Bylaws of the John F. Pattie, Sr.

Elementary School

Parent-Teacher Cooperative Organization

Article I: Name and Purpose

Section 1. The name of this organization is the John F. Pattie, Sr. Elementary School
Parent-Teacher Cooperative Organization, hereafter referred to as the “organization” or
“PTCO”. It is the official parent-teacher organization of the John F. Pattie, Sr.
Elementary School and has been in existence since August, 1978. These bylaws were
revised on February 15, 2011.

Section 2. The purpose of the PTCO shall be to assist in the implementation of John F.
Pattie, Sr. Elementary School’s Mission Statement. The PTCO is organized solely for
charitable and educational purposes as defined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code and according to the laws of the State of Virginia for volunteer, non-profit
organizations.

Section 3. The name of the PTCO and the names of its members in their official
capacities shall not be used in connection with a commercial concern or political interest or
for any purpose not appropriately related to the stated purpose of the PTCO.

Article II: Membership and Dues

Section 1. Any administrator, faculty member or staff member of the school, any parent
or guardian of a child attending the school, or the parent/guardian of a child who will be
enrolled in the school during the current school year is eligible to become a member of the
PTCO.

Section 2. Any eligible person may join the organization at any time during the
membership year. The membership year of the PTCO shall coincide with the fiscal year of
the organization, which is defined as July 1 through June 30.

Section 3. At the June meeting, the Executive Board will recommend the membership
dues for the following year, to be voted on by the membership. If dues are not defined at
that meeting, the same dues rate will apply from the previous membership year.

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Section 4. Only members of the organization who are in good standing shall be eligible to:

A. Serve in any of its elective or appointive positions.

B. Vote on any matters brought before the membership or make motions during
PTCO meetings.

C. Enjoy and be entitled to all of the benefits of such membership.

Section 5. A member in good standing is defined as an individual who has paid his/her
PTCO membership dues and adheres to the policies outlined in these Bylaws.

Article III: Officers and Elections

Section 1. Elected Officers.

A. The Elected Officers of the PTCO shall be:

1. President

2. Vice President

3. Secretary

4. Treasurer

5. Parliamentarian

B. Any member of the PTCO in good standing is eligible to run for office.

C. These officers shall be elected annually at the May meeting of the

organization.

D. Officers shall be elected by ballot.

E. A person shall not be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms
in the same office.

F. Officers shall assume their duties at the end of the fiscal year and serve
for a term of one fiscal year, which is defined as July 1 – June 30.

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 G. The Treasurer shall complete all official duties for the current fiscal
year before the new Treasurer assumes the responsibilities for the
upcoming year. See Article IV, Section 4K.

Section 2. Nominating Procedures

A. At the March meeting, nominations for officers will open. Only those
who have signified their consent to serve if elected shall be nominated for
any office. Nominations should be submitted to the Secretary before the
April meeting.

B. At the April meeting, nominations will also be accepted from the floor.
At the close of the April meeting, nominations for officer elections will be
closed.

C. After the April meeting, officer nominations will be posted to the PTCO
website and emailed to PTCO members.

Section 3. Elections

A. Any member of the PTCO in good standing may vote for officers.

B. After the nominations have been posted to the website, a current PTCO
member may request an absentee ballot from the Parliamentarian, who must
verify membership. In order to be counted, the absentee ballot must be
returned to the Parliamentarian before the May election meeting. Once a
person has been issued one absentee ballot, they will not be given another.

C. Officers shall be elected by majority vote at the May meeting. Any

absentee ballots given to the Parliamentarian shall be included at this time.

D. If there are more than two nominees for the same office and none
receive a majority of votes on the first ballot, the two nominees with the
highest number of votes will participate in an immediate runoff election.

E. An election shall be valid only if there is a quorum participating in the

vote. For the purposes of officer elections, a quorum will be defined as 10%
of members in good standing.

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 Section 4. Vacancies

A. A vacancy in any office shall be filled for its unexpired term by a PTCO
member in good standing elected by a majority vote of the remaining
members of the Executive Board. Notice of results shall be given to the
membership as soon as possible.

B. If all elective offices become vacant at the same time, a special election
shall be held. The Principal shall form a special committee to conduct
elections of new officers in accordance with Article III of these bylaws.

Section 5. Removal from office.

Any officer can be removed from office by a two-thirds vote at a regular PTCO
meeting, assuming a quorum is met, as defined in Article VI, Section 4C. Advance
notice of the vote shall be given to the PTCO membership at least one week prior to
the meeting.

Article IV: Duties and Responsibilities of Elected Officers

Section 1. The President shall:

A. Preside at all meetings of the PTCO and the Executive Board.

B. Call meetings of the Executive Board and special meetings of the

membership, as defined in these bylaws.

