L’Ouverture Computer Technology Magnet Elementary School
Parent Teacher Organization

Constitution and By-Laws

Developed: Fall 1988
Adopted: January 1989
Revised: September 1992
September 1997
September 2000

November 2009

 

Article I - Name

The name of this Organization is the L’Ouverture Parent Teacher Organization (LPTO or Organization). The Organization shall have the following operating groups:

1.      The Executive Committee, consisting of the Elected Officers: President; Vice-President; Secretary; and, Treasurer.
 

2.      The LPTO Board, consisting of the Elected Officers, Committee Chairpersons, Teacher Representative, and Principal of the school.
 

3.      The LPTO General Membership as defined in Article III of this document.

Article II - Mission Statement

The LPTO mission shall be to serve student and staff needs, and to enrich our children’s learning environment with financial and volunteer assistance.

Article III - Policies

1.      The program and activities of this Organization shall be developed through cooperative planning of parents, principal, teachers, students, and USD 259.
 

2.      The LPTO may cooperate with other organizations and agencies concerned with child welfare, but persons representing the LPTO shall make no binding commitments without authorization of the LPTO Board.
 

3.      The Organization shall be non-secretarian and non-partisan and shall not endorse any commercial enterprise, political candidate or cause.
 

4.      This Organization shall actively encourage participation and shall not discriminate on the basis of (including but not limited to) ethnicity, age, culture, sexual orientation, language, social economic status, religion, skill level, disability or gender.
 

5.      No part of the net earnings of this Organization shall be used to the benefit of any member, director, or officer (except that reasonable compensation may be paid upon authority of the Board for services actually rendered). No member, director, or private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets upon dissolution of this Organization.

Article IV - Membership and Meetings

1.      Every parent and teacher at L’Ouverture Computer Technology Magnet Elementary School makes up the general membership. Dues may be assessed by the LPTO general membership.  A vote will be taken at the first meeting of each year to decide whether dues will be assessed for that school year.
 

2.      Meetings of the LPTO General Membership shall be held on a monthly basis, not less than three times during the school year.

Article V - The Executive Committee Officers and Their Election

1.      The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and each shall be a member of the LPTO. The Executive Committee can include teachers or school staff, but cannot hold more than 2 positions on the executive committee.
 

2.      The Officers shall be elected annually during the April LPTO General Meeting of the school year.
 

3.      The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall serve one-year terms. They will assume the duties for the following term upon the May LPTO general meeting.

 

4.      The Executive Committee will approve all non-budgeted expenditures.
 

5.      An officer shall not be eligible to serve more than two consecutive elected terms in the same office.
   

6.      Only those members who have consented to serve shall appear on the slate or be eligible as write-in candidates.
 

7.      Election shall be by a vote of a majority of members in attendance at the April General Meeting of the school year.

 

8.      A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled by the LPTO Board.

Article VI - Duties of Officers

1.      The President shall:
 

a.       Preside at all meetings of the Organization;

b.      Be a member ex-officio of all committees except the Nominating Committee;

c.       Appoint special committees;

d.      Be authorized to sign checks; Two signatures are required on all checks.

e.       The President shall have no vote except in the case of a tie;

f.        Shall become familiar with these By-Laws and act as parliamentarian at all LPTO general meetings.

g.       Review and approve all correspondence for the organization, including but not limited to committees, sub committees, LPTO board and general membership.
 

2.      The Vice-President shall:
 

a.       Aid and assist the President as needed;

b.      Perform the duties of the President in his/her absence;

c.       Be authorized to co-sign checks. Two signatures are required on all checks.

d.       Arrange for childcare during the LPTO general meetings as needed;

 

3.   The Secretary shall:
 

a.       Keep a current record of all meetings of the Organization including committees and sub-committees notes

b.       Review of minutes during LPTO general meetings

c.       Oversee distribution of all correspondence for the Organization to the general membership;

d.      Perform duties as designated by the President;

e.       Be authorized to co-sign checks; Two signatures are required on all checks.

 

4.   The Treasurer shall:

a.       Receive all monies of the Organization;

b.      Keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures and make timely deposits;

c.       Pay out funds as authorized by the LPTO Board;

d.      Maintain tax records and complete the reports as required by the Kansas Department of Revenue;

e.       Present a written financial statement at every meeting of the Organization;

f.       Shall submit a full written annual report to the incoming executive board at the final General Meeting of the school year;

g.      Be authorized to co-sign checks. Two signatures are required on all checks.

