Table of Contents

Article I: Name
Article II: Mission
Article III: Policies
Article IV: Membership
Article V: Officers and Their Elections
Article VI: Duties of Officers
Article VII: Meetings
Article VIII: Amendments
Article IX: Authority

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Mercy School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)

Article II: Mission

a) To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school and community.

b) To bring closer the relationship of home and school so that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of the child.

c) To enhance the educational facilities and opportunities for the students of Mercy School that are not otherwise provided for in the school corporation budgets.

Article III: Policies

a) This organization shall neither seek to direct the administrative activities of the school nor to control its policies.

b) This organization may make suggestions to the administration concerning activities of the school, if such suggestion is made toward the betterment of conditions for all concerned. (i.e., students, teachers, administrators and parents.)

c) The Mercy School PTO shall be noncommercial, nonsectarian and nonpartisan.

d) No part of the net earnings of the Mercy School PTO shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, directors, member, trustees, officers or other private person except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered by the Mercy School Board to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II hereof. All net earnings are the property of Mercy School Institute and must be deposited in the Mercy School Institute's Bank Account.

e) The PTO must submit a budget proposal to the Principal every year. The Principal shall review the budget and submit it to the School Board for approval. This budget shall be used to guide the activities of the PTO Committee during the year. Any substantial deviation from the budget must be approved in advance by the School Board

f) Upon the dissolution of this Organization, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the Organization, the remaining assets shall be distributed to the Mercy School Institute.

g) No loans shall be made by the organization to its officers or members.

Article IV: Membership

a) Any parent, guardian, or other person standing in "loco parentis", with a child enrolled and attending Mercy School.

b) Each member of the teaching staff working in Mercy School

c) Any member shall have the privilege of making motions and serving on committees.

Article V: Officers and Their Elections

a) The Officers of this organization shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Volunteer Coordinator, PTO Liaison, and two additional members at large, and the Principal of the School (or the Principal's designee) as an Ex-Officio Member.

b) Officers shall be elected at the October meeting (to be held in the 1st Saturday in the month of October) of the organization by the members present.

c) Officers shall assume their official duties at the start of the 3rd week in the 2nd quarter of the current school year.

d) Officers shall serve a term of one year and/or until their successors are elected.

e) The officers elect shall further elect a President and other positions amongst themselves in their first meeting.

f) Officers of this organization shall be elected in the following manner vis.:

i) There shall be a nominating committee appointed by the existing PTO committee consisting of a minimum of 2 members.

ii) The nominating committee shall be appointed during the September meeting of the organization after announcement of open offices.

iii) The nominating committee shall present a slate of nominees for all offices to be filled and report the slate of nominees to the PTO members one week prior to the October meeting of the organization.

iv) In order to be eligible for the election ballot, a nominee must receive a minimum of 3 nominations and must consent to serve in the PTO committee if elected by the members' votes.

g) A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled for the remaining term by a person elected by a majority vote of the remaining officers of the PTO committee.

Article VI: Duties of Officers

a) The President

i) Shall call/preside at all the meetings of the organization

ii) Shall coordinate the work of the officers and committees, in order that the objectives- mission may be promoted.

iii) Shall attend the Advisory Council meetings and carry out the duties as described in the Mercy School Charter

iv) Shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed in these bylaws or assigned to her/him by the PTO committee.

v) Responsible for providing a written agenda to each officer for any meeting of the organization.

vi) Shall cooperate with the Principal to formulate an action plan for the current term and school year for the PTO Committee

vii) In the event of a tie vote in the PTO Committee meetings, the President shall cast the tie breaking vote.

b) The Vice President:

i) Shall act as aid to the President and perform the duties of the President in the absence or inability to serve.

ii) Shall prepare a quarterly financial report and a final report at the end of the academic year to be deposited to the Principal of the School.

iii) Shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed in these bylaws or assigned to her/him by the President.

c) The Secretary

i) Shall record the minutes of all meetings of the organization and the PTO committee.

ii) Should produce a monthly PTO newsletter.

iii) Should submit any updates to the PTO section of Mercy School's website whenever applicable.

iv) Maintain a current list of all members of the PTO with their contact information.

v) Conduct the organizations meetings in the absence of the President and the Vice President.

vi) Have a copy of the bylaws on hand at all meetings of the Organization

d) Volunteer Coordinator

i) Shall organize the master volunteer list, committee lists, the room mother list.

ii) Shall organize and oversee the Mandatory Parent Involvement Program as follows:

1) Identify all the tasks in the school that need to be filled in by parents upon recommendation by the Principal

2) Shall assign the tasks to all the Parents

3) Monitor the contribution of hours by each parent

4) Prepare a quarterly report for each parent of all the hours that they have contributed and those that need to fulfilled.

e) PTO Liaison or PR Officer

i) Update the Principal about the PTO meetings and minutes every two weeks and as necessary.

f) The 2 Members at Large: shall perform such duties as may be delegated to her/him by the President or the PTO committee.

g) Principal of the School:

i) The Principal of Mercy School retains final approval or veto power of any function/activity, if said function/activity will interfere with procedures, policy and/or the best interest of Mercy School. (check and balance for PTO)

h) All officers shall perform the duties outlined above as well as any other duties prescribed in these bylaws; and such other duties as may be delegated to her/him by the PTO committee.

i) All officers shall deliver to their successors official materials at the close of their service of office.

Article VII: Meetings

a) Open Meetings: Shall hold monthly open meetings with all the members of the PTO.

b) Closed Meetings: Shall hold monthly meetings with the members of the PTO Committee.

c) The President may call meetings of the PTO Committee whenever necessary with a minimum of 24hrs prior notification to all the members of the PTO Committee.

d) Four officers present at any meeting shall constitute a quorum necessary for the transaction of business of the organization.

e) The first closed meeting of the PTO Committee shall be in the 3rd week of the 2nd quarter of the current school year. (give more flexibility)

f) The last closed meeting of the PTO Committee shall be a joint session with the newly elected officers of the PTO Committee and the outgoing officers in the 1st week of the 2nd quarter of the current school year.

Article VIII: Amendments

These by-laws may be reviewed and/or revised by the Mercy School Board as necessary to meet changing conditions in the school and community.

Article IX: Authority

If any part of these Bylaws shall conflict with the decisions, policies or procedures adopted by the Mercy School Board, they shall be deemed null and void and the decision of the Mercy School Board shall, in all cases, control.