Instructions: We encourage you to add other items to these standing rules in order that they may serve as an instructional manual for running your PTA. However, no matter what you incorporate into your standing rules, you must include the items numbered 1 through 5, 7 through 9 AND 11 through 26 in these sample standing rules; these items are double starred. ALSO, PLEASE REMEMBER: Local PTA Standing Rules may not conflict with the New Jersey PTA Local PTA Bylaws, New Jersey PTA Bylaws or National PTA Bylaws.
Approved __May 22, 2024__
Name and Identity **
The name of this PTA is Philip’s Academy Charter School PTA Its Local PTA number is 12500747.
PTA School(s) **
This PTA serves the children in the Philip’s Academy Charter school.
Tax-exempt Status **
This PTA was granted tax exempt status under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and was assigned Employer Identification Number (EIN) number 88-1952286. A copy of the IRS letter of determination is filed in the legal document file maintained by the president and secretary.
IRS Annual Filing **
The treasurer is responsible for filing the appropriate federal Form 990 informational return prior to November 15. Copies of the current and past year’s returns are kept in the legal document file maintained by the president and secretary.
New Jersey Annual Charities Registration Filing (PTA grossing $10K or more must register) **
This PTA is registered with the New Jersey Division Consumer of Affairs, Charities Registration Section and was assigned a Charities Registration Identification number [click or tap here to enter CRI ID number]. The treasurer is responsible for filing the annual charities registration renewal form (Form 300) by December 31 to avoid penalties. Copies of the current and past year’s filings are kept in the legal document file maintained by the president and secretary.
Incorporation Annual Filing (If PTA is incorporated)
This PTA was incorporated on April 255, 20212 and assigned a New Jersey Corporation ID number 88-1952286[click or tap here to enter NJ Incorporation ID#]. The treasurer is responsible for filing the New Jersey Annual Report form online. The Incorporation ID Number is kept in the legal document file maintained by the president and secretary.
Standards of Affiliation **
Per the New Jersey PTA, this PTA will annually complete the New Jersey State PTA Standards of Affiliation agreement in its entirety, and agrees to abide by all requirements and to uphold the ethics, policies, and principles of PTA.
Membership **
Membership in Philip’s Academy Charter School (PACS) PTA shall be open to all people without discrimination. Membership is open to all parents, teachers, staff, grandparents, guardians, students, community members, and any other persons that support and encourage the purposes of PTA.
Membership Dues **
The dues for PACS PTA shall not exceed $[click or tap here to enter dollar amount]10.00 per individual adult membership, $10.00 per staff membership, and $10.00 per student household membership. All paid members may make motions, participate in debate, and vote at PTA membership meetings. Fees will go towards national and state PTA membership affiliation and support the cost of parent-sponsored activities at PACS.
Other dues packages including Family Memberships, etc. may be detailed here if applicable.
General Membership Meetings and Quorum **
Adoption of the budget, adoption of standing rules, election of the nominating committee, report of the financial review committee, and election of officers shall take place at a General Membership meeting.
A calendar of membership meetings adequate to accomplish the business of the association shall be determined by the Board of Directors. PACS PTA will hold no fewer than 6? 10 General Membership meetings a year (one per month during the 10-month school year) which will occur in person and virtually, as scheduled and arranged. General Membership meetings will be included on the annual PACS School Calendar, approved by the PACS Board of Trustees.
Each member will receive notice of the place, date, and time of the meetings not less than five days prior to the date of the meeting. A quorum of at least ten members or double the number of your officers plus one, whichever is greater, must be present to conduct business. A special or emergency meeting may be called via email or text within 3 days’ notice, with proper promotion of the meeting to general membership.
Board of Directors Meetings **
The PACS PTA Board of Directors shall set a calendar of regular board meeting dates and times. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the president or upon written request of the majority of members of the Board of Directors. Notification of place, date, time, and purpose of the meeting shall be delivered to each member of the Board of Directors at least five days prior to the special meeting. Quorum for board meetings is a majority of the sitting board.
The right to make motions, participate in debate, and vote at PTA Board of Directors’ meetings shall be limited to members of the Board of Directors.
Elected officers and standards of affiliation **
The elected officers of this PTA shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
Officers shall be elected at a General Membership meeting annually in the month of May for the following school year, beginning July 1.
A term of office shall be one (1) year or until a successor is elected.
This PTA will review the NJPTA Standards of Affiliation yearly. The Secretary is responsible for filing required documentation, unless another officer including the Treasurer, is the identified designee to perform these responsibilities.
