1. ARTICLE I - NAME, DESCRIPTION

1.1. NAME — The name of the organization shall be DEEC PTO. The PTO is located at Dexter Early Elementary Complex, 7480 Dan Hoey Road, Dexter, Michigan, 48130.

1.2. DESCRIPTION — DEEC PTO is a non-profit organization that exists for educational, social and charitable purposes that operates under the general direction of the Dexter Early Elementary Complex Administration. Dexter Community Schools (DCS) is considered a government entity and is tax exempt.

2. ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

2.1. Identify school needs and promote opportunities for students through volunteer participation, social events, educational events, and fundraising activities.

2.2. Foster a closer relationship between the home and the school that allows parents and teachers to cooperate effectively in the education of children.

2.3. Provide a setting and forum for the exchange of information concerning school policies, rules, and procedures.

2.4. Provide financial support for programs funded outside of the annual school budget.

3. ARTICLE III - POLICIES

3.1. The PTO shall operate for charitable, educational, nonpartisan, non-sectarian, and non-commercial purposes and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, creed, political belief, age, national origin, linguistic and language differences, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, socioeconomic status, height, weight, marital or familial status, disability or veteran status.

3.2. The name of the PTO and the names of any of its members in their official capacities shall not be used for any purpose not appropriately related to the Purpose of the PTO.

3.3. The PTO may cooperate with other PTOs within the same school district that have similar goals and interests, but shall not interfere with the administration of these schools or seek to control their policies.

4. ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP

4.1 Any parent, legal guardian or other adult standing in loco parentis for a student at this school is automatically a member and shall have voting rights. Each individual gets one vote.

4.2 Each of these individuals is welcome and encouraged to participate in DEEC PTO General Meetings and sponsored events.

4.3 The principal(s) and vice principal(s) of Anchor Elementary School and Beacon Elementary School are members and shall have voting rights.

4.4 All Anchor Elementary School and Beacon Elementary School teachers and staff are members of the DEEC PTO and shall have voting rights with the exception of grant proposals.

4.5 There are no dues for anyone.

5. ARTICLE V - OFFICERS

5.1 LEADERSHIP TEAM — the Leadership Team shall consist of the following officers: Two Co-Directors, Secretary, and one Treasurer. Officer positions, except for Treasurer, can be shared. The Schools’ Principal(s), or his/her designee, is a voting member of the Leadership Team. Up to four Members-at-Large may be elected to the DEEC PTO. Members-at-Large should attend board Meetings and a majority of regular meetings and assist as needed to help the PTO reach their goals. Members at large have full voting rights as board members. They may stand in for absent officers(helping to move the meeting along, taking notes, etc)

5.2 TERM OF OFFICE — The term of office for all officers is one year, beginning immediately upon election, and ending upon officer election the following school year. Officers may serve consecutive terms, if they are nominated, by self or by others, and are subsequently elected to do so.

5.3 QUALIFICATIONS — Any PTO member in good standing may become an officer of the PTO. Must have a child enrolled at The Dexter Early Elementary Complex.

5.4 ELECTIONS

5.4.1 Any PTO Member in good standing may run for office or be nominated to hold a position on the Leadership Team.

5.4.2 The election process of the Leadership Team (nominations, notification, elections) will begin during the April General Meeting.

5.4.3 All nominees must be known before the vote.

5.4.4 Each member has one vote.

5.4.5 Absentee Ballots are available only upon request. The request must be submitted to the Director and the Absentee Ballot will be provided by the Secretary and must be returned to the Secretary.

5.4.6 Positions will be voted on and approved by a majority vote of members at the last DEEC PTO meeting of the year.

5.4.7 The election will be done by secret ballot and counted by the current Leadership Team.

5.4.8 Voting shall be by written ballot either in person or online and may be conducted however the Secretary sees fit. (By paper, Zoom private chat, email, Google forms, Survey Monkey, etc.)

5.4.9 The Principal’s vote will be used to break ties.

5.4.10 If no persons are willing to assume positions on the Leadership Team at the final meeting, positions can be filled on a volunteer basis and approved with a vote of simple majority by the Leadership Team.

