Whittier PTA Standing Rules: 2023-2024
Whittier PTA 6.15.370
2023-24 Standing Rules – DRAFT
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024
Article 1. Name, Purpose and History of Organization
1.1 The name of this unit is Whittier PTA, local unit 6.15.370 (“PTA”). It was chartered in December
- The National PTA number is 23239.
1.2 The PTA’s mission is to partner with and advocate for students, families and teachers of Whittier
Elementary School to provide a safe and inclusive environment, equitable resources, and
engaging opportunities to enable all of our children to reach their full, unique potential.
1.3 PTA is part of the Seattle Council of the Parent Teacher and Student Associations (“SCPTSA”),
Washington State Parent Teacher Association (“WSPTA”) and the National Parent Teacher
Association (“NPTA”), and adheres to the bylaws of those organizations as well as these Standing
Rules.
Article 2. State and Federal Status, Filings
2.1 The PTA was incorporated as a non-profit corporation on November 28, 1988. It is assigned
corporation account number 2-406818-1. The Treasurer is responsible for filing the Annual
Corporation Report by November 30 of each year.
2.2 The Registered Agent for this corporation is the WSPTA.
2.3 The PTA was granted tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) on July 13, 1990. The PTA is
registered under the Charitable Solicitations Act, registration Number 5283. The Treasurer is
responsible for filing annual registration by May 31 of each year.
2.4 The Treasurer is responsible for filing the IRS Form 990 prior to November 15 of each year and
providing a copy to the board of directors. Copies of the current and past years’ returns are kept
in the legal document notebooks maintained by the president and secretary.
2.5 The PTA shall purchase appropriate insurance.
2.6 The PTA shall operate in a fiscally responsible manner and comply with the Washington
Nonprofit Corporation Act, the Internal Revenue Code and Regulations and all other applicable
law.
2.7 The PTA will annually review, complete, and implement actions identified on the WSPTA
Standards of Affiliation Agreement.
2.8 The PTA shall keep original copies of all legal documents, including but not limited to the
documents described herein, in a binder maintained by the Secretary and located at Whittier
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024
Elementary School. All board members shall have access to the contents of the legal documents
binder.
2.9 The PTA shall create a common online database of information relevant to PTA board members,
PTA community members, and Whittier staff. Access to information will be made available to all
parties unless it is deemed necessary by the Executive Committee to limit access (such as
password protected accounts, specific financial information, or private communications.) The
PTA Executive Committee will also manage a centralized database of passwords and financial
account access that will not be made accessible to non-committee members.
Article 3. Membership
3.1 Membership in the PTA is open without discrimination to all parents, teachers, staff,
grandparents, guardians, students, community members, and any other persons who support
the purposes and basic policies of the PTA, upon payment of the required dues.
3.2 The students of Whittier Elementary School shall be considered honorary members of the PTA
but without voice, vote or the privilege of holding office.
3.3 The general membership fees of the Whittier PTA include the combined fees of the NPTA,
WSPTA, SCPTSA, and Whittier PTA. The Whittier PTA portion of the fees shall not exceed $10 for
an individual and $20 for a family. General membership fees for Whittier Elementary teachers
and staff include the NPTA, WSPTA, and SCPTA fees only, and may be set to the next full dollar
amount above the combined non-Whittier fees.
3.4 In the event of any change to the fees charged for membership by the NPTA, WSPTA, or SCPTSA
the total fees charged for Whittier PTA general membership may be adjusted at any time, and
from time to time, by the Whittier PTA Board to reflect those changes.
3.5 The Membership Chair may approve scholarships for individuals, families, teachers and staff in
circumstances approved by the Board and with restricted funds donated for that purpose. In
such cases, the scholarship shall be used to pay the NPTA, WSPTA and SCPTSA fees associated
with the membership, and the Whittier PTA fees shall be waived.
3.6 All memberships extend through October 31 of the following fiscal year.
Article 4. Board of Directors and Committees
4.1 All board members must be PTA members in good standing. To be elected as an officer, a person
must be a member of the PTA.
4.2 The elected officers of the PTA’s Board of Directors are the President, Vice-President, Treasurer,
Assistant Treasurer, Communications Director, and Secretary. This group constitutes the
Executive Committee.
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024
4.3 The name of each candidate for an elected officer position must be contained in the notice of
meeting to the general membership. During the general membership meeting, which must be
held prior to the WSPTA election deadline, additional nominations may be made from the floor
with the consent of the nominee. Officers shall be elected by a simple majority of the general
membership voting by ballot at a meeting at which a quorum is present. If only one candidate is
nominated for an office, however, the election may be by voice vote. In the event of a vacancy,
the Executive Committee may appoint a member to fill the vacancy until the next general
meeting when the membership shall elect an officer to fill the vacancy following the notice,
nomination and vote requirements herein.