Officer Duties **
The specific duties that the officers are responsible for:
President: The President will preside at all meetings of this PTA and coordinate the work of the Officers and Committees of this PTA to promote the purposes. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating and Financial Review Committees. The President shall:
Call meetings to order on time and proceed with the business.
Maintain a fair and impartial position as it pertains to all meeting proceedings when serving as the presiding officer.
Prepare an agenda for each meeting with the minutes previously provided by the secretary and give copy of proposed agenda to secretary.
Have a copy of the current NJPTA-approved, local PTA bylaws present at every meeting.
File his/her signature at the bank at which the funds are deposited.
Sign all checks with the treasurer.
Represent the PTA at all district or state functions when invited or assign an alternate.
Nominates chairs of standing committees and sets agenda time for discussion and approval by the executive committee at executive meeting.
Coordinate the work of officers and committees so that the goals of the PTA are realized.
Prepare a calendar for the year with the executive committee.
Share all National PTA, NJPTA, and County PTA mailings (digital and postal) and other information addressed to the president with all Local PTA members, especially officers and chairs.
Notify the NJPTA of any change in address.
Authorize the report forms from NJPTA in a timely fashion. Return the NJTPA form for change of officers immediately following elections, or elections or ensure that the secretary does so.
Sign all contracts for the association as President.
Serve as primary point of contact and communication between the PACS Board of Trustees, including the parent representative on the PACS Board of Trustees or ensure that this responsibility is assigned to other members of the PACS PTA Board of Directors where appropriate.
With the approval of the executive committee, may appoint any member in good standing to fill any vacancy on the Board for the unexpired term of the vacant office.
Vice President: The Vice President will act as an aide to the President and will, in their designated order, perform the duties of the President in the President’s absence or inability to serve. Duties shall be delegated to him/her/them by the President or the Board of Directors of this PTA. The Vice President Shall:
Preside at all meetings when the president is unable to attend.
Maintain a fair and impartial position as it pertains to all meeting proceedings when serving as the presiding officer.
Attend all county or state meetings if the president is unable to do so.
Not be ex-officio on committees in the absence of the president.
If a vacancy occurs in the office of the president, in the designated order, until election takes place, assume duties for the remaining term according to the bylaws.
Serve as primary point of contact and communication between the PACS Principal, and Operations team and PACS Parent Liaison and the PACS PTA, or PACS PTA or ensure that this responsibility is assigned to other members of the Board of Directors where appropriate.
The Vice President will ensure that all correspondences between the PACS PTA and PACS Principal (or his/her/their designee) and Operations team are received and recorded on behalf of the PTA Board of Directors.
If a vacancy occurs in the office of the president, in the designated order, until election takes place, assume duties for the remaining term according to the bylaws.
When necessary, file his/her signature as a third authorizing signature at the bank at which the funds are deposited and sign checks when the President or Treasurer are unavailable or unable to serve as the second authorizing signer.
Secretary: The Secretary will perform duties of both a Recording and Corresponding Secretary. The Secretary shall:
Have minutes submitted to all elected officers within 10 days of previous meeting to assist in preparation of agenda.
Keep minutes in a singular book of record, either digitally through email or easily accessible cloud-based storage system or in hard copy in a singular bound book or binder.
Maintain a permanent file of minutes, committee reports, membership lists, and other records of the association that can be easily accessed by all officers and members of the Board of Directors, as these are official documents of the association.
Bring the following items to each meeting:
A copy of the current NJPTA-approved, Local PTA bylaws and these standing rules
An accurate and most current list of members
The agenda
The minutes of the previous meeting, including the Treasurer’s report
The list of unfinished business
The list of all committees, their chairs, and members
Publish Complete all approved General Membership minutes and share with designated webmaster to be uploaded to on the official PTA web page no less than ten (10) calendar days after the meeting.
Record attendance at each Board of Directors and Executive meeting, and meeting and reflect attendance in the minutes accurately.
Retrieve and read all correspondences received on behalf of the association.
Send notices to members of executive committee or Board of Directors meetings.
Manage official local PTA phone number and voice messaging services and ensure response to all communications.
Prepare for distribution to the membership all notices of general meetings, or assign this responsibility to another member of the Board of Directors and ensure adequate completion.
Maintain an up-to-date file of all correspondences.
Maintain and up-to-date file of all account access privileges.
Maintain and safeguard log-in credentials (usernames, passwords, etc.) for all communication accounts and platforms used by this PTA to communicate with Board of Directors, general membership, and broader PACS community.
Oversees access and use of accounts, tracking access to all accounts and reporting periodically with executive committee members and committee chairs.
Webmaster for parent portals and communication platforms.
