Munson Parent-Teacher Organization Bylaws

revised September 2023 

ARTICLE I – NAME

A.  The name of this organization shall be the Munson Parent-Teacher Organization 

      (MPTO). 

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

A. The MPTO is a self-governing 501(c) (3) organization approved and sponsored by the Chardon Board of Education.  

B. The objective of this organization shall be to aid the students of Munson Elementary by providing support for their education and recreational needs and by promoting open communication between administration, teachers and parents. This organization will support and promote Chardon Local Schools’ ideas, programs, purposes and philosophy of education.

C.  The MPTO and its members shall serve as role models by following the Munson School Expectations/Rules.

ARTICLE III – BASIC POLICIES

A.  Names of individual MPTO members shall not be used in connection with commercial endeavors.

B.  The MPTO shall not enter into any political campaign or support any political issue without the consent of the membership through a majority vote of those present at a

MPTO regular monthly meeting or a special meeting.

C. The MPTO organization is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and/or scientific purposes, under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  In the event this organization is dissolved, the remaining assets must be used for exempt purposes, within the meaning of section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code such as charitable, educational, and/or scientific, or shall be distributed to the Federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose and will be disbursed by decision of the MPTO voting members.

D.  MPTO concerns will be kept separate from individual concerns.  Volunteers working

for MPTO will conduct themselves according to existing bylaws.  In all other cases,

parents are considered to represent their own individual interests. 

E.  Any official MPTO correspondence is required to have prior approval from the  Executive Board, subject to the approval of the building principal.

F.  Funds donated to Munson Elementary School shall be used solely to supplement the educational and recreational needs of the children. 

G.  We agree that no part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof.  No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the 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 these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on  (a ) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or  (b ) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP

A.  Qualifications: Every parent and guardian of children attending Munson Elementary School and all staff members of Munson Elementary School are considered members of the MPTO. 

B.  Dues: There shall be no membership dues.

C.  Voting Privileges: Each member (all staff members, mothers, fathers and/or guardians and Executive Board members) present at General Membership meetings shall have one equal vote. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote decides the tie. 

ARTICLE V – GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

A.  Regular meetings of the MPTO general membership shall be held during the school year either in person or virtually.  

B. An announcement for each MPTO meeting shall be distributed to Munson parents via Munson Messenger, email, or social media. In the event of a virtual meeting, link shall also be distributed via Munson Messenger, email, and social media at least 5 days prior. 

C. Five (5) days notice shall be given prior to a change of meeting date via Munson Messenger, email, or social media.

D.  Additional meetings may be called at any time at the discretion of the MPTO President.

E.  The membership will receive five (5) days notice to any special meetings called to order, via Munson Messenger, email, or social media.   

F.  Both the election and installation of the new officers may take place at the last General Membership meeting of the year. .

G.  A quorum shall constitute a majority of MPTO members present in present & virtually. All members present shall be recorded in official meeting minutes. 

H.  A written and/or email vote can be requested for any monetary requests over $250.00 that are not allocated in the approved budget.

ARTICLE VI – EXECUTIVE BOARD

A.  Composition: The Executive Board shall consist of the following officers: President(s), Vice President(s), Secretary(s), Treasurer, and Munson School Principal.

B.   Duties: The Executive Board shall have the general charge and control of the affairs, funds and property of the MPTO and shall hold final fiscal responsibility. The Executive Board shall be responsible for identifying and prioritizing the needs and interests of MPTO members. The Executive Board is further responsible for setting overall goals, developing operating plans and coordinating the implementation of MPTO activities, events, services and fundraising efforts.

C.  The Executive Board shall find candidates for any unfilled officer positions. 

D.  The Executive Board shall approve the chairs for each committee. 

E.  The Executive Board shall have the authority to transact necessary business between regular meetings.

F.  The Executive Board shall have the authority to spend up to $250.00 without approval of the general membership in imminent situations between meetings.  All funds spent between meetings shall be reported at the next MPTO General Membership meeting. Any amount exceeding $250.00 must be pre-approved at a General Membership meeting, or as provided by article V, letter G.