5.5 DUTIES

5.5.1 Shared by Leadership Team

5.5.1.1 Develop the PTO’s annual budget

5.5.1.2 Establish and oversee committees to conduct the work of the PTO

5.5.1.3 Attend and participate in General Meetings.

5.5.1.4 Disseminate information about PTO initiatives

5.5.1.5 Approve by majority vote unbudgeted expenditures

5.5.1.6 Audit PTO finances on a monthly basis.

5.5.2 Co-Directors

5.5.2.1 Preside over General Meetings of the DEEC PTO.

5.5.2.2 Serve as the primary contact for the Principal(s).

5.5.2.3 Serve as the official representative of the PTO

5.5.2.4 Coordinate the work of all Leadership Team officers.

5.5.3 Secretary

5.5.3.1 Record and distribute minutes of all General PTO meetings.

5.5.3.2 Prepare agendas for General Meetings.

5.5.3.3 Hold historical records for the PTO.

5.5.3.4 Keep all records of the organization.

5.5.3.5 Send notices of meetings and other pertinent information to the Membership.

5.5.3.6 Update the PTO Charter as needed.

5.5.4 Treasurer

5.5.4.1 Serve as custodian of the PTO's finances.

5.5.4.2 Keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures.

5.5.4.3 Collect revenue and pay authorized expenses.

5.5.4.4 Present a financial statement at every General Meeting.

5.5.4.5 Present a financial statement when requested by the Leadership Team or Principal.

5.5.4.6 Prepare year-end financial report.

5.5.4.7 Hold all financial records.

5.5.5 Principal(s)

5.5.5.1 Share information about the goings on at Anchor and Beacon Elementary schools at General Meetings.

5.5.5.2 Communicate pertinent information to the Co-Directors.

5.5.5.3 Approve Teacher Grant applications.

5.5.5.4 Sign off on facility requests for DEEC PTO events.

5.5.5.5 Sign off on reimbursements for DEEC PTO events.

5.6 BOARD MEETINGS — The Leadership Team shall meet during the school year, at the discretion of the Co-Directors, as the need arises.

5.7 REMOVAL — An officer, committee chairperson, committee member or any member of the PTO can be removed from office for failure to fulfill his/her duties, or for causing ill will toward the school staff, students or other parents, after reasonable notice, by a majority vote of the Executive Board and current committee chairpersons.

5.8 VACANCY — If a vacancy occurs on the Leadership Team, the Co-Directors shall appoint a PTO member to fill the vacancy, for the remainder of the officer’s term.

6. ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

6.1 GENERAL PTO MEETINGS - General PTO meetings shall be held to conduct the business of the PTO. Meetings shall be held monthly during the school year or as the need arises.

6.2 VOTING

6.2.1 Each member has one vote.

6.2.2 Issues will be voted on and approved by a majority vote of members.

6.2.3 Voting shall be conducted in person or online during the PTO meeting and may be conducted however the Secretary sees fit. (By paper, Zoom private chat, email, Google forms, Survey Monkey, etc.)

6.2.4. Absentee Ballots are available only upon request. The request must be submitted to one of the Co-Directors. The Absentee Ballot will be provided by the Secretary and must be returned to the Secretary.

6.2.5 Should an immediate need to approve a decision arise prior to or after a scheduled General PTO meeting, the Leadership Team may approve or deny the request via email vote, with a simple majority approving or denying the decision.

7. ARTICLE VII – EVENTS AND NON-EVENT ACTIVITIES

7.1. EVENTS

7.1.1 DEEC PTO events can be social, educational, or for the purpose of raising funds to benefit the Dexter Early Elementary Complex.

7.1.2 Examples may include Art Night, STEM Night, Movie Night, Fun Run, Dine to Donate, Book Fairs, Popsicles on the Playground.

7.2 NEW EVENTS

7.2.1 At any time, a member of the PTO can approach a Leadership Team member and propose an addition to the yearly events calendar.

7.2.2 The member will either provide details in writing or in person at the next General Meeting.

7.2.3 After discussion of the new event and verification that the new program is, when necessary, approved by the district, a vote will be held by the Membership. The vote shall include funding for the event, if needed.

7.2.4 The Leadership Team may add new events during the summer when planning the activities for the coming school year without a Membership vote.

7.3 NON-EVENT ACTIVITIES -- DEEC PTO non-event activities include, but are not limited to, Staff Appreciation, Fundraising, Social Media Management, Yearbook, and Teacher Grants.

7.4 EVENT AND ACTIVITY CHAIRS

7.4.1 Every Event and Activity requires at least one, but preferably two, chairs or co-chairs.

7.4.2 Chairs are volunteers from the PTO membership who coordinate all aspects of their particular event or activity. They are responsible for:

● Recruiting and communicating with volunteers

● Setting up meetings, when necessary

● Filing building requests, as needed

● Maintaining the details of their work to pass along to next year’s Chair(s)

● Following DCS guidelines for expenditures and reimbursements

● Working with DEEC office staff to ensure adherence to DCS policies and procedures

7.4.3 Chairs may need to represent DCS when holding discussions with outside vendors, but are not permitted to enter into agreements or sign contracts on behalf of DCS.