4.4 The PTA Board of Directors consists of the elected officers and the following appointed Directors:
Events Director, Programs Director, Fundraising Director, Outreach Director, Advocacy Chair,
Membership Director, Volunteer Coordinator, Hospitality Coordinator, Equity, Diversity and
Inclusion Chair and Member-at-Large.
4.4a The Member-at-Large position(s) shall be discretionary (optional).
It will be suggested by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the
Executive Committee.
4.5 Once elected, the incoming President shall appoint, and the incoming Executive Committee, by a
vote at a meeting at which a quorum of the Executive Committee is present, shall approve
appointments to the Board of Directors. This action may occur prior to the beginning of the
incoming Executive Committee’s term.
4.6 Elected or appointed positions may be held jointly by 2 people. Each person holding such
position shall be entitled to voice and vote at a Board of Directors meeting. Following the
recommendation of WSPTA, Co-Treasurers are strongly discouraged. A Treasurer with an elected
Assistant Treasurer is a preferred option. It shall be a goal of the PTA, although not a
requirement, to stagger terms where a position is held by two people.
4.7 The School Principal and as many as three staff members are invited to participate in an advisory
capacity at all board meetings (with the exception of when the board is in executive session) and
general meetings.
4.8 PTA board quorum is set at 10 board members. A quorum of the Executive Committee is a
majority of the elected officers.
4.9 This PTA’s Board of Directors will meet approximately monthly on a date and time to be
determined by its current board. Special meetings may be called by the President or upon
written request of the majority of the members of the board consistent with the WSPTA bylaws.
Meetings will generally be open to observation by the general membership, except when the
Board is in executive session; meeting dates, times and locations will be communicated to the
general membership.
4.10 No elected officer may serve in the same board position for more than two consecutive terms. A
term of office is defined as July 1st for one year and until a successor is elected. A board
member having served at least 8 months of a term shall be considered to have served a full
term.
4.11 No member of the PTA Board of Directors, or any of its Committees, shall derive any personal
profit or gain by reason of his or her participation with the PTA. Each individual shall disclose to
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024
the PTA any personal interest that he or she may have in any matter pending before the PTA and
shall refrain from participation in any discussion or decision on such matter.
4.12 The PTA is a self-governing unit and may take any actions in furtherance of its mission, provided
those actions are not contrary to the laws and policies of the SCPTSA, WSPTA, NPTA, City of
Seattle, Washington State, or the United States. For business to be conducted, a quorum must
be present at a properly called board meeting.
4.13 The PTA will comply with the training requirements necessary to remain in good standing, as
specified in the most current WSPTA bylaws, and will maintain documentation of compliance
with this requirement.
4.14 A Nominating Committee shall be elected at a General Membership meeting in the fall by a
plurality vote; however, if only three candidates are nominated, the three candidates shall be
declared elected. The Vice President shall convene the first meeting of the Nominating
Committee, at which a Chairperson shall be elected by a majority of members. In the event a
member of the nominating committee resigns, the Board may appoint a replacement member.
Nominating Committee members must be members of the PTA for at least 30 days preceding
election to the Committee. A member may serve no more than two consecutive terms on the
Nominating Committee. Neither the President(s) nor the Whittier principal may serve on the
committee. The Nominating Committee shall submit to the general membership the names of a
proposed slate of officers at least 15 days prior to the spring General Membership meeting at
which the election of officers for the upcoming year will be held.
4.15 The final slate of elected and appointed officers shall be submitted to WSPTA no later than the
deadline imposed by the WSPTA.
4.16 Board members shall read and understand the responsibilities and expectations associated with
their position. Job descriptions are available from the Nominating Committee Chair. In some
cases additional tasks may be asked of any board member. It is expected that board members
will attend all board and general meetings. A Board member’s inability to complete tasks and
responsibilities and/or excessive absences from meetings may result in a request for resignation
from the Board.
4.17 A Board Member or a Committee Member can be removed by a simple majority vote of the
board.
4.18 Any agenda items for consideration by the Board of Directors shall be submitted to the President
at least 7 days prior to the scheduled meeting date. Items submitted later than that may be
added or not at the discretion of the President.
