperson and shall meet independently of the general meeting. The chairperson of
each standing committee shall present a monthly update to the membership.
ARTICLE III
Meetings
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The PTO shall meet at least once a month from September to May unless otherwise voted
on by the membership. Meetings are open to all members.
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The president shall ensure that an agenda is prepared and distributed, prior to each
meeting.
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A quorum shall consist of at least one administrator and two officers.
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A special meeting may be called by any officers and/or administrators provided at least
forty-eight hours written notice has been given to the membership.
ARTICLE IV
Governing Law
Section 1- Rules
The rules governing all meetings shall be as follows:
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A member should obtain the floor by raising his/her hand or by standing to address the
meeting chairperson.
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Once recognized, the member should state his/her concern, idea, or feelings about a
particular matter.
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The chairperson will ask if there is another member who would like to address this matter.
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If there is, the matter will be open for discussion. Any member may speak on a matter
providing that the chairperson limits monopoly of the floor.
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The chairperson will bring discussion to a close and request that a member formulate a
motion to be voted on.
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Once the proposal has been defined, the vice-president will re-state the motion and define
what a yes or no vote will mean.
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The chairperson will call the motion to a vote. Voting can be by voice, show of hands, or
ballot.
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The chairperson will announce the result of the vote and its effect.
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In case of a tie the motion will not carry.
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From time to time, action on a motion may need to be postponed. At such time, a member
may suggest that a motion may be tabled. A majority vote will be required to table a
motion. A tabled motion can be recalled at any time when there is no other proposal before
the assembly or at a future meeting.
ARTICLE V
Acceptance and Amendments of By-Laws
A. Acceptance of By-Laws
The initial by-laws may be accepted or amended at the meeting following that at which
they are first proposed by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
B. Amendment of By-Laws with Prior Notice
When prior notice has been given to the membership, the by-laws may be amended by a
two-thirds vote of the PTO membership.
C. Amendment without Prior Notice
The by-laws may be amended without prior notice at any regular monthly general meeting
by unanimous vote of the membership present.
Adoption of By-laws 2023
These PTO By-laws were proposed unanimously at the April 25, 2023 PTO meeting to be voted on for
approval and adoption at the May 2023 meeting.