Lipscomb Elementary School PTO Bylaws

As Amended September 2023

ARTICLE I – NAME 

The official name of this organization shall be: Lipscomb Elementary School PTO (hereinafter the “PTO”). The PTO operates exclusively for the benefit of Lipscomb Elementary School (LES), 8011 Concord Road, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027 in Williamson County, Tennessee. 

ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES 

1. To promote the welfare of children at LES. 
2. To promote closer relations between home and school so that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children. 
3. To stimulate exchange of ideas between educators and the general public to secure the best educational opportunities for every child. 
4. To promote closer ties between the administration of LES, the Williamson County Board of Education, and the parents for the continual improvement of programs and support for the school including working to meet all state and board standards while adhering to the policies of Williamson County Schools. 
5. To provide financial support to help carry out academic, arts, athletics and social programs to further educational opportunities for children at LES.

ARTICLE III – POLICIES 

1. The PTO is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code. This shall be a nonprofit, nonsectarian, nonpartisan, and nondiscriminatory organization. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall benefit or be distributed to its members, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the PTO purpose. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this document, the PTO shall not carry on any other purposes not permitted to be carried on by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code. 
2. Neither the name of the PTO nor the names of its officers in their official capacities shall be used in any connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest or for any purpose other than the regular work of the PTO. The primary use of funds, dues, and proceeds derived by the PTO shall be for the benefit of Lipscomb Elementary School as a whole entity, and not for individual students. The Principal, Assistant Principal and teachers shall, subject to approval of the voting membership, have a significant voice in the decisions concerning the expenditure being disbursed. 
3. The PTO is interested in educational policy, but shall not seek to interfere with the freedom of teachers or to control administrative activities of school policies. 
4. In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of the organization will be turned over to Lipscomb Elementary General Fund. 
5. The PTO shall elect and support needed committees to represent the PTO in making recommendations to proper authorities for any emergency needs of the school and to urge adequate measures for the improvement of the school. These committees shall consist of persons chosen in the manner set forth in these bylaws. 
6. The calendar year shall be July 1 – June 30. 
7. The PTO Board Members must act with undivided loyalty in the best interests of the PTO and will not seek to benefit personally from the PTO business activities.
8. The PTO Board Members must adhere to a duty of care, acting reasonably, as a prudent person in a similar circumstance would, making informed decisions in good faith.  
9. All members of the Executive Board must be TIER III volunteers and have a proper background check conducted in accordance with the terms and processes set forth by Williamson County Schools.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP AND DUES 

1. Any parent or guardian of an enrolled Lipscomb Elementary School student, or a current Lipscomb Elementary School faculty or staff member who subscribes to the purpose of this PTO may become a member of this PTO upon payment of annual dues (or by registering as a member on our website in a year when monetary dues are not required). Membership in this PTO shall be available without regard to gender, race, color, creed, socioeconomic status or nationality.   
2. The annual dues amount, or lack thereof, shall be determined by the Executive Board prior to the first general meeting of each school year. 

