Article I – Name
The name of the organization shall be the Champlin Brooklyn Park Academy for Math and Environmental Science Parent Teacher Organization dba Champlin Brooklyn Park Academy PTO (CBPA PTO).

Article II – Purpose
The Corporation is organized for the purpose of supporting the education of children at Champlin Brooklyn Park Academy for Math and Environmental Science (CBPAMES) by fostering relationships among the school, parents, and teachers.

Article III – Members
Any parent, guardian, or other adult standing in loco parentis for a student at the school may be a member and shall have voting rights. The principal, assistant principal and any teacher employed at the school may be a member and have voting rights.

Article IV – Officers and Elections
 

Section 1. Officers. The officers shall be a president, vice president, recording secretary, communication secretary, treasurer, assistant-treasurer, event coordinator and webmaster.

President. The president shall preside over meetings of the organization, coordinate the work of the organization, and serve as a liaison between staff, families, and the PTO. The president shall schedule all meetings, complete the proper facilities use forms, prepare agendas, and attend monthly meetings. The president shall check the PTO mailboxes in each building on a regular basis during the school year. Openly communicate with and encourage the Board members. The president shall review the job descriptions and bylaws annually.
 

Vice President. The vice president shall assist the president and carry out the president’s duties in his or her absence or inability to serve. The vice president shall enforce the bylaws and meeting procedures, maintain close and frequent communication with the president. The Vice President may also oversee committees and act as a liaison between committee chairpersons and the Executive Board as well as work with Treasurer and fundraising committees. The vice president shall fill in for the recording secretary as needed and assist the president.
 

Recording Officer. The recording secretary shall record and disseminate meeting minutes, maintain a current roster of the PTO Board, renew and maintain corporate status with state and federal agencies, and assist the president and vice president as needed.
 

Communication Officer. The communication secretary shall create the PTO’s monthly newsletter, work with committee chairs to create and print flyers for PTO events and act as public relations liaison to the community on behalf of the PTO. The communication secretary shall send communications to PTO members as needed.
 

Treasurer. The treasurer shall handle all the financial business of the PTO, report out at each meeting regarding the budget, and assist the president and vice president as needed and shall also work with event chairs involving fund raising activities of the PTO.

 

Assistant-Treasurer. The assistant-treasurer shall work with the Treasurer on all financial business of the PTO, serve as a dual-control for review of the monthly budget reports and bank statements and assist the president and vice president as needed.
 

Event Coordinator. The event coordinator shall coordinate social activities, including but not limited to the welcome breakfast for teachers, supervise the room parents for class parties, family nights and other social activities that take place at the school.
 

Webmaster. The webmaster shall maintain and oversee the PTO website as well as work with the Communication Secretary to distribute PTO Newsletters and communications to the school families using the PTO website.

 

Section 2. Nominations and Elections. Elections will be held at the March meeting. Nominations shall be received for each open office at a meeting held one month prior to the election, typically in February. At that meeting, nominations may also be made from the floor and nominations stay open until officially closed just prior to voting at the March meeting via a ballot vote. In case of a tie, the president will randomly select the officer-elect.

 

Section 3. Eligibility. Any parent, guardian, or other adult standing in loco parentis for a student at the school is eligible for office.

 

Section 4. Terms of Office. The term of office for all officers shall coincide with the PTO’s Fiscal Year. The election for the office of recording secretary shall be held in even-numbered years, beginning in 2012. The election for the office of treasurer shall be held in odd-numbered years, beginning in 2011. The election for the office of assistant treasurer shall be held in alternating years with the treasurer. An election for the vice president, communication secretary, event coordinator and webmaster, shall be held annually. There will be no election for the office of president as this position is automatically taken over by the vice president from the previous year.

 

Section 5. Meeting Attendance. Officers are committed to attending at least eighty percent (80%) of the Executive Board and PTO meetings held throughout the school year. The webmaster is committed to attending Executive Board and PTO meetings at least once per trimester during the school year.

