Bylaws of The Parent Community Organization of The Environmental Charter School at Frick Park

Original Bylaws Approved by the Executive Committee of the PCO:
October 9, 2008

Ratified by Board of Trustees of the School:
October 15, 2008
                                    
 
ARTICLE I - GENERAL
Section 1.  Name.
This organization shall be known as the Parent Community Organization of the Environmental Charter School at Frick Park (hereafter given as "PCO").

Section 2.  Eligibility.
All persons who are employees and members of the Board of Trustees of, or are parents or legal guardians of children (hereafter, "parents") currently enrolled as students in, the Environmental Charter School at Frick Park (hereafter given as "the School" or "ECS") shall be members of the PCO.  No corporations, incorporate persons or other organizational entities, who are not employees, members of the Board of Trustees, or parents of children currently enrolled in the School, may be members of the PCO.  No further requirements for membership shall be made or imposed.
 
Section 3.  Mission.
The mission of the Parent Community Organization is: to represent the views and concerns of parents to the school administration and staff; to serve the greater Pittsburgh community and to maintain a positive presence therein by being a model and advocate of sound environmental practice; to engage in innovative and effective fundraising and development activities; and to enhance the educational experience and personal growth of students, teachers, and families.


ARTICLE II - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1.  Purpose and Function.
In accordance with the mission of the PCO, the Executive Committee (hereafter, "Executive") shall:
 - direct and plan the activities of the PCO in general;
 - co-ordinate the specific efforts and activities of PCO committees and initiatives;
 - facilitate communication within the school community (Board of Trustees, employees, and parents);
 - carry out all routine tasks necessary for the fulfillment of the PCO mission.

Section 2.  Composition.
The Executive shall consist of thirteen seats, each held by a member of the committee.  Three of the thirteen members shall be the moderator, secretary and treasurer of the PCO.  All Members of the Executive shall be parents or guardians of children currently enrolled as students at ECS.  In addition, the Principal of the School and the designated representative of the Board of Trustees of the School shall have the ex officio right to participate in meetings of the Executive.

Section 3.  Tenure and Rotation of Membership.
Executive members shall retain their seats until vacated.  At the first meeting of the Executive nearest after April 30 of each year, three seats must be vacated.  If any member wishes to voluntarily vacate his or her seat, his or her intention must be communicated to the Executive no later than April 30 of each year.

If the seats voluntarily resigned equal or exceed three, the Executive shall proceed by majority vote to fill all vacant seats from those selected for eligibility by the Nominating Committee (see Nominations, below).

If however the number of seats voluntarily resigned is fewer than three, the Executive shall choose by random lot sufficient members to vacate their seats, until the number of seats vacated is three.  In no case may more than one officer be chosen to vacate a seat by lot; a choice by lot of an officer after the first shall be null and the lot repeated.  After sufficient seats have been vacated by lot to make a total of three, the Executive shall present the confirmed slate of nominees (see Nominations, below) for random lot to the PCO to fill all vacant seats by May 31 of each year.

Section 4.  Mid-Year Vacancies.
An Executive seat vacated by resignation more than three months prior to July 30 shall be filled for the remainder of the year by the majority vote of the remaining Executive members from among those parents nominated to the vacant seat by the Nominating Committee.

Section 5.  Nominations.  
The Nominating Committee shall consist of one officer and two members of the Executive, each of whom shall be chosen by majority vote of the Executive by January 31 of each year.  The Nominating Committee will solicit nominations from parents of the PCO, including self-nominations, by public announcement no later than February 15 of each year.  By April 30 of each year, the Nominating Committee shall submit a confirmed slate of nominees to the Executive who shall be eligible for an Executive seat in the following year (see Tenure and Rotation of Membership, above).

Section 6.  Meetings.  
The Executive shall meet a minimum of ten (10) times in each year from July 30 until the next.  According to need, the Moderator may call special meetings of the Executive in excess of this number.  Additionally, motions may be proposed and votes taken at a website designated by the Executive for this purpose, according to the rules specified in Article V, Section 2 below.

Section 7.  Notification and Public Attendance.  
To the extent practicable, notice of meetings of the Executive shall be given to members and parents by all convenient means.  Attendance at meetings of the Executive shall ordinarily be open to all members of the board of trustees, school employees and parents.  A motion to restrict public attendance shall require the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the executive committee.

Section 8.  Quorum.  
Meetings of the Executive Committee, or of any sub-committee thereof, shall require a simple majority (one more than one-half of the members), present in person, in order to conduct or transact business.  