Article VII - LPTO Board

1.      The chairpersons of the standing committees, teacher representative, committee chairs, and Executive Committee shall serve one-year terms, and should not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office. The Principal shall be a standing member of the LPTO Board.

a.       A notebook which will detail relevant duties of the executive committee and   committee chairs will be maintained and passed on to the next president;

b.      The Principal will select the teacher representative annually.
 

2.      The duties of the LPTO Board shall be to:

a.       Transact the necessary business between General Membership meetings;

b.      Facilitate and approve the operations of the Organization;

c.       Present a report at the General Membership meetings of the LPTO Board meetings;

d.      Appoint an auditing committee;

e.       The notebook is to be given to the President no later than the final General Meeting of the school year.
 

3.      Meeting of the LPTO Board may be called by the President or by a majority of the LPTO Board.
 

4.      The LPTO Board may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

 

a.       Directory Chairperson;

b.      Volunteer Site Contact;

c.       Social Chairperson;

d.      Publicity Chairperson;

e.       Newsletter Chairperson;

f.       Historian;

g.      Skating Chairperson;

h.      Holiday Shop Chairperson;

i.        Carnival Chairperson;

j.        Campbell’s Soup Labels Chairperson;

k.      Box Tops Chairperson

l.        Field Day Chairperson;

m.    Popcorn Chairperson;

n.      Birthday Bulletin Board Chairperson;

o.      Fund-Raiser Chairperson;

 

 

Article VIII - Voting

1.      Budget approval requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership present at an LPTO Board meeting and ratification at an LPTO General meeting.
 

2.      Non-budgeted expenditures exceeding one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) require a majority vote of the members present at an LPTO General meeting.

Article IX - Parliamentary Authority

Robert’s Rules of Order Revised shall guide the Organization in all cases in which they are not in conflict with the By-Laws adopted by the L’Ouverture Parent Teacher Organization.

Article X - Amendments

1.      A By-Laws Committee shall be appointed as needed.

2.      An amendment to the By-Laws shall be presented to the LPTO general membership where it shall be adopted by a vote per Roberts Rules of Order of those members present.

Revision - September 1992

1.      Changed name of school to read “L’Ouverture Computer Technology Magnet Elementary School”.

2.      Article V, Section 3, added Vice-President.

Revision - September 1997

1.      Require two (2) people to count monies received for major fund raisers, of which one shall be the Treasurer and the other a member of the Executive Committee.

 

Revision – November 2009

1        Article III – Policy 1 – Changed Principals to principal

2        Article III - Policy 4 – Changed to “This Organization shall actively encourage participation and shall not discriminate on the basis of (including but not limited to) ethnicity, age, culture, sexual orientation, language, social economic status, religion, skill level, disability or gender.”

3        Article IV – 1 – Changed from the LPTO board to the LPTO general membership and added that a vote will be taken on the first meeting of each year to decide whether dues will be assessed for that year.

4        Article V – 1 - Changed to reflect the Executive Committee can include up to 2 teachers/staff.

5        Article V – 2 – Changed “last” to “April”

6        Article V – 3 – Changed “upon election” to “upon the may LPTO general Meeting”

7        Article V – Moved items regarding nominating committee to Article VII and changed title of Article V to remove “and their election”.

8        Article VI – For all Officers – Added “Two signatures are required on all checks”

9        Article VI – President – a. Changed meeting to meetings; removed “perform all other duties pertaining to the office”; f. Added LPTO general; g. Added – Review and approve all correspondence for the organization including but not limited to committees, sub committees, LPTO board and general membership.

10    Article VI – Vice President – Added “as needed” to arranging childcare;

11    Article VI – Secretary – a. added “including committees and sub-committees notes; b. Added – “Review of minutes during LPTO general meetings”; c. Changed “conduct” to “oversee distribution of” correspondence for the organization “to the general membership”.

12    Article VI – Treasurer – b. Changed deposit to deposits; f. Added “annual” report “to the incoming executive board”…;

13    Article VII – 1. Added a. - A notebook which will detail relevant duties of the executive committee and   committee chairs will be maintained and passed on to the next president; Added b. - The Principal will select the teacher representative annually.

14    Article VII – 2 – Moved c. “Approve all non-budgeted items/bills to Article V 4.; Moved f. up to Article VII 1.a.

15    Article VII – 4 – Changed Volunteer Coordinator to Site Contact; Removed “Room Parent Chairperson”; Removed Joyland; Added Box Tops Chairperson; Removed Tutor Chairperson.

16    Article VIII – 2 – Changed from $100 to $150

17    Article IX – Changed “govern” to “guide”