8. ARTICLE VIII - FINANCIAL POLICIES

8.1 FINANCES — Money collected through DEEC PTO fundraisers will be spent on predetermined needs and initiatives. DEEC PTO funds will not be used for any items, programs or events that do not directly benefit the students, teachers, or staff at the Dexter Early Elementary Complex.

8.2 FISCAL YEAR - The fiscal year of the PTO begins July 1 and ends June 30 of the following year.

8.3 REPORTING - All financial activity shall be recorded in a manual or computer-based accounting system. The Treasurer shall reconcile the account(s) monthly and report all financial activity monthly.

8.4 ENDING BALANCE - The organization shall leave a minimum of $6,000.00 in the treasury at the end of each fiscal year.

8.5 TEACHER GRANTS - Certain criteria must be met for a grant approval:

● DEEC PTO must have funds available to cover said requests.

● Funds requested must be used explicitly to benefit the teachers, students and staff at the Dexter Early Elementary Complex.

● A grant or expenditure must be approved by the Treasurer prior to spending funds. DEEC PTO is not obligated to fund or liable for any expenses that did not receive prior approval.

8.5.1 Priorities

8.5.1.1 Speakers/Programs/Projects/Field Trips that enrich and enhance the presentation of curriculum materials

8.5.1.2 Classroom materials that enrich and enhance the presentation of curriculum material (books, models, reference materials, software, etc.)

8.5.1.3 Equipment that allows teachers to present curriculum material in innovative and creative ways (audio/visual equipment, computer hardware, etc.)

8.5.1.4 The DEEC PTO is responsible for reviewing and approving or disapproving teacher requests for grant funding for activities, events, or programs that are outside the usual funding level of DEEC.

8.5.2 Application Process – TBD

8.5.3 Voting

8.5.3.1 Teacher Grants will be voted on during General Meetings three times a year: in the fall, winter, and spring.

8.5.3.2 All members of the PTO can vote on the applications, except the requestor.

8.5.3.3 Absent members may vote absentee, if requested. The option of absentee ballots will be shared with the Membership at the beginning of the school year as well as at least 3 days prior to a General Meeting that includes a Teacher Grant vote.

8.5.3.4 Should an immediate need to approve funds arise prior to or after a scheduled General Meeting, the Leadership Team may approve or deny the request via email vote. The group will be notified by email with all necessary details required to make a decision by proxy. A brief update will be provided at the following, regularly scheduled DEEC PTO General meeting.

8.5.4 Approval/Disapproval Process -- TBD

8.6 REIMBURSEMENTS - Any expenditure must receive prior approval of the PTO. Treasurer to spend DEEC PTO funds. Parties will be reimbursed according to current DCS guidelines (see office administrators for assistance). DEEC PTO is not obligated to reimburse any purchase that does not receive prior approval.

9. ARTICLE IX - BYLAW AMENDMENTS and REVIEW PROCESS

9.1 AMENDMENTS - Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed by any PTO member. Amendments presented at a PTO meeting shall be considered for voting at a subsequent meeting. A majority of all members present at a regularly scheduled PTO meeting is required to adopt an amendment to the Bylaws.

9.2 REVISIONS - Bylaws must be reviewed and revised every (3) three years by the Co-Directors or their designee. Any changes, additions or deletions must be discussed by the Leadership Team no later than the beginning of the new school year, with the final version presented for approval by the General Membership no later than at the first DEEC PTO General Meeting of the new school year. If the Leadership Team choses to meet over the summer, they may vote and approve the Bylaws, by simple majority of those present, at that time.

9.3 MAINTENANCE - Four copies of the current Bylaws will be maintained, one hard copy and one electronic file will be maintained by the Secretary with official PTO documents. A third hard copy will be maintained in the office of Anchor and Beacon Elementary School, all for reference as needed.

10. ARTICLE X - DISSOLUTION

In the event of dissolution of the PTO, any funds remaining shall be donated equally to Anchor Elementary School and Beacon Elementary School.

11. ARTICLE XI - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

DEEC PTO follows parliamentary authority guided by Roberts Rules of Order; all items are approved or denied based on a majority vote of members at regularly scheduled DEEC PTO meetings.