Treasurer: The Treasurer will retain custody of all funds of this PTA, keep an accurate record of all accounts, receipts and expenditures, and pay all debts of this PTA following the approved budget as authorized by this PTA. All checks have two (2) signatures. The President and Treasurer are the primary authorized signers on the bank account of this PTA, with a third (3rd) authorized signer (who shall be one of the other elected officers of this PTA) designated by the Treasurer and approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors in the event of an emergency or long-term unavailability of one of the primary authorized signers. The Treasurer will ensure that no signer shall be related by marriage, law, or blood, and/or living in the same household. Additionally, the Treasurer shall:
Present a financial statement of accounts (Treasurer’s Report) at every Board of Directors and designated General Membership Meetings (at least twice annually).
Include the following information in the Treasurer’s report:
Balance on hand in all accounts at the beginning of the period covered by the report.
Receipts and disbursements in all accounts.
Total balance on hand in all accounts at the end of the period covered by that report.
Send all required payments by the required filing dates.
Include the Local PTA name and number on all checks submitted to the NJPTA and the National PTA.
Work with NJPTA to prepare and file the 990/990-EZ/990N and Charities Registration forms when required.
Chair the budget committee to prepare the budget, if so stated.
Present the budget report to the president and the Board of Directors every three months, or as requested.
Alert the Board of Directors to the line items in the budget near depletion, as well as those over budget.
Complete and file new bank forms, when necessary.
Immediately following a PTA event, deposit all funds received into the PTA account, which shall occur no more than ten (10three (3) bank business days after the event concludes.
Have books, records, and receipts prepared for the audit at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting in which the audit report is due, based on approved local bylaws.
Prepare an annual financial report for the PACS annual meeting.
Pay membership dues to the NJPTA when required.
Submit a copy of the Annual Audit Report to the NJPTA office immediately following the completion of the audit.
Serve as primary point of contact and communication between the PACS School Business Administration and the PACS PTA, or PACS PTA or ensure that this responsibility is assigned to other members of the Board of Directors where appropriate. The Treasurer will e
Ensure that all correspondences between the PACS PTA and PACS School Business Administration (or his/her/their designee) are received and recorded on behalf of the PTA Board of Directors.
PACS PTA Board of Directors **
The Board of Directors of this PTA shall consist of eleven (11) members, including the PTA elected officers, the PACS Board of Trustees Liaison, the Class Parents Liaison, and and the chairmen chairpersons of the following standing committees: a) Budget & Finance Fundraising Committee, b) Education, Safety & School Culture Committee, c) Fundraising & Events Committee, Athletics, Arts & Enrichment (AAE) Committee Athletics Committee, d) Engagement, Volunteering & Events Committee; e) Class Parents & Communications Committee, and Upper School Pathways Education Committee. Parents, teachers, staff and community members can serve as chair for any of the standing committees. However, any individual (parent, teacher, staff or community member) receiving compensation from PACS or its affiliates is permitted to serve as committee chair or in the function of liaison. All elected officers and chairpersons must be members in good standing (dues paid) to be eligible to serve in any elected or appointed position. Removal of an officer: Removal of an officer is permissible at any time, with good cause by majority vote of the Board of Directors. An officer subject to removal, shall be notified in writing with a state of reasons for their removal.
The Chairpersons serving on The Board of Directors shall oversee the following of this PTA shall consist of the elected officers and the chairperson of the following standing committees:
Budget & Fundraising Finance Committee
Prepares the proposed PTA budget for the year; submits the budget to the PTA Board of Directors for approval and to the general membership for adoption.
Monitors the spending of the PTA to ensure that the approved/adopted budget is not exceeded.
Responsible for raising the amount of funding needed to meet the proposed annual budget of the PTA, outside of revenue-generating school-led events.
Includes PTA treasurer as standing committee member (but not committee chair), to ensure alignment with PTA financial management activities and works cooperatively with the PTA president and treasurer in accounting for receipts and disbursements for activities
Secures resources for all PTA programs and activities and provides guidance for all PTA fundraising, including selection of appropriate activities, sponsorships, and legal implications.
Plans events specifically organized for fundraising, in accordance with policy, practice and procedures to be sure the activity is allowed (e.g. games of chance).
Prepares the proposed budget for the PTA year and submits it to the Board of Directors for approval and to the general membership for adoption.
Works with the PACS School Business Administration to align on fiscal priorities, targets and goals for jointly funded programming.
Records fundraising revenue targets and event expenditures and tracks and reports outcomes of all fundraising activities as part of the regular PTA accounting process.
