SCULLEN PTSA

							                                 Apex High School PTSA
                                 Handbook/Standing Rules




The Apex High PTSA bylaws were approved on May 21, 2008 and are due for revision in May 2012.

Standing rules outline the procedures of an organization with specific details that are not included in the
bylaws. The standing rules must not conflict with the bylaws; therefore, bylaws take precedence over
standing rules. These rules are adopted as any ordinary motion by a majority vote, and they are
amended by a two-thirds vote without previous notice or by a majority vote with notice.

Mission of the PTA (from bylaws)
    To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools and before governmental
       agencies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children.
    To assist parents in developing skills they need to raise and protect their children.
    To encourage parent and public involvement in the schools of this nation.

Purposes of the PTA (from bylaws)
    To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of
       worship.
    To raise the standards of home life.
    To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
    To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate
       intelligently in the education of children and youth.
    To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all
       children and youth, the highest advantages in physical, mental, social, and spiritual education.

Mission of the Apex High PTSA

      To follow all of the above but to also provide resources to the school to enhance what the county
       provides in order to ensure the best possible education for Apex High students.




                                                                                          Revised April 2009
                               Apex High School PTSA
                               Handbook/Standing Rules
Organization of Apex High PTSA

The Executive Board = Officers + Committee Chairs

The Apex High PTSA Executive Board is composed of the executive committee (elected officers and
the principal) and the chairs of the standing committees. The chairs of the standing committees are
selected – not elected. A standing committee is a permanent committee such as Membership,
Reflections, Newsletter, etc. Two or more people with the exception of the president may share any
office or committee chair position. All members of the executive board must join the PTSA (Bylaws –
Article III, section 9).

A ―special committee‖ conducts specific business on an as-needed basis. Special committees are
created for a specific purpose; they automatically go out of existence when the work is done and the
final report is received – such as Bylaws, Audit, or Nominating committees.

The Apex High PTSA would like for representatives from other organizations (AOIT, Band Boosters,
Cougar Club, etc.) to attend our meetings to increase communication. However, the representatives
from these organizations are not considered part of the executive board for voting purposes.

Officers and committee chairs shall:
    submit reports to the executive board.
    attend meetings of the executive board.
    submit plans of work for approval by the executive board.
    maintain a procedure book.
    submit articles to newsletter.
    follow all bylaws and policies of the PTA.

Officer positions (executive committee members)
    1. President
    2. VP of Communications
    3. VP of Programs
    4. Secretary
    5. Treasurer
    6. Principal

Standing Committees (executive board members)
See committees in the Standing Committees document.

Representatives for other organizations
The PTSA would like for representatives for other organizations such as the AOIT, Band Boosters,
School Improvement Team, Student Council, etc. to attend our meetings. This will allow us to know
what’s going on at the school. However, these representatives are not chairs of committees so they are
not eligible to vote at executive board meetings. They can vote at regular meetings when all parent
members vote.



                                                                                      Revised April 2009
                                 Apex High School PTSA
                                 Handbook/Standing Rules
Voting
One office = one person = one vote. If a person is chair of two or more committees, he/she has only has
one vote. A quorum is reached for executive board meetings when the majority of the executive board
(committee chairs and officers) is present. See attached for quorum amount for current year. A quorum
is reached for regular meetings (September, January, and May) when 20 members are present according
to the bylaws.

The bylaws prohibit voting by proxy – Article III, Section 10. Therefore, email voting is never allowed.

The President, as the presiding officer, maintains a fair and impartial position at all times and
encourages members to participate. The President may vote when voting is by ballot. In other cases,
the president may not vote unless to break a tie if the result is in the best interest of the association.

Upon the expiration of the term of office or in case of resignation, each officer and committee chair shall
turn over to the president, without delay, all records, books, and other materials pertaining to the office
and shall return to the treasurer, without delay, all funds pertaining to the office.

School Improvement Team (SIT)
There will be three parents on the SIT. Members are chosen in an election conducted by the PTSA since
the PTSA is the representative parent group for the school. Members do not have to join the PTSA;
therefore, this SIT committee can never be listed as a PTSA standing committee.

