PTA Bylaws

View the official signed Bylaws document here:

Article I – Name

The name of the Association shall be PTA of the High School for Environmental Studies, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”).

Article II – Objectives

A The objectives of the Association include but are not limited to:

  1. develop parent leadership and build capacity for greater involvement;

  2. foster and encourage parent participation on all levels;

  3. develop a cooperative working relationship between the parents and staff of the School;

  4. provide opportunities and training for parents to participate in school governance and decision-making; and

  5. provide support and resources to the School for the benefit and educational growth of the students.

    Article III – Membership

A Eligibility

  1. A Parent of a student currently on the register of the High School for Environmental Studies, located at 444 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019 (the “School”), is automatically a member of the Association.

  2. Parents of a child who is attending the School full-time while on the register of a citywide program are eligible to be members of the Association. At the beginning of each school year, the Association shall send a welcome letter to inform Parents of their automatic membership status and voting rights.

  3. The term “Parent” (as used herein) is defined as any person in a parental or custodial relationship to a student currently enrolled in the School, which includes the following:

a. Birth parent;

b. Adoptive parent;

c. Foster parent;

d. Step-parent;

e. Legally appointed guardian; and

f. Person(s) in parental relation.1

1 The phrase “person in parental relationship” refers to a person who has assumed the care of a child because the

child’s parents or guardians are not available, whether due to, among other things, death, imprisonment, mental

PTA BYLAWS

4. Membership shall be open to all teachers, paraprofessionals, school aides, and staff currently employed at the School (each, a “Teacher”).

B Dues/Donations

The payment of dues is not a condition for participation or membership in the Association. Members may be requested to make a minimum voluntary donation of $5.

C Voting Privileges

  1. Every Parent of a student currently enrolled at the School shall be entitled to a single vote during any meeting of the Association. However, that right may be limited by the Conflicts of Interest restriction outlined in Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 (“CR A-660”).

  2. Voting by proxy, absentee ballot, or email is prohibited. However, voting by Virtually Remote Platform (VRP, currently executed via Zoom 2023) when PTA Member is in the VPR meeting, is allowed.

  3. Each Teacher, Paraprofessional, School aide, and Staff Member currently employed at the School shall be entitled to a single vote.

  4. Candidates for the Executive Board who wish to be a Co must run with a partner.

Article IV – Officers

A Titles

  1. The mandatory officers of the Association shall be: the president (the “President”), the recording secretary (the “Secretary”) and the treasurer (the “Treasurer”, and together with the President and the Secretary, the “Mandatory Officers”). The Association must elect the Mandatory Officers in order to be a functioning parent-teacher association. There shall be no qualification requirements, other than to be a Parent of child attending the School, to hold any officer position within the Association. The eligibility of a Parent may also be limited by the conflicts of interest restrictions outlined in Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 and by the Conflicts of Interest Policy of the Association.

    a. Upon duly authorized resolution passed by the Executive Board, the office of the President may be split into two co-president positions (each, a “Co-President”), who shall each share in the responsibilities and obligations during the term of office.

    b. If the office of the President is limited to a single officeholder, then the Association may elect an additional officer as vice-president (the “Vice-President”).

  2. Other officers of the Association (each, a “Non-Mandatory Officer”) may consist of, but are not limited to, each of the following: a grade-level representative for the ninth grade (the “9th Grade Representative”), a grade-level representative for the tenth grade (the “10th Grade Representative”), a grade-level representative for the eleventh grade (the “11th Grade Representative”) and a grade-level representative for the twelfth grade (the “12th Grade Representative”), and the Spanish-Speaking Co-Representatives, and the VPs for Fundraising and Communication.

  3. The Mandatory Officers and Non-Mandatory Officers shall, together, be the “Officers” of the Association.

    B Term and Term Limits

1. The term of office shall be no more than 12 months beginning July 1st and ending June 30th.

2. Term limits* for each officer position of the Association shall be four consecutive one-year terms. A candidate who has served the maximum number of terms may only be elected to serve an additional term if no other interested candidate is nominated and willing to serve.

*The term of office pertains to the length of time a single person may be elected to a position on the Executive Board of the Association. The number of times a person may hold a particular office may be limited by the number of consecutive times a person may serve in that particular office, as limited by these Bylaws.