G. The Executive Board shall approve plans of action of standing and ad hoc committees.

H.  Executive Board meetings shall be held prior to a MPTO General Membership Meeting.  

I.   Three (3) members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum. 

J.  The Executive Board may remove from office by majority vote any Officer of the MPTO Board for failing to perform his or her requisite duties on the PTO Board, for violating school policy or school rules. A vacancy in any office, because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, may be filled for the remaining portion of the term by majority vote of the Officers present at the designated Executive Board meeting.

ARTICLE VII - ELECTION OF OFFICERS

A.  MPTO elected officers shall be: President(s), Vice President(s), Secretary(s) and Treasurer.

B.  The position of Vice President has the first option of becoming president the following year.

C. The Executive Board will recruit volunteers to serve as officers in any unfilled positions of MPTO.  They shall compile a list of nominees for any unfilled position as needed, and if no nominations are received for a specific office, they shall actively seek candidates for that specific office.

D.  Only those persons who have signified their consent to serve if elected shall be nominated. Nominations are closed two weeks prior to the last  General Membership meeting of the year, at which time the nominations will be published.

E.  Officers shall be elected annually by a written ballot at the last General Membership meeting by a majority of those members in attendance.  They shall assume official duties August 1st. They shall turn over all records to their successors by the end of their term, which shall conclude July 31st.

F.   If a vacancy in the office of President occurs, the Executive Board shall assume those duties.  Other elective vacancies shall be filled by majority vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board. Those so elected shall serve the remainder of that term in office.

G.   No member shall hold more than one (1) office at a time. No officers shall be eligible to serve in the same office for more than 3 consecutive years, unless no other candidates are identified and with approval of the membership. 

ARTICLE VIII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

A. One officer shall serve as liaison on each fundraising event committee during the year. 

B.  The President(s) shall:

1. Preside at all regular, special and Executive Board meetings.

2. Have the authority to disburse funds in addition to the Treasurer.

3. Monitor the checking account in the name of the Munson Parent-Teacher Organization, including receiving text alerts of all debit card purchases made by the Treasurer.

4. Coordinate work of all committees with a diverse group of committee chair people.

5. Decide a tie with his/her own vote. 

6. Handle all incoming official correspondence.

7. Turn over all records to successor within the first two weeks of the new fiscal year. A transition meeting is also recommended. 

C.  The Vice President(s) shall:

1. Assume duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence or resignation.

2. Learn the work of the MPTO, its volunteers and that of the school and school district.

3. Gather information on Munson PTO members interested in volunteering at PTO sponsored events throughout the school year.

4. Attend Executive Board Meetings.

5. Perform such duties as the President and Executive Board designate.

6. Coordinate parent volunteers for classroom parties and events. Sign ups shall be communicated approximately 4 weeks before each party.

7. Coordinate teacher appreciation week events yearly as well as various teacher meals and snack needs. 

8. Coordinate a group of volunteers to lead various fundraising activities and affinity programs. 

9. Reconcile the MTPO checking account statements monthly.

10. Chair the Bylaws Review Committee and recommend revisions.

11. Turn over all records to successor within the first two weeks of the new fiscal year. A transition meeting is also recommended. 

D.  The Secretary(s) shall:

1. Record the minutes of all General Membership meetings and all Executive Board meetings.

2. Handle all personal MPTO correspondence.

3. Perform such duties as the President and Executive Board designate.

4. Turn over all records to successor within the first two weeks of the new fiscal year. A transition meeting is also recommended. 

5. Make minutes of MPTO general meetings available after they have been approved.

6. Compiling agenda and contacting committee chair members.

7. Maintain & update the MPTO website , MPTO newsletter, and MPTO social media pages.

E.   The Treasurer shall:

1. Maintain a ledger of all funds received or disbursed and shall report at each

       regular meeting of all receipts, disbursements, allocations and balances since the

       last meeting.

2. Have the authority to disburse funds in accordance with membership approval.

3. Maintain a checking account in the name of the Munson Parent-Teacher Organization.  The signatures of (1) the Treasurer and (2) the President shall be required to validate a check. A debit card may be issued to the Treasurer; text alerts for the President shall be set up to alert all debit transactions.