Monitors the spending of the PTA to ensure that the approved/adopted budget is not exceeded.
Recommends budget adjustments to approved revenue and expenditures over the course of the fiscal year based on account activities and shortfalls, to be approved by the Board of Directors and adopted by the general membership.
Selects Chair and oversees the Financial Review sub-committee, which will:
Be responsible to conduct a financial review of PTA books at the close of the fiscal year (June 30).
Identify and install Ensure the financial review required three members sub-committee has the required three members (including the sub-committee chair) appointed by the president and approved by the Board of Directors.
Perform the financial review and present the report of this sub-committee at the regularly scheduled membership meeting immediately following the review.
Ensure this sub-committee does not include the president, the treasurer, any person authorized to sign on the PTA bank accounts for the period that is being reviewed, any individuals related by marriage or blood to the authorized signers, or any individuals living in the households of the authorized signers.
Education, Safety & School Culture Committee
Promotes awareness and programs concerning educational issues and encourages participation in state and local educational issues.
Serves as the lead advocacy committee to ensure the safety and well-being of students, family, staff and school stakeholders, including issues related to out-of-school transportation and safety crossing, identifying and promoting awareness of safety problems, helping to develop solutions.
Promotes cultural competency across key social domains represented within the school (justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging) to preserve affirming environment that builds positive school relationships.
Promotes awareness and programs concerning educational issues and encourages participation in state and local educational issues.
Monitors and reports on PACS board meetings, and meetings and keeps members abreast of any educational issues or projects.
Meets regularly with school instructional leaders to discuss curriculum and student academic support programs including special education and reports outcomes of these meetings to Board of Directors.
Athletics, Arts & Enrichment (AAE) Committee
Encourages full school community participation in athletic, artistic and enrichment activities, both in the classroom and through extracurricular and afterschool activities.
Plans, sponsors and/or supports key athletic, arts and enrichment activities and events, including (but not limited to) athletic pep rallies, Family Math Night, Multicultural Night, Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Eid celebrations, and school musicals, art gallery walks and other performances.
Works closely with the Fundraising & Events Committee to ensure continuous funding for extracurricular programs and activities year-round.
Engagement, Volunteering & Events Committee
Oversees and manages family and community engagement events and communicates activities to school community through flyers, social media and other strategies.
Serves as the standing committee for PTA Membership and annual officer nominations.
Has authority to convene ad hoc committees to facilitate the execution of major school events and activities, including overseeing budget expenses and revenue generation in coordination with the Budget & Fundraising Committee and the PTA treasurer.
Identify essential sub-committees with designated leads for each significant PACS calendared event to provide
Maintain volunteer contact lists and solicitations, and oversees volunteer safety and adherence to school policies
Work directly with the Parent Engagement Coordinator/Liaison on and teachers
Grade Level Communications Committee
Secure class parents for each classroom and engage class parents collectively to ensure each classroom has a designated parent that works with classroom teacher on communication
Work directly with the Parent Liaison on ….
High Upper School Pathways Committee
Focuses on how best to serve upper school students and future PACS graduates as they prepare to successfully select and transition to the secondary school of their choice.
Work with PACS Secondary School Counselor to support activities, events and communications focused on educational life beyond eighth grade, including programming that will ensure students are adequately prepared for high school entrance and success.
Work with PACS administration to track annual matriculation to Independent Day, Boarding, Parochial and Public schools, building connections between current students and alumni to support high school advancement of PACS graduates.
The Board of Directors of this PTA shall also consist of two liaisons selected by the PTA Executive Committee:
PACS Board of Trustees Liaison, who serves as a PTA parent representative and an ex-officio member of the PACS Board of Trustees, participating in public session matters as a non-voting member and abiding by all regulations and policies that govern the PACS Board of Trustees.
Class Parent Liaison, who works with Engagement Committee to ensure each classroom has a designated parent that works with classroom teacher on communication, supporting and assisting class parents by supplying pertinent information and engaging class parents collectively to identify volunteers for school event, fundraisers and activities.
Training Requirements **
This PTA will ensure that each officer attends a minimum of one NJPTA-approved training during the fiscal year, including any NJ PTA Local PTA training.
Committees **
The Board of Directors shall establish committees. Committee Chairs shall be appointed by the by the members of the Board of Directors at the time of appointment for a term of one year. All Committee Chairs must be current members of this PTA. A committee chair may be removed from their position by a vote of the Board of Directors.
Budget and Monthly Financial Reports **
This PTA shall propose approve an annual operating budget by July 31 of each year which must be approved by the general body no later than September 30. The General Membership has the authority to reallocate funds budgeted for one purpose to another purpose. The treasurer will submit a monthly financial report to the Board of Directors.
