CGE PTO Bylaws

ARTICLE I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Circle Greenwich Elementary School PTO,

Inc. of Wichita, Kansas. It is a local unit organized solely for the benefit of Circle

Greenwich Elementary School.

ARTICLE II: Mission Statement

This Not-For-Profit Corporation is organized for the purpose of supporting and

enhancing students’ educational experience at Circle Greenwich Elementary School by:

working cooperatively as parents, educators, and staff to develop responsible,

respectful, and caring students; providing financial support for programs and special

PTO projects that fall outside of the school’s regular budget; enhancing communication

between the home and the school; and, providing support to special school and PTO-

sponsored events and projects, including but not limited to the school’s bi-annual library

book fair, open house, PTO social events, kindergarten screening, honor roll breakfast,

and parent/teacher conference dinners.

ARTICLE III: Basic Policies

A. The organization shall be noncommercial, nonsectarian, non-partisan and

shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender

expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation

or military status.

B. The organization will not interfere with the administration of Circle Greenwich

Elementary nor seek control of its policies.

C. All policies and programs of PTO will be designed to maintain a tax-exempt

status as defined by Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Service Code.ARTICLE IV: Membership and Dues

Membership in CGE PTO shall consist of any person with students enrolled in Circle

Greenwich Elementary School. Their membership shall become effective upon

enrollment. Membership shall also include all Circle Greenwich Elementary staff

members. Every individual who is a member of CGE PTO is entitled to all benefits of

such membership. Membership in CGE PTO shall be made available without regard to

race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital

status, sexual orientation, or military status. No member of CGE PTO shall pay such

annual dues to said organization. Membership entitles members to one vote in all PTO

business.

ARTICLE V: Officers and their Elections.

Section 1 Officers

A. Officers of this organization shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary,

and Treasurer.

B. All officers will assume their duties on July 1st of each year. Officers

shall serve for a term of one year and not be eligible for the same office for

more than two consecutive terms. In the case of extenuating circumstances,

an officer may request eligibility to serve a 3rd term if they were unable to

attend meetings and serve in their full capacity for 2/3 of a term or more. In

the event the VP fulfills the role of President for 2/3 or more of a term, the VP

may be eligible for a 3rd term as VP. If an officer feels these circumstances

apply to them, they may request consideration by the nominating committee

for a 3rd term prior to the March meeting. The nominating committee will then

present a closed ballot vote to the membership at the March meeting to deem

the candidate eligible for nominations in April.

C. The offices of President and Treasurer shall be held by different

individuals at all times. Under no circumstances shall one individual

serve concurrently in both roles.

D. At no time shall any one individual have sole control over all financial

processes of the PTO.

E. No officer shall receive compensation for their service.F. No Officer shall secure any contract in the name of the PTO without prior

approval to do so by vote of the PTO membership. Any contract entered into

by PTO must be signed by at least one officer.

G. Officers may not chair committees/subcommittees unless approved by a

majority vote of the members present at the meeting.

Section 2 Nominations and elections

A. Nominations for officers shall be made by a nominating committee. This

committee will form in February and begin the nomination process at least

three months before the last regularly scheduled PTO meeting of the year

(normally held in May). The nominating committee shall provide the name of

at least one candidate for each office at the April meeting. No nominations will

be accepted after that meeting. If there is no nomination, nominations will be

taken at the May meeting before voting.

B. Only members in good standing are eligible to run for office or serve in an

officer’s position.

C. The consent of each candidate must be obtained before his or her name may

be placed in for nomination.

Section 3 Vacancies

A. A vacancy occurring in any office other than President shall be filled for the

unexpired term by special election and with a majority vote of the PTO

membership present at the meeting in which the election is held. If no one is

elected by this vote, the Officers shall appoint a member to fill the position.

B. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall

automatically become President.

C. In the event the Treasurer position cannot be filled, the PTO Board may

temporarily scale and distribute the responsibilities of the position.

Financial duties may be simplified and assigned to one or more

appointed individuals or to a designated committee, provided that

appropriate financial oversight, transparency, and separation of duties

are maintained.

D. The PTO Board shall continue efforts to fill any vacant officer position

as promptly as possible.E. Any Officer can be removed from office, with or without cause, by a two-thirds

vote of the membership in attendance at a regular PTO meeting. Notice of the

vote will be provided to the membership no less than three days prior to the

vote.

ARTICLE VI: Duties of Officers

Section 1 President

The president shall preside at all meetings of the organization, the PTO Officers shall

appoint special committees; shall maintain social media accounts, along with other PTO

officers; shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed in these bylaws or

assigned to her/him by the organization; and shall coordinate the work of the officers

and committees, in order that PTO’s mission may be promoted. The President can

ONLY vote in the event of a tie when the membership is deadlocked. All other officers

may vote on any PTO business matters.

Section 2 Vice-President

The vice-president shall act as aid to the president and shall perform the duties of the

president in the absence or inability of that officer to serve and shall perform such other

duties as delegated to her/him. The Vice-President is in charge of the PTO

membership/ membership records and will bring a printout /sign-in sheet to every

monthly meeting with record of paid members. Vice-President shall be responsible for

appointing room parents and helpers for each classroom and supervise their activities

throughout the year. They will provide a list of classes and their room parents to the

President and all committee chairs.

Section 3 Secretary

A. The secretary shall keep a correct record of all general meetings of the

organization and Officers’ meetings. The minutes of these events are to be

emailed to the president and those appointed to edit the PTO website and

filed in the CGE principal’s office no later than two weeks following a meeting.

B. In addition to meeting minutes, the secretary will ensure that a current set of

corporate records be posted on the CGE PTO website and filed in the CGEprincipal’s office. These documents include Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws,

and contact information for officers.