4. Any check written to “cash” shall require prior written approval of the MPTO President. 

5. Provide the Vice President with monthly checking account statements for review and approval.

6. Ensure all necessary paperwork is submitted to our accountant for tax filing purposes no more than two weeks after the fiscal year ends. 

7. Turn over all records to successor within the first two weeks of the new fiscal year. A transition meeting is also recommended. 

8. Change names of authorized users on Munson PTO checking account to new (1) President and (2) Treasurer within the first two weeks of the new fiscal year.

9. Deposit all money received within seven (7) days in a bank account in the name of the MPTO. 

10. No funds of the organization shall be placed in a personal account.

11. Issue a receipt when cash amounts exceeding $10.00 are received, if requested.

12. Perform such duties as the President and Executive Board designate.

F.   The Munson School Principal shall:

1. Attend Executive Board meetings OR meeting quarterly with the MPTO President during school hours.

2. Provide feedback for yearly budget needs including student enrichment programs, classroom needs budgets, and other areas before the yearly budget planning meeting.                                                

3. Assist in gathering quarterly staff feedback on PTO involvement. 

4. Act as a sounding board for all Munson PTO executive board members.  

ARTICLE IX –COMMITTEES

Committees may include, but are not limited to: Fundraising, Family Fun Events, Holiday Events, In-School Events (Book Fair, Field Day, Last Day, etc), Teacher Appreciation, Scholarship, Birthday Board, Spiritwear.

A. Each Standing Committee shall have its own chairperson approved by the Executive Board at or before its first committee meeting.

B. The chairperson of each committee shall be an active MPTO member (per member requirements – Article IV, Section A).

C. At the discretion of the Executive Board, each Standing Committee chairperson shall present an oral and/or written plan of action to the Executive Board at the last general meeting prior to the planned event.

D. All funds gathered to cover event costs, if any, shall be submitted to the treasurer for deposit with written documentation of funds received.

E. All costs incurred for the event shall be paid by the Treasurer via PTO check or debit card OR committee members may submit proper reimbursement paperwork to the Treasurer. No funds gathered for the event shall be directly spent to cover costs. 

F. At the discretion of the Executive Board, each Standing Committee chairperson shall submit an oral and/or written summary at the General Membership meeting after the event.

G. Each chairperson shall act as a sounding board for the next chairperson.

H. Ad hoc committees shall be created at the discretion of the Executive Board. These committees are formed for a single purpose and their activity is terminated when that purpose has been served. At the discretion of the Executive Board, a written and/ or oral summary is to be provided by the ad hoc committee chairperson upon the completion of the committee’s work. 

ARTICLE X - FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the MPTO will begin annually on August 1 and end on July 31.

ARTICLE XI - FINANCES

A.  A budget meeting will take place before the first General Membership meeting of the school year. A representative of each committee may submit a budget form for consideration if necessary.

B. A projected budget shall be submitted for approval by the Executive Board to the General Membership at the first General Membership meeting.

C.  All requests for funding by the MPTO for projects and activities shall be submitted during summer transition meetings, prior to the first MPTO meeting for the following school year.  Additionally, all requests for reimbursement must be submitted in the same school year in which the event occurred.

D. The Treasurer’s books shall be examined every other year on odd numbered years by an auditor or auditing committee.

E.  Organizational funds should be turned over to the Treasurer without delay.  The treasurer shall deposit all money received within seven (7) days in a bank account in the name of the MPTO.  Checks will not be accepted by the MPTO by parties with a previous record of two (2) returned checks within a fiscal year.

 F.  Any bank fees incurred by the MPTO resulting from returned checks shall be paid  by the issuer of the check.

ARTICLE XII – LIMITATION OF RESPONSIBILITY

All equipment donated to the Munson Elementary School becomes the property of the 

  school. The MPTO will not be responsible for further upkeep and maintenance.

ARTICLE XIII – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The conduct of meetings and voting at Board meetings shall be governed by

ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER (REVISED) in all cases to which they are not

consistent with these Bylaws.