Section 9.  Procedure and Voting.  
Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be conducted according to the ordinary rules of parliamentary procedure as specified in Robert's Rules of Order (10th edition).  In particular, each member of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to one vote upon each matters submitted to a vote at meetings of the Executive Committee, and the majority vote of those members present and entitled to vote at a duly organized meeting of the Executive Committee shall decide any question put to a vote.

Section 10.  Board of Trustees Oversight.  
1) The Board of Trustees may, by a written instrument signed by all Trustees indicating their consent and specifying a cause for their action, and presented to the Moderator in a duly constituted meeting of the Executive, vacate all seats of the Executive.  Such instrument shall indicate by name three parents (as defined in Article I, Section 2 above) who shall serve as an Emergency Nominating Committee according to the provisions of Section 5 above, and who shall proceed, within a period of no more than 15 days from the date of the meeting of the Executive at which the instrument is presented, to solicit nominations to the Executive.  Within 30 days of the said meeting, the Emergency Nominating Committee shall select by random lot thirteen of those nominated to fill the vacant seats of the Executive. If the Emergency Nominating Committee fails to fill the vacant seats of the Executive within 30 days of the said meeting, the most recent occupants of the offices of Moderator, Secretary and Treasurer willing to undertake the duty shall become the Emergency Nominating Committee and carry out its functions as given in Section 5 above.

2) The Board of Trustees may, by a written instrument signed by a majority of Trustees indicating their consent and specifying a cause for their action, and presented to the Moderator in a duly constituted meeting of the Executive, vacate the seat of one member of the Executive by name.  This action of the Board of Trustees may not be exercised more than once in any period of 90 days.  In such case, the Executive shall proceed to fill the vacant seat according to the provisions of Section 4 (Mid-Year Vacancies) above.  


ARTICLE III - OFFICERS
The Executive shall, in a duly constituted meeting, elect by majority vote from among its members, a Moderator, a Secretary and a Treasurer.  The Executive may, by majority vote, remove from office the Moderator, Secretary and Treasurer.  

Section 1.  Moderator
The moderator shall:
 - set the agenda for meetings of the Executive and general meetings of the PCO;
 - preside as chairperson at those meetings;
 - speak for and represent the Executive Committee and PCO as the Executive Committee authorizes.

He or she shall also carry out other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her by the Executive Committee.  In the physical absence or temporary incapacity of the Moderator, the Secretary or Treasurer may act as chairman or chairwoman at meetings of the Executive, and carry out all of the Moderator's other duties by the consent of a simple majority of the Executive.

Section 2.  Secretary
The secretary shall:
 - maintain or supervise the maintenance of the minutes of all Executive Committee meetings;
 - conduct or supervise the conduct of Executive Committee correspondence or other communication;
 - administer or supervise the administration of a PCO website, discussion board, blog or other official means of electronic communication.

He or she shall also carry out other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her by the Executive Committee.

Section 3.  Treasurer.  
The Treasurer shall:
 - direct financial operations of the PCO including raising and spending money for PCO activities;
 - keep records relating to PCO financial operations and report to the Executive Committee regarding the same;
 - prepare an annual financial report to be presented at the annual meeting of the PCO.
 - liaise as required with the Board of Trustees and school staff regarding PCO financial operations.    


ARTICLE IV - SUB-COMMITTEES
Section 1.  Standing Sub-Committees.
By majority vote the Executive may create or dissolve standing sub-committees ("action committees") for particular purposes, and shall appoint a chairman or chairwoman for each such standing committee.  Other particulars of membership and procedure will ordinarily be determined by the standing sub-committee itself, in accordance with the requirements of its charge or remit from the Executive.  The chairperson, once appointed by the Executive, will direct the recruitment of other committee members; preside over meetings of the committee, and report to the Executive regarding the committee's progress and activities.


ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
Section 1.  Regular Meetings.
The PCO shall hold a regular meeting once a month during the school year at a date, time and place determined by the Executive.

Section 2.  Annual Meeting.
The PCO's annual meeting shall be held in June of each year.  The annual meeting is for receiving annual reports from standing sub-committees, electing officers, reviewing a financial annual report and conducting other end-of-year business as needed.

Section 3.  Special Meetings.
Special meetings may be called by the president, any two members of the Executive, or by the Board of Trustees of the school.  Notice of a special meeting shall be sent to members at least three (3) days before the meeting.

Section 4.  Notice.
It is the responsibility of the Executive to give notice of meetings.  Notice of meetings shall be given to members by regular mail, facsimile, electronic mail or flyers sent home with students.  The secretary shall select the method of notice.  Notice of each meeting shall also be hand delivered in writing to the principal of the school and the president of the Board of Trustees of the school.


ARTICLE VI - FINANCES
Section 1.  Annual Report.
The Treasurer shall prepare an annual financial report to be presented at the annual meeting of the PCO.