C. The secretary shall be responsible for assigning responsibility or personally

maintaining the PTO website.

Section 4 Treasurer

A. The treasurer shall receive all monies of the organization; shall keep an

accurate record of receipts and expenditures; and shall pay out local funds in

accordance with the approved budget or as authorized by the organization.

The treasurer shall present a financial statement at every PTO Board meeting

and general PTO meeting and at other times when requested and shall make

a full report at the final meeting of the year.

B. The treasurer shall keep such permanent books of account and records as

shall be sufficient to establish the items of gross income, receipts, and

disbursements of the organization, [including specifically the number of its

members and the dues collected.] Such books of account and records shall at

all times be open to inspection by the executive committee and/or the

membership at large.

C. The treasurer will oversee the box top fundraising program.

D. The treasurer must be a member of the fundraising committee.

Section 5 Budget

The PTO Officers shall be responsible for organizing, developing and presenting

a yearly budget for CGE PTO. The budget should include input from the below

listed standing committees. The Officers shall present a printed budget proposal

for the school year at the August meeting with the understanding that once new

committee chairpersons have been selected, they may request to modify their

budget as deemed necessary.

Section 6 Transfer of authorityAll Officers shall deliver to their successors all official material no later than the last day

of school, except for the office of treasurer. (See Article V, Section 1, B)

ARTICLE VII: Committees

Section 1 – Committee Structure

A. Committees shall be established to support the mission, programs, and

activities of the Circle Greenwich Elementary Parent Teacher

Organization (PTO).

B. Committees are volunteer-based and may be created, modified, or

dissolved at any time upon approval of the PTO Board.

C. Each committee shall be led by a Chair or Co-Chairs, who shall be

responsible for organizing committee efforts and maintaining

communication with the PTO Board.

D. Committee membership shall be open to all PTO members. Members

may join or leave committees at any time.

E. Committee Chairs may be appointed or confirmed at any time

throughout the school year as needed. The PTO Board may also

combine or restructure committees temporarily to ensure effective

operation.

Section 2 Standing Committees

The following committees may be established each school year based on the

needs of the PTO:

A. Fundraising Committee – Responsible for planning, organizing, and

executing fundraising activities throughout the school year, including

both general and major fundraising initiatives. All fundraising efforts

shall be subject to PTO approval.

B. Circle Soiree Committee – Responsible for planning and executing the

Circle Soiree event, including sponsorship procurement, ticket sales,

event logistics, and coordination.C. Fall Fest Committee – Responsible for planning, organizing, and

implementing the Fall Fest event, including activities, volunteer

coordination, and event logistics.

D. Teacher Appreciation Committee – Responsible for coordinating

activities, meals, and events that recognize and support school staff,

including Teacher Appreciation Week and conference meals.

E. Social Committee – Responsible for planning and organizing school

community social events that promote family engagement and school

spirit, including but not limited to restaurant nights, skate nights, drive-

in movie nights, ThunderBash (year-end celebration), and similar

events. The committee shall oversee event planning, communication,

and volunteer coordination.

F. Spirit Wear Committee – Responsible for coordinating the design,

ordering, sale, and distribution of school spirit wear.

G. Playground/Projects Committee – Responsible for planning and

supporting large-scale projects that enhance the school environment,

including playground improvements and campus enhancement

initiatives.

H. Stock the Lounge Committee – Responsible for organizing and

maintaining staff lounge supplies throughout the school year, including

coordinating donations, restocking snacks and beverages, and

supporting staff needs through periodic “Stock the Lounge” initiatives.

I. Bylaws Committee (as needed) – A committee that may be formed as

necessary to review, revise, and recommend updates to the PTO

bylaws. This committee is not required to meet annually.

Section 3 Additional Committees

A. The PTO Board may establish additional committees or subcommittees

deemed necessary to support specific events, initiatives, or

organizational needs.

B. Such committees shall operate under the direction and oversights of the

PTO Board.Section 4 Teacher Liaison

Circle Greenwich Elementary teachers shall select a Teacher Liaison to represent the

Teachers at CGE PTO meetings.

ARTICLE VIII: Regular Meetings of the PTO Board

Regular meetings of the PTO Board shall be held monthly during the school year, the

time to be fixed by the PTO Executive Committee and school administration. [A majority

of the PTO members present at any given meeting shall constitute a quorum.] Special

meetings of the PTO board may be called by the president or by a majority of the

members of the PTO board. All PTO board meetings are open to any PTO member.

Monthly meetings will be posted in advance of the meetings on the school website

activity calendar.

ARTICLE IX: Parliamentary Authority

The organization has adopted a modified version of Robert’s Rules of Order Revised in

order to maintain an informal environment while still maintaining proper rule of order.

This modified version will control in all cases in which they are applicable and in which

they are not in conflict with these bylaws. In the event an issue arises which is not

covered by this modified version or in which there is substantial conflict as to the

meaning of the modified version, the official Roberts Rules of Order Revised will control.

ARTICLE X: Amendments

Section 1 Revisions

These bylaws may be amended at any general meeting of the organization by a two-

third vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the proposed

amendment shall have been given at least one month prior to the meeting in which the

vote takes place.Section 2 Annual Review

A Bylaws review shall be conducted as deemed necessary by the elected officers, to

ensure that Bylaws are current, continue to meet PTO’s mission statement, and fulfill

the needs of the school. If deemed necessary, a committee will be formed to conduct

review. A report of the review, including any proposed changes, shall be presented. A

vote of the membership on any proposed revisions will be taken.

ARTICLE XI: Public Records

Board secretary will provide a copy of the current Bylaws to Circle Greenwich

Elementary school after the second meeting of the year. The secretary will ensure that

current Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation and meeting minutes are kept on file in the

CGE principal’s office and maintained on the CGE website.