ARTICLE XIV-BYLAWS REVISIONS

A. The Bylaws Review Committee shall:

1. Be formed in January or February and will meet there after to consider revisions to the By-Laws.  

2. Recommended revisions, if any, shall be submitted to the membership at the March General Membership meeting, or any meeting prior to that.

3.   Consist of one (1) teacher liaison, the Vice President, one additional executive board member, and/or any other interested MPTO members.  

B. To become effective, bylaw revisions shall be approved by a majority of the members present at the last regular MPTO General Membership meeting of the school year or any other meeting called for that purpose.

C. The newly revised Bylaws shall take effect at the start of the new fiscal year.

D. The Bylaw Revision Committee may reconvene with the approval of a majority vote at a General Membership meeting, with any further recommended revisions submitted for approval at the next General Membership meeting.

E. As Chardon Local Schools institutes district reconfiguration, these bylaws are subject to change prior to the scheduled 2020 revisions.

ARTICLE XV – DISSOLUTION

A.  The MPTO may be dissolved provided prior notice is given to the MPTO Membership, a vote is taken at the next scheduled Regular MPTO meeting (a quorum must be met), and the request is approved by a majority vote of those present.

B.  Remaining Funds. Upon a vote to dissolve the MPTO, the remaining MPTO funds shall first be used to pay any outstanding MPTO debt and then either: 

1.  A vote shall be taken by the MPTO Membership to spend remaining funds on an item or items that benefit the students; or 

2.  The remaining funds should be held in escrow by the Principal for use by a future School PTO. If a PTO is not formed within 24 months, the funds shall revert to the School and be used toward the benefit of the students under the discretion of the Principal. 

Original bylaws adopted 5-25-06

Revisions Approved 2-7-08

Revisions approved April 2009

Revisions approved April 2010

Revisions Approved April 2013

Revisions Approved March 2014

Revisions Approved March 2015

Revisions Approved March 2017

Revisions Approved May 2018

Revisions Approved May 2019

Revisions Approved October 2023

Munson Elementary School PTO (MPTO)

CODE OF CONDUCT 

(Appendix “A” to Munson Parent-Teacher Organization Bylaws)

The MPTO is operated by volunteers and is governed by the rules of the MPTO Bylaws, our School Board, and our Principal. Below is a list of guidelines we would like to follow in the interest of productivity and respect for all volunteers.

All MPTO Officers and Chairpersons agree to:

1. Follow school policy at all school-related functions, activities, and meetings.

Sign in with the front office and abide by the school rules when in the school or on school property.

2. Be polite and respectful of fellow MPTO members.

Discussions, questions, and even disagreements should be polite and courteous. Conflicts should focus on issues, not individuals. Speak up when you have an opinion or question but please support the final decisions of the MPTO and/or our school principal.

3. Be a team player.

Use your talents and gifts to the best of your ability and let others do the same. Everyone has something to contribute.

4. Fulfill their duties or responsibilities.

Please fulfill your obligations to the best of your ability. The reputation and success of the MPTO and event for which you’ve volunteered depends on promises being kept. Being a part of the MPTO is about the support and improvement of Munson Elementary School and our children. Put the best interests of the school and the students ahead of individual desires.

5. Refrain from bringing children to school functions without the MPTO and/or Principal’s express approval.

At school events, children who are not being supervised by a teacher can distract volunteers who are serving. More importantly, our school policy generally forbids children who are not students to be on school grounds for most volunteer activities that take place during school hours. If you are making a school visit to pick up or drop off items or perform a brief function, your children may be permitted to accompany you (with approval) if you supervise them.

6. Be an ambassador for our school.

Promote our school and speak well of it to others. Be especially respectful of our school and its personnel and programs in conversations with others and when using social media and other means of publicity. Look for opportunities to introduce yourself and invite other parents to be involved in the MPTO. We will grow and thrive given the support of many. Support our MPTO by attending meetings and volunteering when it’s convenient for you. Stay informed about what is happening with the MPTO by checking our website, reading MPTO newsletters, and reading emails sent by MPTO Executive Committee members. 

Our goal is to support our teachers, administrators, MPTO members, and parents.