Financial Review **
The PTA is required to conduct a financial review of its books at the close of the fiscal year. (June 30). A financial review committee with a minimum of three members appointed by the president and approval of the Board of Directors will perform the financial review. The report of the committee will be presented at the regularly scheduled membership meeting immediately following the review.
Members of this committee shall not include the president, the treasurer, any person authorized to sign on the PTA bank accounts for the period that is being reviewed, any individuals related by marriage or blood to the authorized signers, or any individuals living in the households of the authorized signers.
Bank Account **
This PTA shall establish one or more accounts in financial institutions as determined by the Board of Directors. Any such account shall require the signatures of officers as prescribed in the PTA Bylaws.
Independent Review of Bank Statements **
The PTA’s monthly bank account statements shall be provided to a member appointed by the Board of Directors. This member will be appointed by the board at the beginning of the fiscal year. This member is responsible for reviewing the accounts and shall not be a signer on the accounts. The reviewer shall promptly report to the Board of Directors any concerns or discrepancies identified in the review. If no concerns or discrepancies are seen, the reviewer shall initial and date the account statements and provide them to the treasurer.
Bank Account Signers **
The President and Treasurer will be the authorized signers of all bank accounts unless there are extenuating circumstances. In such circumstances, the Board of Directors shall determine which other officer shall have signing authority.
There must be a third signer in addition to the President and Treasurer. The Board of Directors shall also determine who the third officer on the bank accounts will be. The signers of all bank accounts of this PTA shall be: President and Treasurer as primary signers, with Vice President or Fundraising Chairperson as authorized third officer.
No signers shall be related by marriage, law, or blood, and/or living in the same household.
Payments and Reimbursements **
All payment and reimbursement requests shall include an invoice or a receipt and should be submitted to the treasurer within 30 calendar days of expenditure. Payments and reimbursement will be standardly issued by the Treasurer on the 15th and 30th day of each month. Any requests for reimbursement not submitted prior to the date determined by the treasurer prior to the end of the school year, will be considered a donation to the general fund of this PTA. No authorized signer will sign a check to themself. Two authorized signers must sign all PTA checks.
Voting Delegates **
This PTA may send as many voting delegates to the NJPTA Convention as allowed by the NJPTA State Bylaws.
If this PTA belongs to a council PTA, the number of voting delegates that this PTA may send will be listed in that council PTA’s bylaws.
Awards **
NJPTA Honorary Life Membership and NJPTA Meritorious Service Awards may be awarded. The PACS PTA president shall appoint Executive Committee will serve as the awards committee, with the approval of the Board of Directors. The awards committee and will determine the number of award recipients and whether other awards will be considered on an annual basis, based on the yearly awards budget. Note that a New Jersey PTA
Standing Rules (Adoption/Amendments) **
The standing rules of this PTA shall be adopted annually by majority vote at the first membership meeting of the school year.
The standing rules may be amended at a membership meeting by majority vote if previous notice of the meeting was given. If no previous notice was given, then a two-thirds (2/3) vote is required. The adopted standing rules of this PTA must be submitted to NJPTA to be held on file for reference.
Policy Review (optional)
This PTA shall maintain policies for [click or tap here to enter list of policies]. Suggestions include: board standards of conduct, money handling, social media management, credit/debit card policy, reimbursement policies, online banking, after school activities, and password transition. These policies shall be reviewed and approved yearly by the Board of Directors. These policies shall reside with the secretary.
Collaboration with Other Organizations (optional)
This PTA may collaborate with non-PTA organizations. The PTA will handle only PTA funds and will have in place a signed contract with the other organization to clearly establish whether it is a PTA activity or the other organization’s activity.
Code of Conduct and Social Media Use (optional)
Elected officers, committee of this PTA shall follow a board code of conduct. Officers, chairpersons, and volunteers shall adhere to the volunteer and social media policies of [click or tap here to enter school district name] Philip’s Academy Charter School Volunteer Handbook policies.
Members of this PTA shall not use their own personal social media platforms to cyberbully, insult, embarrass, target, or post threats of physical or verbal abuse towards any individuals, including school board officials, school administrators, teachers, PTA members, volunteers, or other individuals that are associated with Philip’s Academy Charter School.
This PTA shall have a social media policy which shall be reviewed yearly by the Board of Directors.
Liability
The PACS PTA shall carry Liability insurance and keep a policy in good standing. The annual renewal date shall be May of each year, solicited by the Treasurer and authorized by the PACS PTA Board of Directors.