C Duties of Mandatory Officers

1. President: The duties of the President (or the Co-Presidents, as applicable) shall include but are not limited to the following:

a. preside at all meetings of the Association (under NO CIRCUMSTANCE may the Principal or Parent Coordinator chair a PTA meeting); and

b. serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee;

c. appoint Association committee chairpersons with the approval of the Executive Board;

d. encourage meaningful participation in all Parent and School activities;

e. provide opportunities for members’ leadership development;

f. delegate responsibilities to members of the Association as needed;

g. attend all regular meetings of the Presidents’ Council;

h. serve as a mandatory member of the School Leadership Team;4

i. meet regularly with the Executive Board members;

j. plan the agendas for the general membership meetings;

k. serve as one of the eligible signatories on checks; and

l. hire in consultation with the Co-Treasurers, any additional bookkeeping/accounting consultants needed to keep financial affairs in order and in alignment with Chancellor’s Regs; and

m. serve on the President’s Council (one of the Cos will do this); and

n. assist with the June transfer of Association records, including all pertinent user IDs and passwords, to the incoming Executive Board.

2. Vice President: The duties of the Vice President, if applicable, shall include but are not limited to the following:

a. assist the President with the functions of the Association;

b. perform such duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Executive Board; and

c. coordinate fundraising activities, including arranging and supervising school events, off-school premises events (also weighs in on promotional messaging to publicize events); and

d. consult on or execute grant/RFP requests for funds; and

e. collect information from the school that parents will find helpful

f. distribute this information via WhatsApp groups, emails, and other means; and

g. act in the place of the President in the temporary absence or disability of the President or at the request of the President (under no circumstance may the principal or parent coordinator chair a PA/PTA meeting).

3. Secretary: The duties of the Secretary/Co-Recording Secretaries shall include but are not limited to the following:

a. record minutes at all PTA General meetings;

b. prepare notices, agendas, sign-in sheets and materials for distribution, if and when in-person meetings resume;

c. prepare minutes for Association meetings;

d. distribute copies of the minutes for review and approval by the general membership;

e. maintain the custody of the Association’s records on School premises if and when the PTA is given secure office space on the school’s premises. In the meantime, minutes shall be saved on the PTA drive and posted on the PTA website for public review; and

f. incorporate all amendments into the Bylaws of the Association, in accordance with Article IX herein;

g. ensure that signed copies of the Bylaws with the latest amendments are on file with the office of the principal of the School (the “Principal”);

h. may be responsible for reviewing, maintaining and responding to all correspondence addressed to the Association;5 and

i. Serve on the SLT when the Co-President cannot (one of the Co-Secretaries will take this role, which the Cos will decide upon at the beginning of their term; and

j. assist with the June transfer of Association records, including all pertinent user IDs and passwords, to the incoming executive board.

4. Treasurer: The duties of the treasurer/co-treasurer shall include but are not limited to the following:

a. responsible for all financial affairs and funds of the Association;

b. maintain an updated record of all income and expenditures on School premises;

c. serve as one of the signatories on checks;

d. adhere to and implement all financial procedures established by the Association;

e. prepare and present a written report of all transactions at every Executive Board and general membership meeting (which includes income, refunds, reimbursements and other expenditures, and opening and closing balances for the reporting period);

f. prepare the Association’s interim and annual financial reports, in accordance with Article VIII of these Bylaws;

g. must make arrangements to provide to the newly elected treasurer all the PA/PTA’s financial records, the EIN and all information needed to access bank and other financial accounts, as well as information on the method of accounting and financial record keeping used by the PTA;

h. Provide copies of the treasurer’s reports to the principal and posted at the school,

i. make available all books and financial records for viewing by members upon request and for audit; and

j. assist with the June transfer of Association records, including all pertinent user IDs and passwords, to the incoming Executive Board.

D Duties of Mandatory Officers

Grade Level Representatives/Spanish-speaking Representatives, Co VP Communication and Fundraising officers :

The duties of these /representatives/officers shall include but are not limited to the following:

a. attend Executive Board and general membership meetings;

b. represent the Parents of students in the respective grade level; and

c. coordinate the communications, fundraising and other activities of the Association with parents of such grade level. In September of each new school year, the President shall arrange to solicit all incoming 9th grade Parents and all PTA members excluding school staff/faculty/administration to run for the 9th Grade Representative position (must bea 9th grade parent) and any unfilled offices, which shall be filled by an Expedited Election held in accordance with the provisions of these By-Laws no later than the October general membership meeting.