 

Section 6. Vacancies. If there is a vacancy in the office of president, the vice president will become the president. At the next regularly scheduled meeting, a new vice president will be elected. If there is a vacancy in any other office, members will fill the vacancy through an election at the next regular meeting.

 

Section 7. Removal From Office. Officers can be removed from office with or without cause by a majority vote of those members present at a regular or special meeting where previous notice has been given to the office affected.

 

Section 8. Criminal Background Checks of Officers and Fundraising Committee Chairpersons. All PTO officers and those chairpersons involved with fundraising activities on behalf of the PTO shall submit to an additional criminal background check that is conducted through the Anoka-Hennepin School District’s office of Volunteer Service Coordinators. The results of this search are confidential and only reviewed by the school’s Principal and the PTO President. The fee for this criminal background search shall be paid with PTO funds each year. If necessary based on the results of the criminal background check, an officer shall be removed for cause without a vote being taken as set forth in Article IV, Section 7 and such vacancy shall be filled in accordance with Article IV, Section 6.

 

Section 9. Contractual Obligations. No member of the PTO Board may enter into any contract, loan, or deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the PTO that legally requires payment of PTO funds unless there is a majority vote at an authorized board meeting. Additionally, the President and Treasurer must both sign any contract, loan or other instrument financially obligating the PTO and a copy for the fully executed document must be maintained in the files of the Treasurer for accounting and/or auditing purposes.

Article V – Meetings
The regular meeting of the organization shall be on the third Tuesday of each month during the school year at 6:30 p.m., or at a time and place determined by the PTO Board at least one month before the meeting.

Article VI – Executive Board
Section 1. Membership. The PTO Board (Board) shall consist of the officers identified in Article IV, Section 1.

 

Section 2. Duties. The duties of the Board shall be to transact business between meetings in preparation for the general meeting, create standing rules and policies, create standing and temporary committees, prepare and submit a budget to the membership, and prepare reports and recommendations to the membership.

 

Section 3. Meetings. Regular meetings shall be held monthly, on the same day and at the same time each month, to be determined by the Board. Special meetings may be called by any two Board members, with 24 hours’ notice.

 

Section 4. Voting Members of the Board. The voting members of the Board shall be the president, vice president, recording secretary, communication secretary, treasurer, assistant treasurer, event coordinator and the webmaster.

Article VII – Finances
Section 1. A tentative budget shall be drafted in the spring and presented at the last meeting of the school year for the next school year and approved by a majority vote of the members present at that meeting.

 

Section 2. The treasurer shall keep accurate records of any disbursements, income, and bank account information.

 

Section 3. All non-budgeted expenses over $200 must be reviewed and approved by the PTO Board.

 

Section 4. The treasurer shall prepare a financial statement annually for auditing purposes by June 30.

 

Section 5. Upon the dissolution of the organization, any remaining funds should be used to pay any outstanding bills and, with the membership’s approval, spent for the benefit of the school.

 

Section 6. The fiscal year shall be from July 1-June 30.

Article VIII – Conducting a Meeting
All meetings shall begin on time and be guided by an agenda. At meetings, members will conduct business, hear reports of special events, committees and officers. Discussion will be held to allow all viewpoints and collaborative decision making, before a vote is taken in order to carry out the will of the majority.

 

For any other matters requiring objective advice, we defer to Robert’s Rules of Order when they are not in conflict with the organization’s bylaws.

Article IX – Dissolution
The organization may be dissolved with previous notice (14 calendar days) and a majority vote of those present at the meeting.

Article X– Amendments
These bylaws may be amended at any regular or special meeting, providing that previous notice was given. Notice may be given by letter home, e-mail, or website. Amendments will be approved by a majority vote of those members present.

Article XI – Conflict of Interest Policy
Section 1. Purpose. The purpose of the conflict of interest policy is to protect this tax-exempt organization’s interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an officer of the organization or might result in a possible excess benefit transaction. This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit and charitable organizations.

