Bylaws

NEWTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION
457 Walnut Street, Newtonville, MA 02460 

BY-LAWS — October 2002
Amended May 2022

ARTICLE I – NAME 

The Name as stated in the Articles of Organization and incorporated herein by reference is Newton North High School Parent-Teacher-Student Organization, Inc. (PTSO).

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE 

The purpose of the corporation as stated in the Articles of Organization and incorporated herein by reference is: 

Section 1–The purpose of this Organization shall be to: 

  • promote the intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth of Newton North High School students and support the efforts of the staff in providing an optimal educational experience for students 
  • encourage and provide opportunities for effective cooperation, collaboration and communication among staff, parents and students and serve as a medium of contact between home and school 
  • encourage the involvement of parents in the life of Newton North High School to develop a united effort with school staff to enhance and enrich the student’s school experience 
  • provide support and information to the parent community, i.e., keeping them abreast of city and state-wide educational issues and social issues of the high school age child 
  • work collaboratively with the Newton North High School Council 
  • to act as an advocate for public education in Newton 

Section 2 — The purposes for which this association is organized are exclusively charitable and educational within the meaning of section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue law. 

Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, this organization shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from Federal income tax under section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue law. 

Upon the dissolution of the organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposed within the meaning of section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provisions of any future Federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the Federal, state, or local government for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a court of competent jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purpose. 

ARTICLE III – POLICIES 

This Organization shall be non-commercial, non-sectarian, and non-partisan. No commercial enterprise and no political candidate shall be endorsed by it. A Board member may not seek nor hold an elected partisan office while serving on the Board. Neither the name of the Organization nor the names of its officers in their official capacities shall be used in connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest, or for any purpose other than the regular work of the Organization. 

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP AND DUES 

Section 1 — All Newton North students and their parents, legal guardians, stepparents or other persons acting in loco parentis of the student and faculty members of the school automatically shall be members of the Organization. 

Section 2 — Voluntary dues will be encouraged and solicited annually. The recommended contributions will be established annually, presented and voted on during the Spring Annual Meeting. 

Section 3 –The Organization welcomes and encourages the participation of all Newton North High School faculty, staff and students in its activities. 

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS OF THE ORGANIZATION 

Section 1 — There shall be no less than five regular meetings of the Organization during the school year, one of which will be the Spring Annual Meeting. The Spring Annual Meeting will be held in May or June. At this meeting the Nominating Committee will present its slate of officers, Board members, and committee chairpersons, and elections will take place. Any additional or special meetings, including workshops and programs, may be called by the Co-Presidents, with the consent of the Executive Committee. 

Section 2 — Notice of each meeting of the Organization shall be provided in at least one of the following ways: 

  • Published in the school newsletter; 
  • Published on the PTSO website;
  • E-mailed to the address provided to the PTSO; 
  • Mailed to the student’s home address on record at the school. 

ARTICLE VI – FINANCES 

Section 1 — The fiscal year of the Organization shall be from August 1 to July 31. 

Section 2 — The annual budget, accompanied by a line item narrative, is prepared by the Co-Presidents and Treasurer. The Executive Committee must be invited to participate in the budget preparation. The proposed budget shall be posted on the website and a minimum of one week shall be given for members of the Organization to comment. The Board will approve the budget after the comment period and prior to the end of the fiscal year. Notice regarding the proposed budget shall be given to the members of the Organization prior to the meeting in accordance with Article V, Section 2 above. 

Any expenditure, exceeding $250 and not contained in this budget, must be approved by the Executive Committee during the course of the school year. Any lesser amount can be approved by the Co-Presidents. This amount should be reviewed each year during the preparation of the budget. 

Section 3 — The Treasurer and the Co-Presidents are the authorized signers for all expenditures, but only one signature is required. 

ARTICLE VII – OFFICERS 

The officers of the Organization shall be the two Co-Presidents, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, and shall comprise the Executive Committee of the Organization. The Principal shall serve ex officio. Two persons may be elected jointly to the office of the Treasurer, the Secretary, as well as to any of the five Board member positions (as defined in Article IX, Section 2 below) in which event the office or Board position shall be held jointly as co-officers / comembers. Terms used in the singular in these By-Laws shall be deemed to include the plural for co-office or co-position holders.

ARTICLE VIII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS 

Section 1 — The Co-Presidents shall set the agenda for and preside at all meetings of the Organization and of the Executive Committee, shall be a member ex officio of all committees and of the School Council and shall perform all duties usually pertaining to the office. The Co-Presidents shall serve as liaison of the Organization to the Principal, to the community and to the Newton PTO Council. The Co-Presidents, with the consent of the Executive Committee, may appoint ad hoc committees and liaisons throughout the year. The Co-Presidents may call meetings of the Executive Committee as provided herein or as otherwise necessary. 