5 The Association may, upon duly authorized resolution, choose to elect a Corresponding Secretary, and in such

cases these responsibilities will fall to the Corresponding Secretary.

E Election of Officers

1. Officers shall be elected at the May or June general Association meeting, prior to the last day of each school year, for a one-year term beginning July 1. Any timeline established by the Association to complete the nominations and election process must adhere to such timeframe. The Principal must be notified by the Executive Board of the date and time of the annual election by April 1. In accordance with Section 3(k) of these Bylaws, the Principal must act to certify elections of the Association.

2. Employees of the School may not serve as Officers or as members of the Executive Board. This restriction applies equally to employees who have a child currently attending the School.

3. Nominating Committee

A nominating committee (the “Nominating Committee”) shall be established during the February general membership meeting of the Association or at such other time as may be duly authorized and approved by the Executive Board. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three to five members, who are to be elected at the February general membership meeting of the Association.

Members of the Nominating Committee shall not be members of the Executive Board and shall not plan to run for office, provided that if a member of the Nominating Committee chooses to run for office, such member must immediately resign from the Nominating Committee in writing. The Nominating Committee shall choose one of its members to serve as a chairperson. No person employed by the School shall be eligible to serve as a Parent member representative on the Nominating Committee.

The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations for candidates from the general membership and individuals may also submit their own names to be candidates for office. In addition to emailed nominations, the Nominating Committee may also provide an opportunity to accept nominations from the floor at the April membership meeting prior to the close of nominations.

Any notices related to the election process should be translated into languages spoken by parents in the School whenever possible (Spanish).

The nominating committee will also be responsible for conducting the election process at the May general membership meeting.

The Nominating Committee’s duties include the following:

a. canvassing the membership for eligible candidates;

b. preparing and distributing all notices of any meeting pertaining to the election process (i.e., meeting notices, agendas, reminder notices, tear-off applications, etc.);

c. preparing ballots, attendance sheets, a ballot box, tally sheets and all other materials pertaining to the election;

d. verifying the eligibility of all interested candidates prior to the election;

e. ensuring that an opportunity is provided to all members allowing for nominations (including self-nominations) to be taken from the floor during the April general membership meeting;

f. reporting the names of candidates for each position during the April general membership meeting and, subsequently, reporting to the membership the final list of all eligible candidates and the positions they are seeking at least two weeks prior to the May election;

g. officially closing the nomination process;

h. scheduling the election at a time that ensures maximum participation;

i. ensuring that only eligible members receive a ballot for voting;

j. conducting the election process at the May general membership meeting;

and

k. ensuring that the election is certified by the Principal or other designee following the election as soon as possible.

If a Nominating Committee cannot be formed, the Association must proceed with an expedited election, which shall be a single meeting where all nominations are taken from the floor for such office(s) immediately prior to the election (an “Expedited Election”), as specified in Article IV, Section D(8) of these Bylaws.

4. Notices

The meeting notice and agenda for the May general membership election meeting shall be distributed in accordance with CR A-660’s notice requirements (A written Notice of Election Meeting must be sent to all parents at least 10 calendar days prior to any PA/PTA election. The Executive Board must create the notice and submit it to the principal and parent coordinator in time for it to be distributed at least 10 days before the election meeting.. All meeting notices and agendas shall be available in English and translated into languages spoken by Parents in the School whenever possible. The distribution date shall appear on all notices. If nominations have been closed, the election meeting notice shall list all candidates in alphabetical order by surname under the office for which they are nominated.

5. Contested Elections and the Use of Ballots *

a. A printed record of electronic ballots must be maintained among the records of the association and be made available upon request. For VRP voting, records of votes in a PA/PTA election meeting conducted remotely must be retained by the PA/PTA for one year or until the determination of any grievance filed concerning the election;

b. Contested elections will result in the recorded electronic ballots being reviewed by the Election Committee, who will decide if the election will be redone or if there is a clear winner.

*Contested elections consist of two or more candidates for any office. In such cases, voting must be by virtual ballot.

6. Uncontested Elections

Where there is only one candidate for any office, the membership may vote to accept that candidate by a single motion. The result of the motion is to be reflected in the minutes.

