Bylaws

 

Article I-Name

 

The name of the organization shall be the Hurlbutt Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, Incorporated (hereinafter referred to as the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. the PTO, or the Organization).

 

 

Article II-Purpose

 

The principal purpose of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. shall be to promote quality education at the Hurlbutt Elementary School, Weston, Connecticut (the School).

To this end, the Organization shall have the following stated goals:

• To facilitate and improve communication among students, faculty, parents, administration and the community,
• To address issues affecting the quality of the educational environment at the School and within the Weston Public Schools and make recommendations for improvement, and
• To assist in enriching the School's educational environment by providing, from time to time, various support services.

 

Article III-Policies

 

Section 1: The Organization shall be non-profit, and all funds raised shall be used to carry out the purpose of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc.

 

Section 2: The Organization shall be non-commercial. This provision shall not preclude or prohibit the Organization from engaging in its own fundraising activities.

 

Section 3: The Organization may take a position on any matter that is consistent with its stated purpose.

 

Section 4: No substantial part of the activities of the PTO shall consist of carrying on propaganda (as that term is defined in Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3)) or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the PTO shall not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

 

Section 5: The Organization and its members shall not be held legally or financially liable in connection with any of its activities or undertakings. The PTO shall maintain insurance to protect itself and its members from liability.

 

Section 6: The announcement of activities and fundraising events in the PTO’s newsletter and/or website shall be limited to PTO activities and school and system-wide functions. The announcement of community-based, child-related activities shall be left to the discretion of the PTO President and the Communications Coordinator.

 

Section 7: Any public statement issued on behalf of the PTO or a committee formed that affects the general welfare of the PTO must be presented to and approved by a majority of the Executive Board (as defined in Article VI, Section 1). “Public Statement” shall include statements issued or posted electronically.

 

Section 8: PTO Board members shall uphold their fiduciary obligation to maintain appropriate confidentiality of information.

 

Section 9: No Officer or PTO Board member may receive, directly or indirectly, any salary or other remuneration from the Organization.

 

Section 10: The fiscal year of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. shall begin August 1st and end on July 31st of each year.

 

 

Article IV-Membership and Dues

 

Section 1: The members of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. shall consist of parents or guardians of enrolled Hurlbutt Elementary School children, with the exception of the past president, who apply for membership and pay the annual dues. Annual dues will be waived for teachers, administrative officers, and employees of the School who apply for membership.

 

Section 2: The amount of the annual dues shall be determined by the PTO Executive Board.

 

 

Article V-Meetings of the Membership

 

Section 1: Regular meetings of the membership shall be held at least once every two months from September to June. The time and place of such meetings shall be determined by the PTO Executive Board, provided at least seven days advance notice of each meeting has been given. Regular meetings shall be open to the general public.

 

Section 2: Special meetings of the membership may be called by either the President or five (5) Board Members; notice for which shall be published in the PTO’s newsletter and/or website at least three (3) days prior to the meeting.

 

Section 3: The annual meeting of the membership shall be in April of each year.

 

Section 4: The members shall vote for the election of the Board, shall approve the annual budget, shall act on all proposed significant non-budget Organization expenditures and major Organization programs or events and may consider any other matters brought to the members by the Executive Board for their approval.

 

Section 5: Ten (10) members of the Organization, at least five (5) of whom shall be non-Executive Board members, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the general membership.

 

Section 6: The affirmative vote of at least a majority of the members present at any membership meeting, at which a quorum is present, shall constitute action by the members (except for Bylaws amendments which require a two-thirds (2/3) vote in accordance with Article XII).

 

Section 7: All members of the Organization shall have voting privileges; provided, however, that in the event more than one parent or guardian of a Hurlbutt Elementary School child is in attendance at a meeting of the membership, only one of such parents or guardians shall be entitled to vote.

 

 

Article VI-Officers/Executive Committee

 

Section 1: The Officers of the Organization shall be the President, Vice President, Administrative Officer, Treasurer, Past President, Grade Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, Philanthropy Chair and Board of Education Representative (hereinafter referred to as the Executive Board).

 

Section 2: Officers shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Organization in April. Officers shall assume their official duties at the end of the school year, with the exception of the Treasurer, whose term shall run for the fiscal year, from August 1st to July 31st. In such years as co-officers for any given office are elected, as authorized by Article X, Sec. 4 below, the co-officers shall share equally in the performance of all duties as defined in Article VII, or may together agree upon a distribution of such duties between themselves (References to any officer shall hereinafter include co-officers, when applicable).

