PTO Bylaws

Youth Middle School 

 

Article 1:  Name

Section l   The name of the organization shall be the YOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).

Article 2:  Objectives of the Organization

Section l   To promote an enriched educational environment by fostering a cooperative and beneficial relationship among YOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL PTO students, parents, faculty, staff and community.
Section ll  To provide those resources to the school that are not provided or not provided sufficiently for in the school budget and are deemed necessary or desirable by the staff for the support and education of the students at the school.

Article 3:  General Provisions

Section I   This organization will conduct itself in a manner that is free of discrimination and will provide equal opportunity and treatment for all members.  Membership discrimination based on race, religion, color, age, rank, national origin, or sex is not permitted.
Section ll 
a.    The PTO shall be noncommercial, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan.
b.    The name of the PTO or the names of any members with their official capacities shall not be used to endorse or promote a commercial concern or in connection with any partisan interest or for any purpose not appropriately related to promotion of the principles of the PTO.
c.    The PTO may cooperate with other organizations and agencies concerned with child welfare but shall not enter into membership with other organizations.  A PTO representative shall make no commitments that bind the group he/she represents.
d.    No part of the net earnings of the PTO shall be used to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, directors, trustees, officers or other private persons except when the PTO shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for service rendered.
e.    The PTO shall seek neither to direct the administrative activities of the school nor control its policies. The organization shall work with the school to provide quality education for all children and youth, and shall seek to participate in the decision-making processes establishing school policy, recognizing the legal responsibility to make education policy is delegated by the people to the board of education.

Article 4:  Membership

Section l   Active members shall consist of parents or guardians of students in the YOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL PTO, any member of the student body who are properly enrolled and in regular attendance at said school or any other person connected to the school. 
Section ll  The privileges of holding office, making motions, debating and voting shall be limited to executive members.

Article 5:  Officers and Governing Body

Section l   The Executive Board
The PTO Executive Board shall consist of the appointed officers: President, Vice-President(s), Treasurer, and Secretary, Principal (non-voting). The office of president can only be filled by someone who has held an executive board position with YMS PTO for one full year prior. All Executive Board members must submit and pass a background check through Walton County.
Section ll  Duties of the Executive Board Members
a. The President is a voting member of the PTO. The President shall attend all of the Executive Board and General meetings and prepare agendas.  The President shall remain unbiased on all issues.  The President shall appoint all committees, see that all books, reports and certificates, as needed, are properly kept or filed, and shall have such powers as may be reasonably construed as belonging to the chief executive of any organization. The President shall have signatory rights for all financial accounts with the Treasurer.  The President shall notify the principal and all Executive and Board members of all scheduled meetings.
           b. The Vice-President(s) is a voting member of the PTO.            
    The Vice-President shall act as an aide(s) to the President and shall, in 
    designated order, perform the duties of the President in the absence or 
    inability of that officer to serve. This is the only office that may be         co-chaired. 
c. The Secretary is a voting member of the PTO. The secretary shall 
keep and edit accurate minutes and records of the organization in 
appropriate books. They shall be the official custodian of the records,
and shall exercise all duties incident to the office. 
d. The Treasurer is a voting member of the PTO. The treasurer shall 
prepare an annual budget, shall receive all monies of the organization, 
shall keep an accurate record of the receipts and expenditures and 
shall pay out local funds only as authorized by the Executive Board.  The Treasurer shall have signatory rights for all financial accounts. The 
Treasurer shall provide a Profit/Loss Statement at all PTO Executive
meetings and make available online through the school’s web page.
e. The Principal is a non-voting member of the PTO. They shall be
    there to assist, give direction, and offer staff input to the PTO.

Section III  Committee Members
Board Members shall consist of members needed to run an efficient PTO.  Some ideas for committee members are: Reporter, Volunteer Coordinator, Teacher Representative, Membership, Grant, Hospitality, IT Coordinator and Fundraising.  This list is not all-inclusive, and the President may appoint any other committee for the term of the current administration if required to promote the objectives and interests of the PTO. These positions listed are non-voting members.
Section lV Duties of the Committee Members
Committee Members are put in position to assist the PTO and Principal to make the school year run more efficiently.  If needed, the Principal will elect the Teacher Representative to work with the PTO.
    