4.19 The board may from time to time adopt policies to help the PTA run efficiently and minimize
conflict. Any adopted policies will be maintained by the Secretary with the legal documents in
the PTA office located at Whittier Elementary School and shall be available upon request to all
members of the PTA.
Article 5. Meetings of the General Membership and Quorum
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024
5.1 General membership meetings shall be held at the direction of the Board of Directors with ten
days’ notice to the general membership. Special meetings may be called as needed with a
minimum of five days’ notice in accordance with the WSPTA bylaws.
5.2 If general membership meetings cannot be held in person, meetings can be convened online as
long as a quorum is reached and the invitation is extended to all members.
5.3 The spring meeting at which officers are elected is designated as the “annual meeting.”
Members must have a minimum of 50 days’ notice prior to the annual meeting.
5.4 The following shall take place at General Membership meetings: adoption of the budget (spring
meeting), adoption/revision of the standing rules (first meeting of the fiscal year), election of the
nominating committee (fall meeting), election of officers (spring meeting). Additionally, the
Treasurer shall present to the General Membership the monthly financial report at each
meeting, and the financial review committee shall present its report to the General Membership
once approved by the Board.
5.5 Any agenda items for consideration by the General Membership shall be submitted to the
President at least 7 days prior to the scheduled meeting date for the President, in his or her
discretion, to include. Items submitted later than that may be added or not at the discretion of
the President.
5.6 When meetings are held electronically (in whole or in a hybrid form of in-person and electronic
attendance), members in good standing and in attendance may cast a vote via the platform
shared by the board.
5.7 Quorum at a General Membership meeting shall be 10 members.
Article 6. Budget and Finance
6.1 It is highly recommended that a survey of the General Membership’s funding priorities be
conducted each spring, prior to the budget process. This survey should ask questions regarding
how PTA funds should be spent, which PTA sponsored activities should be continued, and for
overall comments and suggestions.
6.2 The PTA shall approve its annual operating budget in the spring of each year for the following
fiscal year. Updates to a fiscal year budget may be voted on in the fall at a General
Membership meeting
6.3 Planning for the next year’s budget should begin in February. This committee is chaired by the
Treasurer, and should include the President. While input from the school staff (including the
Principal) is helpful, it could create a conflict of interest to have any school staff member on the
Budget Planning Committee.
6.4 The Board Treasurer(s) shall provide a monthly financial report to the Board during the school
year.
6.5 All checks must be signed by two authorized Executive Committee members, other than the
recipient of the funds. Only members of the Executive Committee shall be signers on the PTA
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024
bank account. Once elected, but prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year, the incoming
executive committee shall appoint three of its members as signers on the PTA bank account.
6.6 No debit, credit or ATM cards may be used for PTA purposes. Online banking is allowed.
6.7 All reimbursement requests for authorized expenses must include a receipt or invoice. All
requests for reimbursement shall be submitted to the Treasurer within 60 days of purchase and
shall be received by June 1st. Any exceptions to the processing of reimbursement requests after
60 days are at the discretion of the Treasurer.
6.8 Once the budget is approved it can be amended by a vote of those present at a meeting of the
membership. The Executive Committee has the authority to reallocate funds within the
approved budget up to $1000 without a vote of the board or general membership. This option
shall not be exercised more than twice a year. The Board of Directors has the authority to
reallocate funds within the approved budget up to $5000 without a vote of the General
Membership.
6.9 All monetary donations become part of the general fund, unless funds are raised as part of a
defined fundraising campaign.
6.10 The PTA shall conduct a financial review at the close of the fiscal year, which is June 30. A
financial review committee with a minimum of 2 members shall be appointed by the President in
the spring. There is no limit on the number of years a member may serve on the financial review
committee; however, members of this committee shall not include the Treasurer or any person
authorized to sign on the PTA bank account for the period being reviewed or any individuals
living in their household. Records must be submitted to the committee for this financial review
no later than 30 days after the end of the fiscal year. The report of the financial review
committee must be approved by the Board and presented to the members at a General
Membership meeting.
6.11 The PTA’s monthly bank account statements shall be provided unopened to a board member
appointed by the Executive Committee. This appointment shall take place at the beginning of the
fiscal year (July 1). Once elected, but prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year, the incoming
executive committee shall appoint a board member to review such statements. The statement
reviewer shall not be a signer on the account. The reviewer shall report any concerns or
discrepancies identified in the review to the Executive Committee in writing. If there are no
concerns, the reviewer shall sign the statements prior to providing the statements to the
Treasurer for reconciliation.