7. Officer Vacancies

A vacancy may occur upon any Officer’s death, disability, resignation, or removal. A vacancy occurring in the office the President shall be filled by the Vice President for the remainder of the term of office unless the Vice President chooses to retain the Vice President position. In that case, or in the case of a vacancy occurring in any other position, the vacancy shall be filled by an Expedited Election process. Officers who wish to resign their positions once an election has been certified must submit their written resignation to the Secretary and immediately turn over all Association records.

8. Expedited Election Process:

Expedited Elections shall be held to fill vacancies in the event that such office is either not eligible to be filled by succession, or cannot be filled through succession. The Executive Board shall be responsible for announcing vacancies and distributing written notice of the Expedited Election which complies with CR A- 660 I.E.10. A parent member who is not seeking office should chair the election meeting. A representative from the appropriate Presidents’ Council or superintendent’s office may advise the parent chair or chair the meeting if necessary. Announcements can be made via emails. All nominations must be taken from the floor, immediately prior to the election. If the election is contested, written ballots must be used in accordance with Article IV, Section D(5) of these Bylaws. Zoom poll results must be saved.

F School Leadership Team Parent Member Elections

1. The election of Parent members to the School Leadership Team (the “SLT”) may take place during the same meeting as officer elections.

a. Once the election of the Association officers has concluded, the election of Parent members to the SLT may begin.

b. The election of Parent members to the SLT should follow the same or similar election procedures as Officer elections of the Association.

G Disciplinary Action

1. Grounds for Removal from Office:

a. Any officer who fails to fulfill the duties of office as outlined in these Bylaws, Article IV, Section C.

b. Any officer who accrues 3 consecutive unexcused absences from Executive Board or general membership meetings.

c. Any officer who poses a threat to the safety and well order of the Association or larger School community.

d. Any officer who exercises behavior unbefitting the office as determined by the general membership of the Association.

e. Any officer who commits a violation of the law may be removed from office by the recommendation of the Review Committee (as defined herein).

2. Officer Removal:

Officers of the Association may be removed for unsatisfactory performance or for any of the grounds specified above upon recommendation by the Executive Board or by a motion from a member and two-thirds vote of the membership.* The removal process shall proceed as follows:

a. The motion to remove an Officer and the vote on removal must not occur during the same meeting.

b. Once a motion or recommendation has been made to remove an Officer, a review committee (a “Review Committee”) shall be formed. Executive Board members against whom charges are being contemplated may not serve on the Review Committee.

c. The Review Committee must conduct a fact-finding review by obtaining and examining all relevant documents, interviewing pertinent witnesses and conducting any relevant investigatory processes. All pertinent facts and information must be considered by the Review Committee. Any Officer against whom charges are being contemplated has the right to present relevant facts, documents and witnesses to the Review Committee.

d. The Review Committee will gather information and provide the Association with a recommendation in writing, within 60 days of the motion to remove an Officer.

e. After the Review Committee’s written recommendation has been completed, the vote on a motion to remove an Officer will take place at the next general membership meeting.

f. The meeting notice and agenda must cite that a vote will be taken by the membership regarding the motion for removal.

g. The content of the motion and the result of the vote must be included in the minutes and submitted to and filed with the Principal and the Superintendent’s office.

*Officer removal is a serious matter for the Association and, as such, special care must be taken not to violate the rights of any party before any action or vote is taken.

Article V – Executive Board

A Composition

The executive board (the “Executive Board”) shall be composed of the elected Officers of the Association and the chairpersons of any Standing Committee (as defined herein). Officers shall be expected to attend all Executive Board meetings.

B Meetings

The Executive Board shall meet monthly, September through June, on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 PM, unless such date falls on a legal, religious, or school holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the next convenient and nearest date. The Executive Board may, by duly authorized resolution, hold meetings of the Executive Board at other times mutually agreed upon by the members of the Executive Board, provided that sufficient notice of the date and time of such meeting(s) is provided to each member of the Executive Board.

C Voting

Each member of the Executive Board, including all co-officers, shall be entitled to one vote. The Title 1 PAC members are not considered voting members of the Executive Board, but can attend.

D Quorum

Three members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum, allowing for official business to be transacted. Except as otherwise provided by law or by these Bylaws, the majority vote of the Executive Board at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be an act of the Executive Board.

E Education Council Selectors

The Mandatory Officers of the Association shall be the selectors for the Parent members of the Community Education Councils, the Citywide Council on High Schools, and the Citywide Council for District 02, which occurs once every two years. In the case of co-officers, the Executive Board must determine which co-officer will be the designated selector. Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 (Article I, Section G, 5).