Article 6:  Officers and Their Election

Section l  The current year's PTO President shall be responsible for receiving all suggestions for persons to serve as PTO Executive Officers for the next school year where needed. The President/Principal shall contact all persons nominated to confirm their willingness to serve.  If there is not a President in place, the Principal shall nominate a President and all those willing to serve will turn in a nomination form to be selected by the President. Principal’s will oversee the new PTO Executive Board if necessary.
Section ll  A slate of officers will be announced by the end of the school year to serve on the upcoming school years PTO.
Section lll  In the case of a vacancy in the office of President during the school year, the Vice President shall serve as President for the remainder of the school year.  If there are more than one Vice President that serve currently on the PTO, a private vote will be held by remaining voting Executive Officers and the Principal.  Any other vacancies occurring during the year will be filled by recruitment of volunteers and voted on by the remaining officers to finish the unexpired term.

Article 7:  Replacement/Dismissal of a PTO Officer

Section l Misappropriation of PTO property and/or money will be handled with
immediate dismissal through a quorum vote by remaining PTO Executive Officers and Principal.
Section lI  The replacement or dismissal of officer(s) may be deemed necessary due to circumstances including but not limited to the following:  Falling out of good standing with Youth Middle School or the YMS PTO, misrepresenting the school or YMS PTO values or repeated unexcused absence from duties.
Section llI  Dismissal requires the Principal’s approval.

Article 8:  General Meetings

Section l   All Executive Officer meetings follow Robert's Rules of Order and a Quorum Vote must be met by 51% of Executive Board Members in Attendance.
Section lI  Executive Officers should meet each month throughout the year to be prepared for current and upcoming events. All meetings must be held at YMS.
Section llI  The President, in conjunction with the principal, will designate the dates and times of all events and meetings before the upcoming school year.
Section lV After Executive Officer Meetings, Meeting Agenda, approved Minutes, and Profit/Loss Statement will be added to the School’s Website for the parents/guardians to view for transparency.

Article 9:  Budgetary Matters

Section l  The officers shall present at the first regular officers/board meeting of the year a budget of anticipated revenue and expenses for the year. This budget shall be used to guide the activities of the officers during the year.
Section ll  The Executive Board (on approval) may authorize any officer or officers to enter into contracts or agreements for the purchase of materials or services on behalf of the organization.  The officers shall not have the authority, however, to enter into such agreements on behalf of YOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL or the Walton County School District, nor should they hold themselves out as having such authority.
Section lII No loans shall be made by the organization to its officers or members.
Section IV  All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money on behalf of the organization shall be signed by the President or Treasurer.  Any expenditures must be voted on and overseen by the PTO Executive Board Members before purchasing.
Section V The Treasurer shall deposit all funds of the organization to the credit of the organization in the bank, trust company or other depository as selected by the PTO.  All cash/check deposits must be counted by two Executive PTO Officers and deposited in the bank by the next business day.  All disbursements/reimbursements shall be made within a maximum of thirty (30) days from receipt of the funds and/or orders of payment by check.
Section VI The officers have the authority to appoint an auditor or an auditing committee at least four weeks before the end of the school year to audit the Treasurer’s accounts, if needed.
Section Vll  Basic guidelines for auditing purposes shall be followed.
Section VIII  Upon dissolution of this organization all remaining assets must be used exclusively for exempt purposes at YOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL.

Article 10:  By-Laws

Section l  These By-Laws shall be made available to individuals upon request and published on the Youth Middle School PTO’s website.
Section lI These By-Laws may be altered, amended or repealed by majority vote for such changes to include the PTO Executive Officers and Principal (voting at this time).

Article 11:  Rules of Order
Section l  The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern this organization in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.

These By-Laws were adopted by the membership by a majority vote during a PTO Executive meeting properly called on the 22nd of July, 2024, and shall take effect immediately.

____________________________        Principal (David Todd)

____________________________    PTO, President (Rebecca Payton)

____________________________    PTO, Vice President (Kimberly Wilson)
                                                     
____________________________         PTO, Treasurer (Abbie Lacayo)

____________________________    PTO, Secretary (Christie Clotfelter)