 

Section 3: The Executive Board may remove a Board member for cause, after reasonable notice, by a two-thirds vote of those present (assuming a quorum) of the Executive Board members then in office.

 

Section 4: The Executive Board, and other persons designated by that Board, shall meet with the Principal of the School and any interested faculty members once each month during the School year to the extent practicable in order to communicate matters of current business, concerns, suggestions, and goals of the Organization (hereinafter called the Executive Board Meeting).

 

Section 5: The Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. Executive Board shall be responsible for managing the general business affairs and funds of the Organization and shall function as a planning and policy-making body to promote the stated purpose of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. In this regard, the Executive Board may take stands on issues and make policy statements and the like which are consistent with this purpose and may delegate the implementation of the same to the President or other authorized Organization member. The Executive Board shall consider, approve and present an annual budget to the general membership at the September membership meeting and shall not authorize significant non-budget expenditures or major Organization programs or events without membership approval.

 

Section 6: The Executive Board may conduct business regarding previously approved projects in the absence of a membership meeting. The action taken must be presented to the full membership at the earliest time for their approval.

 

Section 7: The Executive Board may approve Philanthropic requests in amounts under $250.00, the total of which may not exceed $2,000.00 annually, without the approval of the general membership. All items of expenditure must be reported at the next general meeting.

 

 

Article VII-Duties of Officers

 

Section 1: President

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc., Executive Board Meetings, and at all regular and special meetings of the general membership of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc., and shall perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office. This Officer, with the Vice President, shall be responsible for faculty liaison. The President shall review and sign monthly financial statements as received from the Treasurer. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees, except the Nominating Committee; shall be responsible for the collection of all job descriptions from the PTO Board members by the May regular membership and may establish Project Committees and Committee Chairpersons as deemed necessary with the approval of the PTO Executive Board.

 

Section 2: Vice President

The Vice President shall be responsible for all duties of the President in his/her absence. This Officer, with the President, shall be responsible for faculty liaison. The Vice President shall provide tours of the school as requested and chair the Long Range Planning Committee. The Vice President shall be responsible for organizing a committee to review the governing Bylaws of the Hurlbutt Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization throughout the year, as well as assisting the President in any other areas deemed necessary by the Executive Board. The Vice President shall be responsible for Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. sponsored programs. All such programs shall be consistent with the stated purpose of the Organization.

 

Section 3: Administrative Officer

The Administrative Officer shall keep records of all meetings, assist with administrative responsibilities, and conduct correspondence as directed by the PTO Board including correspondence with the Executive Board and General Board. The Administrative Officer shall be responsible for providing refreshments for membership meetings and other PTO-related events.

 

Section 4: Treasurer

The Treasurer shall receive and disburse, as set forth below, all funds of the Hurlbutt Elementary PTO, Inc.; and keep an accurate account of said funds. The Treasurer shall prepare and submit a proposed annual operating budget and a closing financial statement to be presented to and approved by the Executive Board and the regular membership at their September meetings, and, upon request of the Executive Board, shall make a monthly financial report at each regular membership meeting. The Treasurer shall be responsible for filing all tax returns for the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. The Treasury shall be maintained in an account with a Connecticut banking institution. Only the Treasurer and President shall be authorized to make withdrawals of funds from the Organization's account. The President and Treasurer shall be required to co-sign for any withdrawal in excess of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00). The Treasurer shall be a member of the Philanthropy Committee. The Treasurers of HES and WIS will be responsible for coordinating the funds for the Memorial Day Fair. This will include reconciling the receipts from each night of the Fair as well as making bank deposits each evening after the Fair closes.

 

Section 5: Grade Coordinator

The Grade Coordinator shall coordinate and supervise four (4) Grade Chairpersons who shall be responsible for all Organization sponsored grade and class activities at the school. The Grade Coordinator shall supervise room parent assignments, Back To School Night, Field Day and such other matters which are proposed by the Grade Chairpersons. The Grade Coordinator shall coordinate, research, book and schedule local education programs that fit within each grade's curriculum.

 

Section 6: Communications Coordinator

The Communications Coordinator shall edit, produce and distribute the school newsletter and shall distribute any other material to the general membership as requested by the Executive Board. The Communications Coordinator shall also be responsible for the maintenance and management of the Hurlbutt PTO Website and other social media.