F June Transfer of Records

The Association must maintain the following records for a minimum of 6 years: the bylaws of the Association and any related amendments; meeting notices, agendas and minutes; records of officer elections other than ballots; and financial records. Outgoing members of the Executive Board must ensure that records, including user IDs, passwords, and all Parent contact information are transferred to the newly elected members of the Executive Board. Special attention must be paid to ensuring that documents created in electronic form remain available and accessible, either in electronic or paper form, for the required period of time. Transfers should occur on School premises, in the presence of the Principal, the next practicable day after the election. In post-Covid 19 times, until the HSES PTA has been given a secure space in the school, records transfer can occur virtually since all records are kept on the HSES Server. At least one meeting should be scheduled during the month of June for such purpose of transferring records to the newly elected members of the Executive Board. Any member of the Executive Board may request the assistance of the President’s Council during this process.

Article VI – General Membership Meetings

A General Membership Meetings

1. General membership meetings of the Association shall be held monthly, September through June, on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., unless such date falls on a legal, school, or religious holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the nearest evening, as determined by the Executive Board. The Association may, by duly authorized resolution approved by the members, hold meetings of the Association at other times mutually agreed upon by the members, provided that sufficient notice of the date and time of such meeting(s) is provided to the members and, provided, further, that any such notice must comply with the notice requirements of these Bylaws.

2. Written notice of each membership meeting shall be distributed in languages spoken by Parents at the School, whenever possible. Notice must be sent at least 10 calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting.

a. All general membership meetings should be held at the school but can be held virtually, via Zoom.

b. Committee meetings may be held at locations convenient to the members, but may not be held in private homes.

c. All eligible members may attend and participate in general membership meetings.

d. Non-members may only speak or otherwise participate if acknowledged by the presiding officer.

e. Non-members cannot vote.

B Order of Business

The order of business at meetings of the Association, unless changed by the Executive Board, shall be:

a. Call to Order

b. Principal Report

c. Reading and approval of Minutes

d. Treasurer’s report

e. School Leadership Team (SLT) report

f. Title 1 PAC update, if needed

g. Old Business

h. New Business

i. Funding request vote and fundraising updates

j. Program

k. Adjournment

C Quorum

A quorum of at least eight Association members, consisting of a minimum of 2 members of the Executive Board and 6 Parent members, shall be required in order to conduct official Association business. Quorum for a hybrid meeting format requires at least one executive board member in attendance on school premises; quorum for either in-person or VRP meetings requires at least 2 executive board members and six parent members from the general membership. In the absence of quorum, a PA/PTA cannot authorize the expenditure of funds or vote on any business but may have non-binding discussions. In exceptional circumstances, the Association may seek a waiver of the minimum quorum requirement from FACE as per CR A-660.

D Minutes

Minutes of the previous meeting shall be available in electronic form on the HSES PTA website (HSESPTA.com) and approved at every general membership meeting. The minutes of any Association meeting must be made available to any member upon request.

E Special Membership Meetings

A special membership meeting may be called to deal with a matter of importance that cannot be postponed until the next general membership meeting. The President may call a special membership meeting with a minimum of 24 hours written notice to Parents stating precisely what the topic of the meeting will be. For hybrid or virtual meetings, the PTA should maintain a recording of the video and/or audio of the meeting. Additionally, upon receipt of a written request from five Association members, the President must call a special membership meeting within 5 calendar days of the request and provide at least 48 hours written notice to Parents.

F Parliamentary Authority

Meeting rules of order should be adopted for use as a guide and included in these Bylaws. Where no meeting rules of order are adopted, Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised will be deemed to apply, provided that it is consistent with laws, policies, rules, and regulations.

Article VII – Committees

A Standing Committees:

The Association may have the following standing committees comprised of members of the Association (each, a “Standing Committee”):

1. Membership Committee

The responsibilities of the membership committee (the “Membership Committee”) shall include but are not limited to:

a. encourage parent participation through recruitment and outreach;

2. Budget Committee

The responsibilities of the budget committee (the “Budget Committee”) shall include but are not limited to:

a. review the prior year’s budget and make recommendations to Executive Board; and

3. Fundraising Committee

The responsibilities of the fundraising committee (the “Fundraising Committee”) shall include but are not limited to:

b. plan and execute all fundraising activities approved by the membership of the Association;

c. Apply for grants

d. Lobby elected officials for city and state funding

B Ad Hoc Committees

To accomplish a specific task or address a specific issue, the Executive Board may recommend the formation of a committee that will cease to function once the task or issue has been addressed (an “Ad Hoc Committee”). The creation and dissolution of any such Ad Hoc Committee must be recorded in the minutes of the Association.