Section 2 — The Vice President shall act as assistant to the Co-Presidents and shall perform the duties of the Co-Presidents in her/his absence or upon his or her request, including representing the Co-Presidents in external meetings or in liaison functions. The Vice President shall oversee fundraising and in such capacity coordinate with relevant committee and event chairs. 

Section 3 — The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the Organization, shall keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures and shall make authorized disbursements in accordance with the budget or approval of the Co-Presidents. The Treasurer shall present a statement of account upon request by the Co-Presidents. The Treasurer shall assist with the preparation of the annual budget. The Treasurer shall complete all required annual filings of the Organization, including the Annual Report (Secretary of State’s Office), the form 990 EZ (IRS), and Form PC (Attorney General’s office). 

Section 4 — The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping records of the Board actions, including the taking of minutes at all Board meetings, sending out Board meeting announcements, distributing copies of minutes and the agenda to all Board members, and assuring corporate records are maintained. The Secretary will also track the terms of Board officers and members for the annual nominating process (see Article X below). 

Section 5 — The term of each Co-President is two years, with one Co-President elected each year for staggered terms. The term of all other officers is for one year. Each Co- President may hold office for one two-year term only, and all other officers and Board members may not hold the same office for more than three consecutive terms, except in cases where no replacement can be found and/or the office is held jointly with another person. 

ARTICLE IX – BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Section 1 — The Board of Directors shall include the officers of the Organization, the Principal, and five Board members ‘at large.’ Insofar as possible, each of the feeder schools should be equally represented on the Board. 

Section 2 — The five members ‘at large’ will each have specific domain and/or operational responsibility, e.g., technology, communications, programming, volunteer engagement, and METCO, decided as part of the nominating process and approved as part of the Board elections at the Spring Annual Meeting, or as needed during other scheduled Board meetings.

Section 3 — The Board of Directors shall meet with the Principal no less than six times during the school year. Meetings of just the Executive Committee may be called by the Co-Presidents or additional meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Co-Presidents, Executive Committee, or three members of the Board with one week’s notice given to all Board members. All as well as these additional meetings shall be open to all members of the Organization. 

Section 4 — Five members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. 

Section 5 — Meetings of the Board of Directors may be held in person or virtually (e.g., teleconference, video conferencing), though in-person meetings are preferred when not prohibited by external circumstances. In situations that require an immediate response and when it is not possible to schedule a meeting, decisions may be made virtually. In such cases, the decision will be ratified and noted in the minutes of the next meeting of the Board.

Section 6 — The duties of the Board shall be to transact administrative business referred to it by the Co-Presidents or by the Organization through the Co-Presidents. 

ARTICLE X – NOMINATIONS 

Nominations shall be made by the Nominating Committee which shall consist of at least four members of the Organization: the Co-Presidents and/or Vice-President, and three Organization members, preferably one from each of the three feeder schools. Notice of Nominating Committee meetings shall be announced to the Organization members in accordance with Article V, Section 2. Any member of the Organization shall be welcomed at the meetings. The Committee shall solicit recommendations for officers, Board members, and committee chairpersons through feeder school PTO’s and Newton North’s newsletters. Insofar as possible, each of the feeder schools should be equally represented on the committees. The Nominating Committee shall present its slate of officers and Board members at the Spring Annual Meeting for a vote by members of the Organization (see Article XI below). Additional nominations from the floor will be accepted, if the candidate has consented to the nomination. In addition, the Nominating Committee will present the list of committee chairpersons and solicit further recommendations for appointment to these positions if necessary.

ARTICLE XI – ELECTIONS 

Section 1 — Elections to approve the slate of Board officers and members presented by the Nominating Committee shall be held at the Spring Annual Meeting of the Organization. Notice of this meeting shall be announced to the Organization members at least one week prior to the meeting. Election shall be by ballot when there are more nominees than allowed under Article VII of these Bylaws. 

Section 2 — Vacancies of any elected office or position shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment and vote of the Board of Directors. Vacancies in committees’ chairs shall be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee. 

Section 3 — The Executive Committee, working with the Principal, shall be responsible for holding elections to fill any parent vacancies on the Newton North High School Council. School Council elections shall take place in the spring for the following school year. 

ARTICLE XII – COMMITTEES 

The Board of Directors establishes committees as deemed necessary to promote and support the purposes and interests of the Organization.

ARTICLE XIII – AMENDMENTS 

These By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Organization by a two- thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the meeting has been given to the members of the Organization in accordance with Article V, Section 2.

ARTICLE XIV- RULES OF ORDER 

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Revised shall govern this Organization in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-Laws.

Click link to download: NNHS PTSO By-Laws – Amended May 2022