Section 2.  Checks.
Two authorized signatures shall be required on a requisition for each check issued by the PCO.  At least one signature shall be an officer (Moderator, Secretary or Treasurer).  The second signature may be a second officer or the chairperson of a standing sub-committee of the Executive.  A sub-committee chairperson may only be a second signer if the expenditure is relevant to that sub-committee.  The Treasurer shall verify all expenditures before checks are issued.

Section 3.  Grants.
All proposals and/or grant applications to funding organizations shall be approved by  the Board of Trustees of the School before they are submitted to said organizations.

Section 4.  Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the PCO shall be the same as the fiscal year of the School.


ARTICLE VII - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 1.  Books, Lists and Records.  
The PCO and its Executive shall keep in written form, correct and complete books and records of account and minutes of the meetings of the Executive and standing committees, and such special committees as from time to time may be designated by the Executive.  

Section 2.  Online Voting.  
Motions concerning PCO business and policy can be made, debated and voted on by the Executive online, on a website or online message board designated by the Secretary and announced in a meeting of the Executive and duly recorded in its minutes, according to the following rules:

1) The motion must be posted or electronically published to a part of the designated website or online message board accessible only to members of the Executive, or if not technically possible then in a section of a website or online message board clearly identified as being reserved for votes of the Executive only.
2) The motion must be indicated by electronic publication to the designated website or online message board by a subject line, or other heading on a line by itself, beginning "[Motion]:", the full and complete text of the motion following after the bracketed word.
3) Amendments may be proposed by electronic publication to the designated website or online message board.  A message containing an amendment must be clearly headed "Amendment A" in the subject line or on a line by itself at the head of the message and contain the full and complete text of the proposed amendment.  Any subsequent amendments should be labeled in alphabetical order.
4) In order to be the full and considered decision and resolution of the Executive, a motion under the provisions of this section must receive the vote of all members of the Executive, in the form of a message electronically published in the specific message board thread or other place on the website designated for motions, indicating that the member casts a vote, either in favor ("yay"), opposed ("nay") or  abstaining (or a message otherwise phrased which clearly indicates an equivalent meaning, subject to the ruling of the Moderator).
5) If an amendment is proposed, it must also receive the votes of all members as described in 4) above, and if accepted the text of the original post must be edited to include the amendment, by either the website or message board administrator, who shall be either the PCO secretary or his/her designee, or by the mover of the motion.  Votes on the original text of the motion cast prior to the date of passage of the amendment are null.
6) Passage of an amendment by majority assent as specified in 4) above shall render all prior amendments null.  Passage of the text of the motion as worded prior to acceptance of any amendments still pending resolution shall render all such amendments null.
7) Once an online motion has either passed, by receiving votes from all Executive members, a majority of which are in favor of the motion ("yay"), or has failed, by receiving votes from all Executive members a majority of which are opposed to the motion ("nay") or are abstaining votes, the message board thread or other portion of the designated website shall either be secured against further modification if technically possible or recorded, saved and deleted.
8) A motion made under this provision which does not pass or fail, according to rules of 7) above, within a period of two weeks from the initial post or publication of the motion to the designated website is null.  Prior to such expiration, voting shall remain open and votes may be made as described in 4) above, until the Moderator posts or electronically publishes a message notifying the members that a majority has been reached and the motion has passed or failed according to the rules of 7) above.   Votes changed after the date-stamp or time of electronic publication of the Moderator's notification are null.
9) Online motions which pass should be read into the record at the next full meeting of the executive, by being announced by the moderator at the beginning of a meeting and recorded by the Secretary.
10) Subject to the above rules (1-9 above), online motions are governed by ordinary parliamentary procedure (as defined by Roberts' Rules). Specifically, tie votes are decided by the Moderator, and rule and procedure disputes not covered by established committee rules are determined by the Moderator.
11) No proposals to change the PCO by-laws, Executive membership, or members' assignments to areas of responsibility or committee chairmanship can be made by online motion.
12) The Secretary or his/her deputy shall maintain or cause to be maintained the designated website or online message board.  Subject to the provisions of this section, no message posted or electronically published by a member of the Executive shall be prohibited, edited or otherwise altered without either the consent of the member or a ruling on a point of order or parliamentary decorum by the Moderator.


ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS

Section 1.  Amendments.  
These Bylaws may be amended, altered or repealed by the Executive Committee by a vote of two-thirds or more of the members of the Executive Committee.  Once a change is approved by the Executive, it must then be ratified by a majority vote by the Board of Trustees of the School.

These Bylaws were approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the PCO on October 9, 2008.


Amended and Restated Bylaws

Approved by the Executive Committee:
August 17, 2009

Approved by ECS Board:
August 19, 2009