C. Oversee the work of the elected officers as well as the standing and
special committees in order to promote the purpose of the organization.

D. Serve as an ex-officio member of all special and standing committees.

E. Be the official liaison to the Administration.

F. Prepare an agenda for each meeting and submit it to the Principal for
review prior to the meeting.

Section 2. The Vice President shall:

A. Act as an aide and advisor to the President.

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 B. Perform the duties of the President in the absence of that officer.

C. Act as a liaison between committee chairs and the Executive Board.

D. Accept delegated responsibility as assigned by the President.

E. Volunteer to chair specific fundraising events.

Section 3. The Secretary/Membership Chair shall:

A. Record the minutes of all meetings of the PTCO and of the Executive
Board.

B. Provide a copy of the Minutes for review to all Executive Board members
and also the PTCO website within 7 days.

C. File copies of the Minutes in the Minutes Book. These minutes should be
kept for three (3) years.

D. Prepare and send PTCO correspondence.

E. Maintain a current list of members and provide the Parliamentarian with a

copy of the list, updating it as necessary.

Section 4. The Treasurer shall:

A. Act as custodian of funds and perform all banking activities of the PTCO.

B. Maintain up-to-date, accurate financial records of the PTCO.

C. Receive all funds of the PTCO, including, but not limited to, donations,
dues, and fundraising sales and contributions.

D. Provide a written and oral financial report of the receipts and

expenditures at each PTCO meeting and at other times upon request of the
Executive Board.

E. Audit all invoices and receipts submitted for payment or reimbursement

to ensure each request is in compliance with PTCO policies. Pay all bills and
disburse funds as authorized by the Executive Board.

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 F. Perform the complete and timely filing of all federal and state tax
returns as well as other financial reports, pertaining to the PTCO’s 501(c)3
status, as applicable; and maintain accurate records of such.

G. Maintain tax exemption status and ensure timely renewal.

H. Complete all financial updates by the close of the fiscal year and provide
a full year-end report at the final meeting of the PTCO.

I. Submit all requested/required financial data relating to PTCO operations

to the Auditing Committee two weeks prior to the close of the fiscal year,
for the purposes of the committee’s audit of the Treasurer’s accounts.

J. Renew liability insurance annually in October.

K. Complete the following before transferring duties to the incoming

Treasurer:

1. Transfer all accounting records.

2. Transfer Signature Authority with the Bank.

3. Transfer PayPal account manager status.

4. Transfer online banking account access.

5. Complete transfer of ownership with VATAX Nonprofit Online.

6. Update Treasurer contact information on the following:

a. IRS form 990-N.

b. PTO Today.

Section 5. The Parliamentarian shall:

A. Advise the President, Executive Board and the membership on points of

procedure and order in accordance with these Bylaws and Robert’s Rules of
Order – Newly Revised.

B. Be a member of any committee formed to review or revise the Bylaws or

create any amendments to the Bylaws.
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 C. Bring a copy of the Bylaws and Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised
to each meeting of the PTCO or Executive Board.

D. Determine that a quorum is present at all business meetings.

Section 6. All officers shall:

A. Perform their duties within the bounds prescribed by the PTCO’s Bylaws,
and in such a manner as to achieve the purpose of the organization.

B. Carry out other duties and responsibilities prescribed in Robert’s Rules

of Order, Newly Revised unless modified by these Bylaws.

C. Perform other duties as assigned by the organization, its elected

officers, the Executive Board, or prescribed elsewhere in these Bylaws.

D. Deliver to their successors all official material no later than ten days
after their successors take office. An exception will be made for the
Treasurer, as detailed in Article IV, Section 4K.

Article V: Executive Board

Section 1. The Executive Board shall consist of the elected officers of the
organization, the Principal and Assistant Principal of the school and faculty
representatives appointed by the Principal.

Section 2. The duties and responsibilities of the Executive Board shall be:

A. To vote on routine matters and transact necessary business between

regular PTCO meetings and such other business as may be referred to it by
the organization.

B. To conduct an annual membership drive.

C. To create standing and special committees.

D. To approve plans and programs of the committees.

E. To present a report at regular meetings of the PTCO.

F. To select a committee to audit the Treasurer’s accounts.

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 G. To prepare and submit a budget for the forthcoming school year to the
organization for approval at the final meeting of the fiscal year.

H. To authorize non-budgeted expenditures not to exceed $200.

I. To approve payments in accordance with the approved budget.

Section 3. Special meetings of the Executive Board may be called by the President
or by a majority of the members of the Executive Board.