 

Section 7: Philanthropy Chairperson

The Philanthropy Chairperson shall be responsible for organizing a committee, open to the general membership, to ascertain the best possible use of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. funds. The Executive Board shall be responsible for making expenditure recommendations at the PTO general meetings. Any proposed significant expenditures shall be subject to approval by the membership.

 

Section 8: Board of Education Representative

The Board of Education Representative shall be responsible for attending Town of Weston Board of Education regular and special meetings in order to report back to the Executive Board and the membership and to express the ideas, concerns, and recommendations of the Organization to the Board of Education.

 

Section 9: Immediate Past President of the Organization

The Immediate Past President of the Organization shall be a voting member of the Executive and Philanthropy Committees without specific duties; however, the Immediate Past President shall, whenever possible, serve as the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee, and their role becomes an advisory one if they are in this position for two years.

 

 

Article VIII-Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. Board

 

Section 1: The Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. The board shall consist of the following persons:

President

Vice President

Administrative Officer (formerly Secretary)

Treasurer

Grade Coordinator

Communications Coordinator

Philanthropy

Board of Education Representative

Immediate Past President of the Organization

Principal of School

Standing Committee Chairpersons (approximately 20)

Grade Chairpersons (4)

 

Section 2: Regular meetings of the PTO Board shall be held at least once every two months during the school year, the dates and times to be fixed, to the extent practicable, by the Board at its first meeting of the year. Preferably, the PTO Board meetings shall be held in conjunction with the scheduled monthly membership meetings to enable the Board to include the general membership in its proceedings. Special meetings of the PTO Board may be called by the President or by a majority of the members of the PTO Executive Board.

 

Section 3: Each Board member, upon completion of his/her term of office, shall turn over all duties, records, and correspondence to his/her successor and assist him/her in the assumption of the duties of his/her office.

 

 

Article IX-Standing Committees, Project Committees, and Grade Chairperson

 

Section 1: The PTO Executive Board may create such Project Committees as it may deem necessary to promote the purpose and carry on the work of the Organization. The term of each Project Chairperson shall be one (1) year. The Chairperson of each Project Committee shall report to the PTO Executive Board when requested. No Project Committee should commence implementation of a proposed activity or event without the prior approval of the PTO Executive Board. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Project Committees, except the Nominating Committee.

 

Section 2: The addition or deletion of a Standing Committee necessitates a change in the Bylaws. The following Standing Committee Chairs are hereby established:

• Book Fair: The Chairperson(s) shall be responsible for the coordination of this fundraising event.
• Community Service: The Chairperson shall be responsible for coordinating community service projects.
• Family Fun Events Chair: The Chairperson(s) shall oversee Family Fun Night and other family events organized by the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO.
• Affiliate Programs & Fundraising Chair: The Chairperson shall oversee affiliate programs such as Mabel’s Labels and Minted, and any other Education Loyalty Programs and shall be responsible for the coordination of fundraising events.
• Garden Chair: The Chairperson shall oversee and maintain the Hurlbutt Elementary School gardens.
• Learning Resource Center: The Chairperson(s) shall be responsible for organizing all-volunteer activities with the LRC staff .    
• Lost and Found: The Chairperson shall be responsible for collecting lost items from around the campus and periodically sending photos to the Communications Chairperson for all to see and then for disposing of unclaimed items in an appropriate manner.
• Membership & Directory: The Chairperson is responsible for coordinating the PTO membership drive throughout the year. These duties will involve working with the Communications Coordinator to initiate a membership drive prior to the beginning of the school year. The Chairperson shall be responsible for contacting parents or guardians of new Hurlbutt Elementary School students throughout the year. The Chairperson shall work with the other Weston PTOs in order to produce a WPS student directory annually with an online directory. The Chairperson’s duties shall include assisting in the verification of directory information and the design of the directory; coordination of the printing process; and distribution of the directories once printed if necessary.
• Memorial Day Fair: The Chairperson(s) shall be responsible for the coordination of this fundraising event, whenever possible with the Chairperson representing the Weston Intermediate School PTO.
• School Supplies: This Chairperson shall be responsible for coordinating, ordering, and delivering the beginning of the year school supplies.
• School Pictures: The Chairperson shall be responsible for coordinating school photo day.
• Staff Appreciation & Luncheon: The Chairperson(s) shall be responsible for all staff appreciation events including the staff luncheon and transportation breakfast at the beginning of the school year.
• Yearbook: The Chairperson shall be responsible for the compilation, sale, and distribution of the School Yearbook.
• Grade Chairpersons (4): The Grade Chairpersons shall be assigned, one each, to grades K through 2 and the Early Learning Center at the Hurlbutt Elementary School. The Grade Chairpersons shall be responsible for all their respective Organization-sponsored grade and class activities/needs, such as room parents, class lists, field days, grade trips, etc. and any other activities or needs which they or the Grade Coordinator may deem appropriate or desirable.
• SPED Liaison: The Special Education Liaison serves to help facilitate communication and understanding between Special Education families and the larger PTO membership. The role is to bring awareness to and support our school community by helping to identify opportunities for inclusion in school-related matters, and to facilitate support for families with special needs at PTO-sponsored and school-related events, if appropriate and requested. The Liaison will also help to identify issues at the District level that the PTO feels need to be addressed, and help to coordinate roundtable meetings, learning opportunities, and social events with District support and participation when appropriate.