 

Section 2. Definitions.
Interested Person. Any director, principal officer, or member of a committee with governing board-delegated powers who has a direct or indirect financial interest, as defined below, is an interested person.

 

Financial Interest. A person has a financial interest if the person has, directly or indirectly, through business, investment, or family: An ownership or investment interest in any entity with which the organization has a transaction or arrangement; A compensation arrangement with the organization or with any entity or individual with which the organization has a transaction or arrangement; or A potential ownership or investment interest in, or compensation arrangement with, any entity or individual with which the organization is negotiating a transaction or arrangement. “Compensation” includes direct and indirect remuneration as well as gifts or favors that are not insubstantial. A financial interest is not necessarily a conflict of interest. Under Section 3b, a person who has a financial interest may have a conflict of interest only if the appropriate governing board or committee decides that a conflict of interest exists.

Section 3. Procedures.

Duty To Disclose. In connection with any actual or possible conflict of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence of the financial interest and be given the opportunity to disclose all material facts to the directors and members of committees with governing board-delegated powers who are considering the proposed transaction or arrangement.
 

Determining Whether a Conflict of Interest Exists. After disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts, and after any discussion with the interested person, he/she shall leave the governing board or committee meeting while the determination of a conflict of interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining board or committee members shall decide whether a conflict of interest exists.
 

Procedures for Addressing the Conflict of Interest. An interested person may make a presentation at the governing board or committee meeting, but after the presentation, he/she shall leave the meeting during the discussion of, and the vote on, the transaction or arrangement involving the possible conflict of interest. The chairperson of the governing board or committee shall, if appropriate, appoint a disinterested person or committee to investigate alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement. After exercising due diligence, the governing board or committee shall determine whether the organization can obtain, with reasonable efforts, a more advantageous transaction or arrangement from a person or entity that would not give rise to a conflict of interest.
If a more advantageous transaction or arrangement is not reasonably possible under circumstances not producing a conflict of interest, the governing board or committee shall determine by a majority vote of the disinterested directors whether the transaction or arrangement is in the organization’s best interest, for its own benefit, and whether it is fair and reasonable. In conformity with the above determination, it shall make its decision as to whether to enter into the transaction or arrangement.
 

Violations of the Conflict of Interest Policy. If the governing board or committee has reasonable cause to believe a member has failed to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest, it shall inform the member of the basis for such belief and afford the member an opportunity to explain the alleged failure to disclose. If, after hearing the member’s response and after making further investigation as warranted by the circumstances, the governing board or committee determines that the member has failed to disclose an actual or possible conflict of interest, it shall take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action.

 

Section 4. Records of Proceedings. The minutes of the governing board and all committees with board delegated powers shall contain:

The names of the persons who disclosed or otherwise were found to have a financial interest in connection with an actual or possible conflict of interest; the nature of the financial interest; any action taken to determine whether a conflict of interest was present; and the governing board’s or committee’s decision as to whether a conflict of interest in fact existed.
 

The names of the persons who were present for discussions and votes relating to the transaction or arrangement; the content of the discussion; including any alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement; and a record of any votes taken in connection with the proceedings.
 

Section 5. Periodic Reviews. To ensure that the organization operates in a manner consistent with charitable purposes and does not engage in activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status, periodic reviews shall be conducted. The periodic reviews shall, at a minimum, determine whether partnerships, joint ventures, and arrangements with management organizations conform to the organization’s written policies, are properly recorded, reflect reasonable investment or payments for goods and services, further charitable purposes, and do not result in inurnment, impermissible private benefit, or an excess benefit transaction.
 

Section 6. Use of Outside Experts. When conducting the periodic reviews as provided for in Section 5, the organization may, but need not, use outside advisers. If outside experts are used, their use shall not relieve the governing board of its responsibility for ensuring that periodic reviews are conducted.