Article VI: Meetings

Section 1. Regular membership meetings of the PTCO shall be held monthly during
the school year, unless otherwise stated by the Executive Board. Members will be
notified of the meetings through the PTCO website and newsletter at least two
weeks in advance. Three days notice shall be given to the membership via email or
website posting for a change of meeting day or time.

Section 2. Special meetings of the organization may be called by the President or

by a majority of the Executive Board if 7 days notice is given to the membership.

Section 3. The election meeting shall be held at the regularly scheduled May PTCO
meeting.

Section 4. Quorum.

A. To vote on routine matters in a regular or special meeting of the

organization, attending PTCO members in good standing shall constitute a
quorum.

B. The quorum for officer elections is defined as ten percent (10%) of

members in good standing. See Article III, Section 3E.

C. A minimum of ten percent (10%) of the general membership shall be

present to constitute a quorum for the transaction of the following business
in any meeting of the organization:

1. Approval of the annual budget.

2. Removal of Officers.

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 3. Approval of Non-budgeted requests over $200.

4. Amendments or revisions to the Bylaws.

5. Dissolution of the PTCO.

Section 5. Voting on routine matters shall be by a show of hands.

Section 6. All regular meetings of the PTCO are open to the public.

Section 7. Any PTCO member has the right to speak and enter discussions about
issues before the board when recognized by the President.

Section 8. PTCO members must be present to vote or introduce motions, except as

specified in Article III Section 3 of these bylaws for the Election of Officers.

Article VII: Standing and Special Committees

Section 1. General

A. The Executive Board has the authorization to form additional

committees and appoint members to these committees as needed.

B. Each Chair shall be appointed by the Officers of the PTCO and will serve
for a period of one fiscal year.

C. The President shall serve as an ex-officio member of all special and

standing committees.

D. The Chair of each committee shall present a brief, written plan to the
Executive Board for approval. No committee work shall be undertaken
without the consent of the Executive Board.

E. Committee chairs shall not secure any contract in the name of the PTCO
without the approval of the Executive Board.

F. Each committee shall keep a written record of its activities for future
use.

Section 2. Standing Committees/Chairs

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 Each committee shall have a chair and as many committee members as deemed
necessary.

A. Volunteers Committee shall:

1. Coordinate any meals for teachers and staff and/or special events
of the PTCO.

2. Recruit volunteers for all PTCO activities.

B. Internet Technology (IT) Committee shall:

1. Maintain the Pattie PTCO website to include:

a. Updating contents of the website.

b. Maintaining and updating the PTCO online calendar.

c. Addressing website technical issues.

d. Renewing domain ownership with the Domain Registrar with

approval from the Executive Board.

e. Renewing website hosting as necessary with approval from

the Executive Board.

f. Posting current minutes and newsletters to the website and

archiving old minutes and newsletters. These archived files are
to be kept for 3 years.

g. Transferring all passwords to the incoming IT chair.

2. Provide all passwords to the President.

3. Provide shared access to Website and email accounts with the

President and Secretary.

Section 3. Special Committees

A. Auditing Committee. The Auditing Committee shall consist of three

members in good standing appointed by the Executive Board to audit the
Treasurer’s accounts prior to the final meeting of the organization for the
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 school year and indicate the correctness of the Treasurer’s annual report by
signing a statement to that effect appended to the annual report. The
members of this committee shall not currently serve on the Executive Board.

B. Special committees. Special committees may be formed for fundraising

and family events. These committees must be approved by the Executive
Board or by a vote at a general membership meeting.

Article VIII: Financial Policies

Section 1. Use.

A. PTCO funds shall be used for programs, events, and items that directly
benefit the students and staff of the school.

B. No PTCO funds shall be used for gifts to the Executive Board or any
member of the PTCO.

Section 2. Income. All funds raised for the PTCO must be documented and
submitted to the PTCO Treasurer within 10 days of receipt. All funds received by
the Treasurer must be deposited into the PTCO bank account within 5 days of
receipt by the Treasurer. Separate deposit receipts should be maintained for
funds received from each unique fundraising event.

A. Fundraising efforts must comply with the current Prince William County
School Board Policy and Regulations.

B. All fundraising activities shall be supervised and carried out by the

membership.

Section 3. Expenses. Reimbursements for all expenses shall be made only after
receipts for the expenditures have been audited, documented, and approved by the
PTCO Treasurer. Reimbursement requests should be submitted to the PTCO
Treasurer within 30 days of the incurred expense or by three weeks prior to the
end of the fiscal year, whichever comes first, and must be accompanied by a
receipt. Any cash advance to cover expenses prior to a purchase must be
documented in detail. All unused funds must be returned to the PTCO Treasurer
immediately following the purchase.