SIT members will serve for a three-year commitment. We made the decision to have this be a three-year
term instead of two years because the teachers serve for three years on SIT. A parent of a junior may
run for election and may serve only one year while his or her child is a senior. If an SIT member is
unable to serve for a full term, then the PTSA will hold an election to fill an unexpired term. SIT
members will be elected in the same month that PTSA officers are elected. When there is one nominee,
the election may be held by voice vote. However, if there is more than one nominee, election must be
by ballot. The elections shall be advertised by the PTSA, and the officers and nominating committee
shall work to find nominees. The newly elected teachers start attending meetings in May; therefore, our
parent terms will run from May 1 to April 30.

Meetings
According to the bylaws, we must hold three regular membership meetings where all members of the
PTSA are involved – Sept., Jan., & May. The officers will be elected at the May regular meeting. This
is also called our annual meeting where the ―annual reports are in order.‖

The meetings of the executive committee (officers and principal) will be held as needed.

The meetings of the executive board of the Apex High School PTSA shall be held once a month. See
miscellaneous standing rules at the end of this document for time and place.

Members with unexcused absences from two consecutive meetings or absences from three executive
board meetings during term of office are subject to removal.



                                                                                           Revised April 2009
                                Apex High School PTSA
                                Handbook/Standing Rules
The president will compose the agenda and will make it available to board members via email two days
before the meeting. If you would like to submit something for the agenda, please send this information
to the president at least three days before the meeting.

The order of business shall be as follows:
    Call meeting to order—welcome and thanks
    Minutes of previous meeting (read or distribute copies); motion to accept into record
    Treasurer’s Report
    Administrative Reports (Teacher Representative and Principal)
    Main Agenda Items and Officer’s Reports
    Standing Committee Reports
    Unfinished Business
    New Business
    Announcements
    Adjourn Meeting

The minutes will be sent to board members via email and will be posted to the website. The minutes
will be approved at the following meeting.

Rules of Order – Debate shall be limited to ten minutes per motion. In debate, each member has the
right to speak twice on the same question. Members may speak for two minutes. The president shall
appoint a timekeeper.

Any PTSA unit officer or committee chair may attend full meetings of the Wake County PTA Council
(4 times per year) or the State PTA Convention in April/May. All PTSA officers and committee chairs
are eligible to subscribe to the PTA Council’s Electronic Forum, an email newsletter, to receive up-to-
date information on Wake PTA events and issues.

Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee will be selected in February and will be composed of three members. The
president and the principal may not participate. The Nominating Committee shall find nominees for the
president, the two vice-presidents, the secretary, and the treasurer. The president and other officers,
along with the nominating committee, will work to find chairs of the standing committees.

The Nominating Committee should work with the 9th grade parent to contact the guidance office to find
out the date for the rising 9th grade curriculum night – usually held in late Feb. or early March. The
Nominating Committee should ask the guidance office to attach a ―join our PTSA board‖ flyer with the
other paperwork that the students receive so that 8th grade parents will have an opportunity to chair a
standing committee.

Officers are elected in May and assume the duties of the positions on July 1. Officers may only serve
for two years.




                                                                                       Revised April 2009
                                 Apex High School PTSA
                                 Handbook/Standing Rules
Financial

The local eight-digit national PTA ID is 00005941. The Apex High PTSA is a 501(c)(3) organization
for IRS purposes. The Employer’s Identification number is 56-1714244.

All receipts need to be turned in promptly – preferably within 30 days of the event. This will allow us to
realize quickly if a committee is in danger of going over budget.

Two people must sign every PTSA check. The officers who may sign checks are the treasurer,
president, and the two vice-presidents. These officers may not sign a check made payable to
themselves. If you need to get reimbursed from the PTSA, please allow the treasurer time to get the
check co-signed.

Before you spend money, please check the budget to make sure that you have enough money in your
account to cover the expenses. If the budget doesn’t give you enough money to buy what you want for
your committee, you must get the executive board to approve the expenditure.

When you are buying items, please try to get the store or vendor to bill the PTSA directly. If the check
to the store or vendor comes from the PTSA, then the treasurer can fill out a form to give us the sales tax
back from the state. However, if you buy the items with your own money and then ask to be reimbursed
from the PTSA, then the PTSA will not be able to ask the state for the sales tax back.