ARTICLE V – BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

1. The PTO Board shall consist of the elected officers, the Principal and Vice Principal of Lipscomb Elementary School, and Volunteer Teacher Representative(s). The elected officers shall be President or Co-Presidents, Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Secretary, Public Relations Coordinator, Room Parent Coordinator, Fundraising Coordinator, Special Events Coordinator, School Operations Coordinator, and Volunteer Coordinator.  The Principal, Vice Principal and Volunteer Teacher Representatives are non-voting members.  
2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President or Co-Presidents, Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents, the Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary and the Principal. 
3. The new officers shall take office on June 1. Officers may serve on the PTO Board for a maximum of four consecutive years, with a maximum of two consecutive years in any one position, with the exception of President and Vice President which each have a one-year term. The Treasurer shall serve for a period of up to 27 months but not less than 15 months so that there will be an overlap of three months to allow for transition of duties as well as the coordination and preparation of the organization’s tax return. 
4. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President(s) in January.  This committee shall be comprised of one representative from each grade K-5. The current President or Co-Presidents shall serve as the remaining member(s) and will vote only in the event of a tie. No current member of the nominating committee will be eligible to be nominated for a PTO Board position. 
5. The following steps will be made regarding the nominating committee and elections for the following school year.
6. The duty of the nominating committee is to find the best candidate for each office.  The nominating committee shall make and/or issue a public announcement or statement of pending elections in February and accept nominations for a period of 10 days.  They should meet and carefully review our membership list in addition to the nominations received from the public announcement.  The nominating committee should select the people who they think will do the best job in each office.  A member of the committee should then be designated to call each nominee in a pre-determined order, to see if s/he is willing to serve if elected.  If all members on the list are unwilling to serve, the committee should meet again to find another candidate.
7. The committee will prepare a slate of PTO Board members from nominations received. There will be one nominee per position.  The nominating committee will obtain verbal consent to serve prior to proposing the slate to the PTO Board. 
8. The slate of candidates shall be presented to the PTO Board at the April PTO Board meeting. 
9. The ballot of candidates will be presented to the full membership at the April PTO Membership meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor and voting will not be limited to the nominees listed on the slate.
10. Elections will be held at the May PTO Membership meeting.  If more than one name is placed in nomination for an office, voting for that office shall be by secret ballot. Officers shall be approved by a vote of a simple majority of those members present and voting.
11. If a Board member has missed three (3) consecutive board meetings, or has not fulfilled the duties of his/her position, the PTO Board may remove the individual from his/her position by a simple (51%) majority vote of a quorum of the PTO Board at a regular meeting where previous notice has been given.
12. If a vacancy should occur in the Presidency, the Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents shall become president immediately and an election for Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents shall be held. 
13. A vacancy occurring in any office of the Executive Committee other than the President shall be filled by a vote of the members of the organization at the next regular meeting or via secret ballot. Voting membership shall be based on the previous full year’s membership if the vacancy occurs during the summer months. Notice of such meeting or election shall be made seven days prior to the election. If necessary, a meeting may be called for the exclusive purpose of taking a vote. If one of the positions not included in the Executive Committee is not slated or unfilled at the time of election, the position may be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee at the first available opportunity during the school year. 
14. The duties of the PTO Board shall be a) to transact business as may be required in the intervals between general meetings and to transact such other business as may be referred to it by the membership of the organization; b) to approve the plans of work of the standing committees; c) to present reports at regular membership meetings of the PTO as required; d) to prepare and submit a budget at the first PTO membership meeting for necessary approval; and e) to perform other duties as may be delegated by circumstances impacting the PTO.
15. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be a) to prepare a preliminary budget subject to modification and approval by the PTO Board; b) to appropriate necessary funding for financial matters occurring between the last regularly scheduled Board meeting of the school year and the first Board meeting of the succeeding school year; and c) to review all upcoming business items in preparation for presentation to the PTO Board. 

ARTICLE VI – DUTIES OF OFFICERS 

1. The duties of the President(s) shall be a) to preside at all meetings of the PTO and of the Executive Committee; b) to serve as an ex officio member of all standing committees except the nominating committee, of which the President(s) is an official member; c) to appoint the committee chairpersons; and d) to represent the organization at Lipscomb Elementary events and functions. 
2. The duties of the Vice President(s) shall be a) to assume the duties of the office of President in the event of the absence or inability of the President to do so; b) to serve as President the succeeding school year; c) to assist the President with selection of standing committee chairpersons and other responsibilities as requested; and d) to assume the duties of the fundraising chair in the event that one is not elected or appointed. Preferably, this board member has served one or two years on the PTO Board. 
3. The duties of the Secretary shall be a) to create agendas for Board and General PTO Meetings; b) to record and electronically post minutes of all meetings of the organization and of the PTO Board and Executive Committee; c) to receive correspondence; d) to manage the PTO membership list; e) to keep the bylaws; f) to record attendance of all LES Board and PTO meetings; and g) to oversee the compilation of the LES directory. 
4. The duties of the Public Relations Coordinator shall be a) to inform the members of meetings, activities and event details by all available means; b) to manage the PTO’s online presence; c) to publish and manage all information on the activities of the PTO; and d) to maintain consistent branding for the PTO. 
5. The duties of the Treasurer shall be a) to receive and deposit all money collected by the PTO within 3 business days of receipt; b) to keep an accurate and detailed record of all receipts and all expenditures; c) to pay out funds only as authorized by the PTO; d) to submit the required financial report to the Williamson County Deputy Superintendent; e) with the Executive Committee, to prepare and present a line-item budget for approval to the PTO Board during the April meeting and to the voting membership during the May meeting; f) to present a financial statement at all regular meetings of the PTO Board and the organization and at other times when requested by the PTO Board; g) to serve as ex officio member of the fundraising committee; h) to be responsible for preparation and submission of all Federal and State filings;  i) to present well organized records for storage at LES (the designated PTO closet) after the completion of the Treasurer’s term of office; and j) to ensure that records older than 7 years are properly disposed of and shredded.
6. The duties of the Assistant Treasurer shall be a) assume the duties of the Treasurer in the event of the absence or inability of the Treasurer to do so; (b) to assist with the annual budget preparation; c) complete a monthly bank reconciliation to be signed and filed in the Treasurer’s records; d) to provide assistance to the Treasurer as requested and e) to serve as Treasurer in the succeeding school year. 
7. The duties of the Room Parent Coordinator shall be a) to appoint room parents for each grade level teacher and to appoint a lead room -parent for each grade; b) to disseminate information to room parents; and c) to help room parents understand and comply with the school and district rules. 
8. The duties of the Fundraising Coordinator shall be to oversee and participate in all fundraising activities throughout the year.
9. The duties of the Special Events Coordinator shall be to oversee the activities of all school special events that are not income generating. 
10. The duties of the School Operations Coordinator shall be to oversee the activities of all committees associated with daily school operations. 
11. The duties of the Volunteer Coordinator shall be to coordinate the activities of the school volunteers. 
12. The duties of the Faculty Representatives shall be a) to assist in budget preparation; b) to communicate activities of the PTO to the teachers; and c) to serve as the voice of the faculty on the PTO Board. 