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Section 4. Non-budgeted Requests.

A. Monetary requests for non-budgeted items over $200 may be submitted

to the PTCO by any PTCO member in good standing. A vote for approval of
the monetary disbursement shall be taken at a general membership meeting.
Approval will be by majority vote, providing a quorum is met as defined in
Article VI, Section 4C.

B. Commitment of funds for non-budgeted expenditures under $200 must

be approved by the Executive Board.

Section 5. Bank Accounts.

A. The organization checking account, and other accounts established, shall

provide for multiple authorized signatures to include the Treasurer,
President, Vice President and Secretary. Two signatures shall be required
on all checks written for more than $200.

B. The PTCO shall maintain and carry over a minimum cash balance of at
least $2,000 to facilitate a smooth cash flow at the beginning of the next
fiscal year.

C. The PTCO is authorized to carry over additional funds for the following
fiscal year as recommended by the Executive Board. The annual carry over
amount shall not exceed $10,000.

Section 6. Reporting.

A. An updated financial report shall be made available in printed form to

each member at all general PTCO meetings, and at other times at the
request of the Executive Board.

B. A full year-end report will be provided at the final PTCO meeting of the
school year.

Section 7. Audits. The Treasurer’s accounts shall be examined annually by an

Auditing Committee, as specified in Article VII, Section 3A. The committee shall
sign a statement to the correctness of the Treasurer’s report and append it to that
report.

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 Section 8. Budget. An annual budget for the forthcoming school year will be
submitted by the Executive Board for approval at the regular June PTCO meeting.

Article IX. Conflict of Interest Policy

Section 1. The purpose of the conflict of interest policy is to protect this tax-
exempt organization’s interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction
or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an Executive Board
member, a committee chair, or member of a committee with board-delegated
powers of the organization or might result in a possible excess benefit transaction.
This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and
federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit and charitable
organizations.

Section 2. Any member of the Executive Board, committee chair, or member of a

committee with board-delegated powers, who has a financial, personal, or official
interest in, or conflict (or the appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending
before the Board, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member
from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will offer to the Board to
voluntarily excuse him/herself and will vacate his seat and refrain from discussion
and voting on said item.

Section 3. The PTCO will abide by the IRS guidelines for conflict of interest
policies as they pertain to nonprofit organizations. The full conflict of interest
policy wording can be found on the Pattie PTCO website at
http://www.pattieptco.org.

Section 4. Each Executive Board member, committee chair and member of a

committee with board delegated powers shall annually sign a statement of
understanding that will be kept on file by the Treasurer. This statement will
affirm that such person:

A. Has received a copy of the Conflict of Interest Policy of the Pattie

PTCO,

B. Has read and understands the Policy,

C. Has agreed to comply with the Policy, and

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 D. Understands the PTCO is a charitable organization and that in order to
maintain its federal tax exemption it must engage primarily in activities
which accomplish one or more of its tax-exempt purposes as stated in
Article I, Section 2.

Article X: Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly
Revised shall govern the PTCO in all cases in which they are applicable and in which
they do not conflict with these Bylaws. A copy of these rules shall be held by the
Parliamentarian and be made available at each meeting.

Article XI: Amendments

Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended under the following conditions:

A. Either the Bylaws Committee or at least 5 PTCO members in good

standing shall submit the amendment request to the Parliamentarian.

B. At least 15 days notice shall be given to the PTCO membership that a

vote will be taken at the next regular or special meeting of the PTCO.

C. A quorum, as defined in Article VI, Section 4C, must be met at the

meeting and the amendment request must be approved by a two-thirds
majority vote of the members in good standing attending. Members must
be present to vote.

D. All approved amendments shall become effective immediately and be

recorded by the Secretary.

Section 2. A special Bylaws committee, consisting of 4 to 6 PTCO members in good

standing, may be appointed by the Executive Board to submit a revised set of
Bylaws to be approved by a 2/3 majority vote at a regular or special PTCO meeting.
At least 15 days notice shall be given to the membership and a quorum, as defined in
Article VI, Section 4C, must be met at the meeting.

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Article XII: Dissolution

Section 1. The PTCO may be dissolved provided:

A. Prior notice of 30 days is given to the membership that a vote will be

taken.

B. A quorum as defined in Article VI, Section 4C is met and the dissolution

is approved by a majority vote of those present.

Section 2. Remaining Funds. Upon a vote to dissolve the PTCO, the remaining funds
shall first be used to pay any outstanding PTCO debt and then a vote shall be taken
by the membership to either:

A. Spend the remaining funds on an item or items that benefit the students,
or

B. Have the remaining funds held in escrow by the Principal for use by a
future School PTCO. If a PTCO 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.

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