6.12 The PTA may not enter into financial obligations extending beyond the fiscal year except as
approved by the membership. The membership’s approval of the annual budget in spring
authorizes such spending for the following fiscal year, and the membership need only re-approve
for revisions that exceed the reallocation limits provided in Section 6.7.
Article 7. Funding Proposals
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024
7.1 Any Funding Proposal over $1000 made to the Board shall be presented to the General
Membership for approval. The board shall review the Funding Proposal and vote whether or not
to recommend approval at the next General Membership meeting. The Funding Proposal may
be presented to the General Membership whether or not it has earned the Board’s
recommendation. Funding Proposals shall be received by the President at least one week prior
to the scheduled meeting date. Funding Proposals received after this deadline may or may not
be included on the agenda for the upcoming Board Meeting, or may be added to the meeting
agenda for the following month, at the discretion of the President(s).
7.2 Requests for funding up to $1000 shall be considered and voted on by the Board. If declined by
the Board, a funding requestor may ask to be included on the agenda for the next General
Membership meeting to present their proposal.
7.3 All approved Funding Proposals shall align with the Whittier PTA’s mission. Preference will be
given to requests that fund projects, programs or activities that support a broad group of
Whittier students; a small number of Whittier students with targeted, identified needs; or have
multi-year benefits. Funding Proposals are not intended to be used to supplement yearly
classroom supplies, or be used for single use items for an individual classroom.
Article 8. Awards
8.1 One or more Golden Acorn Awards shall be presented annually at the spring General Meeting to
an outstanding volunteer(s). A committee chaired and appointed by the Vice President shall
select the recipient. The committee shall determine the number of recipients as well as which
awards are presented.
Article 9. Conference and State and Local Representations
9.1 The vote of this PTA for the position of WSPTA Area Vice President shall be determined by the
Board.
9.2 The voting delegates to the SCPTSA, annual WSPTA convention and WSPTA legislative assembly
shall be determined by the Board. The Board shall determine the number of delegates to be
funded by the PTA to each event.
Article 10. Standing Rules
10.1.Whittier PTA’s Standing Rules shall be presented annually and adopted by a majority vote at the
first General Meeting.
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024
10.2.The Standing Rules may be amended at any time by a vote of the General Membership. If the
membership has been given 7 days notice prior to the date of the meeting of the intended
change, then the change may be approved by a majority vote of the members present (if a
quorum has been established). If no notice was given prior to the meeting, a two-thirds vote of
the members present is required (if a quorum has been established).
Article 11. Dissolution Statement
11.1. In the event that the Whittier PTA Seattle Council 6.15.370 should dissolve, any PTA funds
remaining on deposit and any accounts receivable shall go to any subsequently organized 501(c)
Whittier PTA organization.
See Attached Appendix A (Anti-Harassment Policy)
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024
Appendix A
Anti-harassment Policy and Response Procedure
The Whittier PTA Board strives to maintain an environment that is free from violence, harassment, and
bullying. Incidences of violence, harassment and bullying are considered forms of prohibited conduct
and are counter to the board missions to support the creation of a safe, healthy, and connected Whittier
school community. The board is aware that violence, harassment and bullying often impact not only the
individual(s) who experience the harm but also the broader community they are a part of.
● The term “violence” refers to acts or threats of physical violence.
● The term “harassment” refers to unwelcome verbal, visual or physical conduct creating an
intimidating, offensive or hostile environment that relates to a person’s membership in or
perceived membership in a state or federally protected class*.
● The term “bullying” refers to repeated inappropriate behavior, either direct or indirect, whether
verbal, physical or exclusionary.
All individuals are encouraged to raise issues of violence, harassment, or bullying:
● When possible, the board encourages individuals who believe they are being subjected to
prohibited conduct to promptly advise the offender that their behavior is unwelcome and
request that it be discontinued.
● Anyone who believes they are being subjected to prohibited conduct, or who has witnessed such
conduct, is encouraged to share the information with the Whittier PTA board president(s) so that
they can take appropriate responsive actions. If the complaint involves the PTA board
president(s), individuals are encouraged to raise the issue with additional Whittier PTA Board
leadership.
● The PTA board president(s) will work with the impacted party to identify an appropriate
response plan.
● Complaints alleging prohibited conduct on the part of board members will be addressed
promptly and as confidentially as possible.
● Any board member who engages in prohibited conduct towards another individual or group of
individuals is subject to removal from the Board.
*Federal and state protected classes include but are not limited to; age, ancestry, color, disability, marital
status, national origin, parental/family status, race, religion/creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression.
Approved by the Whittier PTA General Membership on January 9, 2024