Hazelwood Elementary PTSA Standing Rules 2024-2025
Approved at General Membership meeting on September 10, 2024
1. These Standing Rules shall not be in conflict with the current bylaws of the National PTA or Washington State PTA.
2. The legal name of this PTSA local unit is Hazelwood Elementary PTA 9.11.30. It was chartered by the Washington State PTA in October 1963.
3. This PTSA serves the children in Hazelwood Elementary School in the Renton School District.
4. This PTSA is registered with the Secretary of State under the Charitable Solicitations Act. The Treasurer is responsible for filing the charitable solicitation renewal prior to May 31st.
5. This PTSA was incorporated on March 15, 1974. It was assigned corporation number 2-236560-5. The Treasurer is responsible for filing the annual corporation report with the Secretary of State and renewing the business license prior to March 31st. The registered agent for this PTSA is the Washington State PTA.
6. This PTSA was granted tax-exempt status under section 501(c)3 on February 2, 1993. The Treasurer is responsible for filing the IRS required tax return before November 15th. An extension filing is only allowed by a vote of the Executive Committee.
7. The current Treasurer is responsible for the timely filing of regulatory reports.
8. The mandatory elected officers (Executive Team) of this PTSA shall be President, Secretary and Treasurer. While the Vice President positions may be designated board positions at the yearly discretion of the nomination committee. Officers of this PTSA shall be elected for a one-year term. An officer may not serve more than two consecutive fiscal years in the same office. An officer having served eight or more months in the same fiscal year shall be considered to have served a full year.
9. Any elected position may be held jointly by two (2) or more people. Each co-position holder shall be entitled to voice and vote at Executive Team meetings.
10. The Board of Directors of this PTSA shall consist of the Executive Team and the Chairperson(s) of all standing committees. Not all the committees may be functioning in any given year due to a chair vacancy or the event itself not being scheduled.
11. The member service fees of this PTSA shall be $15.00 per person. All members of the Board of Directors must be current members of Hazelwood PTSA.
12. This PTSA will utilize the Standards of Affiliation Agreement Checklist to help navigate legal requirements as encouraged by the Washington State PTA (WSPTA).
13. This PTSA will ensure that all Executive Team members attend at least one WSPTA-approved training opportunity during the PTA year. Further, at least one member of the Executive Team will attend PTA and the Law during the PTA year.
14. General Membership meetings of this unit shall be held to approve the Standing Rules, elect a Nominating Committee, elect officers, and approve the following year’s operating budget, and will be held at the discretion of the Executive Team. Standing Rules are to be approved at the first General Membership meeting. There shall be at least three (3) general meetings during the school year. Quorum for the General Membership meetings shall be 10.
15. An operating budget for the following academic year shall be approved by the General Membership before May 31st of the prior year. The board of directors may reallocate funds budgeted for one purpose to another purpose by a majority vote.
16. All contracts must be signed by two members of the Executive Team.
17. The date(s) of the Executive Team and/or Board of Directors meetings of this unit shall be determined each year by the new Executive Team.
18. Quorum for the Executive Committee and/or Board of Directors meetings shall be the majority of its members.
19. Minutes must be maintained in perpetuity and all other documents shall be retained for varying years based on the Document Retention Schedule located in the Washington State PTA Policy Manual.
20. This PTSA may choose to conduct a half-year internal financial review of its books and records in January of each year in addition to the required full internal financial review for the close of the fiscal year (June 30th). The Financial Review Committee shall be comprised of three (3) members chosen by the President who were not signers on the bank account for the period being reviewed. Records shall be submitted for review no later than 30 days after the end of the fiscal year.
21. The signatures of at least three (3) officers shall be on the authorization signature card for this PTSA’s bank account, with two (2) signatures being required on each check. The bank statement must be reviewed and signed by a member of the Executive Team other than the Treasurer and without signing authority. It should be kept on file with the monthly financial statements.
22. The Hazelwood PTSA secretary shall keep a written record of a chosen Password Manager “Master Password” in the secretary’s notebook. The chosen Password Manager shall contain passwords to all business-related email addresses, websites, online banking, company safe, social media accounts, or any other items which require a password for all Hazelwood PTSA related business. All passwords shall be changed by July 1st of the new term.
23. All reimbursement requests for authorized expenses must include a receipt and must be submitted to the Treasurer within 60 days of purchase. No checks may be written for cash, and no funds may be advanced to persons ahead of time with the anticipation that they provide a receipt at a later date.
24. The students of Hazelwood Elementary School shall be considered honorary members of this PTSA, but without voting privileges or the ability to hold office.
25. The Golden Acorn Award, the Outstanding Advocate Award, and the Outstanding Educator Award shall be presented annually. The committee chair shall be appointed by the President.
26. Voting delegates to the Renton PTA Council shall be any current PTSA officer and/or committee chair who attends a Council meeting where voting is required.
27. The vote of this PTSA for the position of Washington State PTA Region Director shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
28. This PTSA shall maintain 6-12 months of Admin/Operating expenses in a reserve account, totaling no greater than $5,000, to maintain the viability of the PTSA. The PTSA will develop a plan to “spend down” the reserve account if it exceeds the maximum.
29. In addition to the reserve account, the PTSA will start each year with additional assets to cover expenses at the beginning of the year. At the end of each school year, the PTSA will forecast expenses needed at the beginning of the following year and roll over that amount. These funds can be “surplus” funds from fundraisers, or funds unspent or unallocated in the current year’s account. In the event that a fundraiser is held every other year, one half of the net proceeds from that fundraiser may also be carried forward to the following fiscal year when no similar fundraiser is planned.
30. Committee Chairpersons are to provide a Committee Plan of Action to the Board of Directors for review and approval prior to spending their budget.
31. Elected officers of this PTSA shall follow a board code of conduct. Officers, chairpersons, and volunteers shall adhere to the Renton School District Volunteer Handbook policies.
32. Members of this PTSA shall not use their own personal social media platforms to cyberbully, insult, embarrass, target, or post threats of physical or verbal abuse towards any individuals that are associated with Hazelwood Elementary.
33. Electronic/online voting: If online voting occurs, electronic voting is permitted via online voting method. Online voting is allowed if the method used is via Zoom (using a “poll”) or a similar product that allows for immediate and anonymous voting.
34. An individual’s membership in the Hazelwood PTSA may be terminated by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of its board of directors for conduct that may damage the value and goodwill associated with the PTA, or that violates purposes, policies, or standing rules of this Hazelwood PTSA including the bylaws of the WSPTA and National PTA. Details on the process for termination of membership are included in current WSPTA policy. Hazelwood PTSA shall notify the WSPTA board of directors within 5 business days if membership has been terminated.
35. Hazelwood PTSA may collaborate with non-PTA organizations. The PTSA will handle only PTSA funds and will have in place a signed contract with the other organization to clearly establish whether it is a PTSA activity or the other organization’s activity. This PTSA will not be a fiscal agent, fiscal sponsor, or sign a sponsorship or charter agreement with any outside organization or agency.
36. Hazelwood PTSA permits online banking through designated Hazelwood PTSA bank account and debit card to disburse funds. The Hazelwood PTSA board of directors will create and approve written procedures and internal controls for utilizing the online banking system and debit card to minimize the risk of misappropriation of funds. Procedures for online banking and debit cards can be found in current WSPTA policy.
a. Per WSPTA Policy, Hazelwood PTSA will purchase fidelity bond insurance to protect against financial losses due to theft, fraud, embezzlement, or other dishonest behavior by PTSA officers, board members or members.
b. Debit cards will only be issued to an authorized signer(s) on the Hazelwood PTSA bank account.