 

Article X-Nomination of Board Members

 

Section 1: The Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. Nominating Committee shall consist of four (4) members. At least three (3) members (including the Chairperson) shall come from the PTO Board.

 

Section 2: The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President no later than by the January Executive meeting of the PTO, and presented at the following general board meeting of the PTO. The Board and general membership shall select their representatives for the Nominating Committee at the following meeting of the general membership.

 

Section 3: Any member of the Nominating Committee under consideration for an Executive Board position shall resign from the committee and a substitute shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the PTO Board.

 

Section 4: The Nominating Committee shall present its slate of proposed Board members including Officers, Grade Chairpersons, and Standing Committee Chairpersons, at the March meeting of the PTO general membership. When the slate is presented to the membership, nominations may be accepted from the membership. The Nominating Committee may propose that a position be filled for a given term by two or more persons jointly and concurrently as co-officers or co-chairpersons.

 

Section 5: Prior to the April membership meeting, the slate of proposed board members shall be made public by publication in the PTO newsletter and/or website.

 

Section 6: Officers of the Organization, members of the PTO Board (except the Principal of the School and Faculty Representative) and Standing Committee Chairpersons (a) shall serve for a term of one year and until the election and qualification of their successors and (b) shall not serve in the same office for more than two (2) consecutive terms, unless the position remains vacant at the time the slate is presented to the general membership.

 

Section 7: Only members of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. shall be eligible to serve in any elective or appointed positions within the Organization.

 

 

Article XI-Election of Board Members

 

Section 1: Board members shall be elected by a vote of the membership of the Organization. Elections shall take place at the April annual membership meeting. Election of Board members shall be by secret ballot and by a majority of the members present and voting at which a quorum is present. However, if there is only one nominee for any office, the election for that office may be by voice vote. In cases where it is proposed that a given position be filled by two or more persons as co-officers or co-chairperson, they shall be considered as one nominee for voting purposes.

 

Section 2: A vacancy in the Office of President shall be filled by the Vice President. Vacancies among other Board members occurring during the year shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the PTO Executive Board.

 

 

Article XII-Conflict of Interest policy

 

Section 1: The Board shall adopt a Conflict of Interest Policy (“Policy”) to ensure compliance with the standards set by the Internal Revenue Service for maintaining the tax-exempt status of the PTO and for other appropriate corporate purposes.

 

Section 2: The Board will conduct periodic reviews of its Policy and will revise the Policy as needed.

 

 

Article XIII-Bylaws

 

Section 1: The Vice President and the Bylaws Committee, which is open to the general membership, shall review the governing Bylaws of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. during the year and may present suggested amendments at any meetings of the PTO Executive Board and general membership.  Proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be made available for inspection to the general membership and included in the school newsletter, and/or posted on the PTO website, prior to the membership meeting at which the amendment shall be voted upon.

 

Section 2: The voting requirements for amending the Bylaws shall be a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting at a duly held meeting of the members at which a quorum is present.

 

 

Article XIV-Dissolution

 

Upon the dissolution of the PTO, the PTO shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all liabilities of the PTO, (i) dispose of all of the remaining assets of the PTO exclusively for the purposes of the PTO in such manner as the Executive Board may determine, consistent with applicable law, or (ii) distribute all of said assets to the Town of Weston Board of Education or (iii) distribute all of said assets to such other organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

 

 

Article XV-Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc. in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws of the Hurlbutt Elementary School PTO, Inc.

 

 

Updated June 2024