By-Laws

BY-LAWS (Amended 10/03)

I. Name and purpose
The name of the organization is the Lower East Side Preparatory High School Parent Association, hereafter referred to as “the PA”. The purpose of the organization is to promote parent involvement in the school via the PA, the School Leadership Team and input into the environment and education of the students.

II. Membership
Membership in the PA is open only to parents, legal guardians, or persons in “parental relation” to the child or children currently attending LESP. The Parent Coordinator shall be a member of the PA. There shall be no category to honorary, student, former or faculty members (except if the child of the faculty member attends LESP). Dues and donations are not mandatory for membership.

III. Voting
Each parent shall be entitled to one vote.

IV. Meetings
Meetings shall be held on the third Monday of each month, September through May, with the exception of October and March. In those two months, meetings will take place immediately following the evening Parent-Teacher conferences. A quorum, necessary for a meeting to begin, will be five members.

V. Officers
The Officers shall consist of the following:
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
a. The term of office shall be for one year, July 1 through June 30. Should an officer no longer have a child attending the school, said officer must resign immediately. An announcement will be made at the next meeting, and a special election will be held in the second meeting following the vacancy.
b. To be eligible to serve as an officer, the person must be a member of the PA. Members of the same family are prohibited from serving in the same term. Employees of the Department of Education are prohibited from serving as an officer in the school where they work. The Parent Coordinator may not serve as an officer.

VI. Duties of Officers
a. The President shall preside over all meetings, enforce the by-laws of the PA, cast the deciding vote in case of a tie at meetings, countersign all checks for properly authorized expenditures, work with the Parent Coordinator at LESP to fulfill the mission of the organization, and serve as a member of the School Leadership Team.
b. The Vice President shall assume the duties of President in the president’s absence.
c. The Secretary shall take minutes at all meetings; have them available in both English and Chinese. The Parent Coordinator shall assist the Secretary in translation of minutes. A copy of the minutes shall be retained in the Parent Coordinator’s Office. The Secretary shall preside over meetings in the absence of the President and Vice President.
d. The Treasurer shall collect all dues and donations, to be deposited in a separate checking account from school funds. The Treasurer will cosign checks for properly authorized expenditures. The Treasurer shall prepare the January and June financial reports, and have them on file in the Principal’s and Parent Coordinator’s Offices. The Treasurer shall preside over meetings in the absence of all other officers.

VII. Elections

Elections shall be announced at the March meeting. A nominating committee will be formed at the March meeting to oversee the election process. Members of the nominating committee may not run for office. Parents eligible and willing to serve for the following year will be nominated at the April meeting. The nominating committee will prepare ballots at the April meeting. Elections will be held at the May meeting, where the votes will be counted and the results announced by the nominating committee.

VIII. Expenditures
Any expenditure over $50 must be approved by the membership.

IX. Amendments
This document must be reviewed and amended to comply with the Chancellor’s Regulations A-660 every three years. Amendments will be adopted by a 75% approval at the October meeting.