If your committee sells items (spiritwear, planners, Dial-A-Cougars, shirts, etc.), then you should never
pay sales tax for any items that you buy and are planning to re-sell. For example, the planners will be
ordered from a company. Before ordering the planners, the chairperson should ask the treasurer to send
the company a ―Certificate of Exemption‖ form. The company should not charge the PTSA sales tax. If
by chance the PTSA pays the sales tax accidentally, we cannot recover it.

If you need to be reimbursed, please see the treasurer to get a Check Request Form. If you need to make
a deposit, please see the treasurer to get a Deposit Form.




                                                                                          Revised April 2009
                                Apex High School PTSA
                                Handbook/Standing Rules
Miscellaneous standing rules:

Mail
Apex High PTSA mail is delivered to the school to the teacher’s mailroom. Each member of the
executive board should check the box often. However, please do not take the mail for someone else
unless you have gotten the permission of the person first.

Meetings
The meetings of the executive board of the Apex High School PTSA shall be held on the second
Monday of the month in the media center, and the time for all meetings shall be 7:00 pm unless
otherwise modified by the executive board.

Memorials
If a student or teacher is injured, the PTSA secretary will send a card. If a student or teacher passes
away, the PTSA will send a card and will make a book donation to the school library in memory of the
person. The book should cost around $20 - $30, and this money will be taken from the miscellaneous
budget line. The PTSA will buy the book after consulting with the librarian about what type of book is
needed at the school. The librarian will put a memorial sticker inside the book, but the secretary will
need to send a note to the family letting them know about the donation.

Picture Day Coupons
Lifetouch, the company that photographs students for the yearbook, provides coupons for free
photography based on volunteer hours worked. The PTSA decided in March 2008 to give these coupons
to Student Services to be distributed to students confidentially who might not be able to afford
photographs.

Planners
The PTSA has discussed whether or not to give planners free to all students. After checking with the
School Improvement Team, the PTSA decided to keep selling planners because not all students value
planners, and we didn’t want to waste PTSA resources for planners that might end up in a landfill. The
PTSA will donate about 150 planners to Students Services to distribute confidentially to students who
are disadvantaged in some way. Newcomers (students who transfer to Apex High from other schools)
will not receive planners.

Returned Check Policy
The PTSA treasurer may decide to charge $10 for a check that is returned because of insufficient funds.
The committees which sell items (Membership, Spiritwear, & Planners) must post a sign stating the
policy – ―$10 Service Fee for Returned Checks" – if the treasurer charges the fee. The treasurer should
contact the person who wrote the check to see if there was an oversight and to find out when the funds
will be available.

Scholarships (definition for budget)
The Apex High School PTSA shall grant scholarships each year to seniors. Most of the money will be
used to fund scholarships based on merit, but some may be used for ―extra effort‖ awards based on
teacher or staff nominations. Student Services shall decide the winners of the scholarships – not PTSA.


                                                                                       Revised April 2009
                                 Apex High School PTSA
                                 Handbook/Standing Rules
Each student recipient of the merit scholarship must be a current member of the Apex High PTSA as of
the fall semester of his/her senior year.

School Board Advisory Council Member
The principal and/or school board member shall pick the Board Advisory Council (BAC) member. The
PTSA does not select this person but can help recruit someone as needed.

Senior Class Profit
The profit made from selling t-shirts to seniors and after funding the back-to-school senior breakfast and
parade shall be used to benefit the senior class – often given to the school to be used as part of the
―Senior Gift‖ funds. The senior class parents shall meet with some seniors (probably class officers) to
decide how best to spend the money.

Special Projects (definition for budget)
These funds will be used for capital improvements for the school that Wake County is not able to fund.
An example from a past year is the entrance sign. Each year the executive committee will discuss the
needs for the school and will decide whether to spend the funds during the current year or accumulate
funds to spend in future years.

Teacher grants (definition for budget)
The PTSA shall award grant money to Apex High teachers and administrators. The VP of Programs
will coordinate the teacher grants program – set the due date and get the information out to the teachers.
The principal, PTSA president, VP of Programs, and treasurer shall determine how the grant money will
be awarded.

Telephone Directory
The PTSA decided to stop publishing the Dial-A-Cougar telephone directory for the 2008-09 year
because of privacy concerns. The possibility of allowing parents to ―opt out‖ was discussed, but the
difficulty of gathering the information prohibited this option.




                                                                                         Revised April 2009