Article VIII – Financial Affairs

A Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Association shall run from July 1 through June 30.

B Signatories

The President and the Treasurer shall be authorized to sign checks. Additional members of the Executive Board may, by duly authorized resolution, be authorized to sign checks. All checks require at least two signatures. The two signatories of a check may not be related by blood or marriage (i.e., spouses, siblings, in-laws, relatives or members of the same household). An Association member may not sign a check if she/he has any direct or indirect interest in the expenditure.

C Budget

1. Budget Process

The Executive Board, in coordination with the Treasurer, shall be responsible for the development and/or review of the budget process of the Association, which includes:

a. Prior to the June transfer, the outgoing Executive Board must review the current budget, annual financial status, accounting, expenditures and outstanding bills, and prepare a proposed budget for the next school year.

b. The proposed budget must be presented to and approved by the membership no later than the June meeting.

c. The incoming Executive Board must review the proposed budget for presentation and discussion during the September meeting. Budget amendments may be proposed at this time.

d. The Executive Board must present the budget for membership approval no later than the October meeting, with the exception of the first year the PTA is a 501c3, in which case the Budget may be presented for membership approval in the June meeting and approved in the September meeting. In the following years, the Budget will be presented by October.

e. The counting and handling of any cash, checks, or money orders received by the Association must be completed by at least 2 members of the Association, including the Co-President or Treasurer. These Association members cannot be related by blood or marriage. Funds must be counted on the same day of receipt. The Association’s financial records must display the total amount of funds and the signatures of the Association members who participated in counting the funds.

f. The Principal must provide written consent for a fundraising activity to be held during School hours or on School property.

g. All funds should be deposited into the bank account of the Association by an authorized member of the Executive Board within 1 business day of receipt, and in no event more than 3 business days after receipt. Under no circumstances may fundraiser proceeds be stored in a member’s place of work or residence. Association funds must be taken to the bank for deposit by at least 2 authorized members.

h. Documentation related to every transaction must be maintained at the School (e.g., cancelled checks, deposit receipts, purchase orders, Association minutes related to the financial transactions, etc.).

2. Budget Amendment

The budget may be amended by vote of the general membership at any membership meeting.

3. Expenditures

All expenditures not included in the budget at the time of its adoption must be approved by vote of the general membership. For out-of-pocket expenditures, PTA or Presidents’ Council member must be reimbursed for out-of- pocket expenses with a check, if she/he submits receipts. Such expenses must be approved by the membership. Whenever possible, membership approval should be obtained prior to making an out-of-pocket expenditure. The bylaws must define permissible out-of-pocket expenditures and the maximum dollar amount for which a member may be reimbursed. Reimbursement must be made by check payable to the member, not in cash, or by ATM/debit card through a third party mobile application. The bylaws must outline the circumstances that warrant an out of pocket expense, the maximum dollar amount that may be allocated, and a timeline for reporting out of pocket expenditures to the membership. 4 PA/PTA and Presidents’ Councils may make payments to vendors through the online payment system of a bank. (Section III.B.)

• PA/PTA and Presidents’ Councils may utilize a bank/debit card to pay for goods and services to a vendor in certain circumstances, but withdrawal slips remain prohibited.

4. Emergency Expenditures

The Executive Board is authorized to make an emergency expenditure not to exceed $100 $500 with at least two-thirds approval of the Executive Board. The purpose of any emergency expenditure must be properly reviewed and approved by the Executive Board. Any emergency expenditures shall be reported to the general membership at the next Association meeting in writing by the Treasurer. The minutes of the meeting must reflect a vote taken by the Association to accept this action.

D Audit

1. Audit Committee

The Executive Board may, upon duly authorized resolution, request volunteers to form an audit committee of three to five members of the Association (the “Audit Committee”). Members of the Executive Board who are not authorized signatories on Association checks may serve on the Audit Committee. The majority of the committee shall be comprised of general members.