ARTICLE VII – MEETINGS AND REPRESENTATION 

1. There shall be a regular quarterly membership meeting of the PTO (excluding June and July) on a day and time to be decided by the majority of the Executive Board. A meeting can be called by the PTO Board outside of the regular meetings, if necessary. 
2. There shall be a regular monthly meeting of the PTO Board. A monthly Board meeting may be cancelled if all board members feel the meeting is not necessary, except in the case of filling a vacancy of an officer. Eight members shall constitute a quorum.  Simple majority vote will rule. Interim voting on imminent special requests shall be permitted via electronic means as long as the entire PTO board is notified of the request. The results of these interim votes should be recorded by the secretary in the following month’s minutes.
3. The privilege of holding office, making motions, debating and voting shall be limited to members of the PTO. 

ARTICLE VIII – STANDING COMMITTEES 

1. The Executive Committee shall appoint the standing committee chairs by the beginning of the school year. All standing committees shall serve to promote the objectives and interest of the PTO. 
2. Appointments shall be for one year. The positions may be held by one person or co-chaired. Each committee chairperson shall choose his or her committee members in consultation with the President(s). 
3. All outgoing committee chairpersons shall submit their budget recommendation, including projected revenue and expenditures to the Executive Committee by April 1. 

ARTICLE IX – FINANCIAL 

1. Expenditures are limited to PTO Board members and committee chairpersons. 
2. Expenditures of all committees must not exceed their approved budgets. If expenditures exceed budgeted amount, it requires prior approval of the PTO Board. 
3. Any changes to the budget after approval in May of less than $2,500 can be approved by the PTO Board. Any budget changes after approval in May of greater than $2,500 require full membership vote. Unbudgeted expenses in excess of $2,500 will need to be approved by the PTO Board. Approval can be via electronic means.
4. Check signing privileges are limited to the President(s), Vice President(s), Secretary and Treasurer. Two signatures are required on each check. The Treasurer and two others from the Executive Committee (excluding the Principal and the Assistant Treasurer) should have bank privileges. The Principal and Assistant Treasurer do not have check signing privileges. *Employment with WCS- including substitute teaching- excludes board members from check-signing privileges.
5. At the end of the fiscal year the PTO may carry over the funds necessary to meet near term needs at the beginning of the school year with a recommended amount between $10,000 and $20,000. 
6. If the PTO votes to pursue a long-term goal that requires multiple years of investment and/or fundraising, such activities shall be outside the scope of the PTO’s regular budget. The PTO Board shall create a standing committee for such purpose, with the Fundraising Coordinator and Treasurer as co-chairs. A separately approved budget shall be presented to the PTO Board and membership for approval. The budget and progress report shall be presented monthly to the PTO Board and shared with membership at the quarterly meetings. 
7. No contract or commitment binding the PTO shall extend beyond the current school year. No contract or commitment shall be made which places the PTO in a deficit position. No loans or credit cards may be executed by the PTO, the Executive Board or general membership of the PTO. 

ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS 

These bylaws may be amended by the PTO’s membership by communication to all registered members via electronic means or a two-thirds vote of the members present at a membership meeting, provided the proposed amendment(s) has been distributed and approved by the PTO Board at a previous PTO Board meeting.

ARTICLE XI – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY 

Roberts Rules of Order Revised shall govern this organization in all cases to which they are applicable and are not inconsistent with these bylaws. 

ARTICLE XII – PUBLICATION OF THE BYLAWS 

These bylaws shall be posted on the LES PTO website. A permanent copy of these bylaws shall be maintained in electronic and hard copy format at the school and by the Secretary. 

For the record the PTO Bylaws have been amended in the following years starting since 2018: August 2018, January 2020, September 2023.  The organization’s name was officially changed with the IRS from “PTO Lipscomb Parent Teach Organization” to “Lipscomb Elementary School PTO” with the filing of the 2018 Form 990-EZ.