2. Duties

a. The Audit Committee shall conduct an audit of all financial affairs of the Association with the help of the Treasurer who shall make all books and records available to them.

b. The Audit Committee may examine all relevant financial statements and records of disbursements, verify all Association equipment and property, and ensure compliance with these Bylaws for any Association transactions.

c. The Audit Committee shall prepare a written audit report to be presented to the membership at a general membership meeting, upon completion of their review and investigation. This report shall be included for review and discussion during the June transfer of records.

E Financial Accounting

1. Financial Report

The Treasurer shall prepare (a) the Interim Financial Report of the Association by January 31st of each year and (b) the Annual Financial Report of the Association by the June meeting. Each of the Interim Financial Report and the Annual Financial Report shall report all income, expenditures, and transactions of the Association. Each report shall be presented and reviewed by the general membership. Copies of each report shall be provided to the Principal.

2. Record Keeping

The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds of the Association and shall keep accurate records in a form consistent with these Bylaws and such applicable Regulations of the Chancellor. In accordance with Chancellor’s Regulation A-610, Parents must obtain written approval from the Principal before collecting fundraiser proceeds from students or Parents. The Treasurer and at least one other Officer shall handle and promptly transport all funds of the Association to the bank. Deposit slips shall identify the source of all deposited funds. All parties involved in financial transactions shall provide their initials on the deposit slips. All financial records of the Association including checkbooks, ledgers, cancelled checks, invoices, receipts, etc., shall be maintained. As the school has not provided a secure place to keep financial records and/or the PTA checkbook, currently the records are maintained online in the PTA server and the checkbook resides with the current Co-Treasurer and secured on School premises.

Article IX – School Closures; Virtual or Electronic PTA Operations

With respect to any provisions of these Bylaws that require certain acts be conducted on School premises (including, but not limited to, record keeping, record transfers, voting, general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings), the Executive Board may, by duly authorized resolution, allow for the Association to conduct its usual business and affairs through virtual or electronic means, as may be necessary to protect the health and safety of the members of the Association or as may be ordered or required by public education officials or other governmental agencies.

Article X – Amendments and Regular Review of Bylaws

These Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Association by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided the amendment was presented in writing to the membership at the previous meeting and appears in the notice of the meeting at which it is to be amended. Amendments are effective immediately unless otherwise specified. A thorough review of these Bylaws shall be conducted every 3 years. All provisions of these Bylaws must conform to CR A-660 and Department of Education guidelines. Any member may present a motion at a general membership meeting to amend a provision of the Bylaws that is not in compliance with CR A-660. Amendments that bring the bylaws into compliance must be voted on immediately after the motion is presented. A two-thirds vote of the membership is required for approval. These Bylaws may be subject to alteration, amendment or repeal, and new Bylaws may be made in accordance with the provisions herein, provided that such amendment must comply with relevant sections of N.Y. Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, any applicable regulations provided by the New York State Department of Education and the New York City Department of Education, and any other laws or regulations affecting the functions of parent-teacher associations. Subject to the requirements of N.Y. Not-for-Profit Corporation Law and any relevant provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation (and other than as permitted under N.Y. Not-for-Profit Corporation Law), the Certificate of Incorporation may be amended only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members.

Article XI – Dissolution

In the event of dissolution, all of the remaining assets and property of the Association, after necessary expenses thereof, shall be distributed in the manner provided by the Certificate of Incorporation.

Article XII – Non-Inurement; Conflicts of Interest

No part of the funds or monies of the Association shall inure to the benefit of any member, Officer, Executive Board member or any private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the Association), and no member, Officer, Executive Board member or any private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets upon dissolution of the Association.

A No member, Officer or Executive Board member of the Association shall receive directly or indirectly any salary, compensation, inurement or emolument from the Association, either as such member or Officer, or in any other capacity, other than as compensation or reimbursement in a reasonable amount for services rendered to the Association and in all cases such compensation or reimbursement must be authorized at a general membership meeting at which a quorum is present and, additionally, authorized by the concurring vote of a majority of the disinterested members of the Executive Board.

B No loans shall be made by the Association to its members, Officers or Executive Board members, or to any other corporation, firm, association or other entity in which one or more of its members, Officers or Executive Board members are directors or officers or hold a substantial financial interest.

Article XIII – Purpose and Activities

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of these bylaws, the Association is organized exclusively for such educational purposes as specified in the Certificate of Incorporation, and the Association shall carry on only such activities as permitted by an organization exempt from Federal income taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding provisions of any subsequent tax laws.