Standing Rules
Approved Standing Rules 1 Updated October, 2023
Standing Rules for Louisa May Alcott Elementary PTSA 2.8.3
Louisa May Alcott PTSA (Alcott PTSA) shall adopt standing rules to govern the organization in conformity with the Washington State PTA (WSPTA) Bylaws, and such standing rules shall not conflict with WSPTA Uniform Bylaws. Louisa May Alcott Elementary PTSA shall be governed by all WSPTA Uniform Bylaws not specifically addressed in these standing rules.
Name
1. The name of this unit shall be Louisa May Alcott PTSA, Local Unit No. 2.8.3. This unit was chartered by the Washington State PTA on July 22, 1986. The National PTA number is 1843.
Purposes
2. Alcott PTSA serves the students, staff, and community of Louisa May Alcott Elementary School. In accordance with its articles of incorporation, the purpose is to:
a. Promote the welfare of children and youth
b. Raise standards of home life
c. Secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth
d. Promote a close relationship between home and school
e. Develop unite efforts between educators and general public
Legal Status
3. Alcott PTSA is a non-profit corporation with tax-exempt status, Section 501(c) (3) granted on September 16, 1986. A copy of the determination letter is kept in the legal binder. The Employer Identification number (EIN) is listed in the legal binder.
4. Alcott PTSA was incorporated as a non-profit organization by the State of Washington on May 21, 1987 and assigned UBI number 601 026 479.
5. Alcott PTSA was registered as a charitable organization on June 4, 1996. The registration number is 2758.
6. This PTSA has designated Washington State PTSA as its registered agent with the Washington Secretary of State’s office, the Washington Department of Revenue, and the Internal Revenue Service. Copies of the signed documents making such designation are available in the legal document notebooks maintained by the president and secretary.
7. Alcott PTSA’s fiscal year is July 1 through June 30. The PTSA shall conduct a semi-annual financial review of its books and records.
Standing Rules
Approved Standing Rules 2 Updated October, 2023
8. Alcott PTSA Standing Rules shall be reviewed yearly and adopted at the first membership meeting in the fall by a majority vote. The standing rules may be amended at any scheduled membership meeting. By parliamentary authority per WSPTA Uniform Bylaws Article 13, if notice is given in advance of a proposed amendment, then the standing rules may be amended by a majority vote, or if no notice is given of a proposed amendment, then the standing rules may be amended by a two-thirds vote.
Membership
9. Membership is open to all parents, teachers, staff, grandparents, guardians, community members, and any other person that supports and encourages the purpose of Alcott PTSA, without discrimination.
10. The students of Louisa May Alcott Elementary shall be considered honorary members of this unit without voice, vote, or privilege of holding office.
11. All paid members may make motions, participate in debate, and vote at PTA membership meetings.
12. The membership service fees of this local unit shall be $20 for individual membership, $30 for dual membership, and $12 for Alcott staff.*
13. Alcott PTSA may offer full or partial membership subsidies to persons requesting them, in accordance with the Membership Subsidy Policy, which shall be reviewed and approved annually at a membership meeting.
14. Voting delegates to the Lake Washington PTSA Council, shall be the president and three additional authorized delegates, for a total of four delegates per local unit, only two of whom may be represented by alternates.
15. The voting delegates to the WSPTA Legislative Assembly shall be determined in the following order; director of advocacy, president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The board of directors shall determine the number of delegates to be funded by Alcott PTSA.
16. General membership meetings of this unit shall be held on the second Thursday of the month unless otherwise indicated. There shall be at least three general membership (3) meetings during the year to conduct business, adopt the budget, approve the standing rules, elect the nominating committee, and elect the executive committee and Board of Directors. A quorum for a general membership meeting shall be no less than ten (10) members. While in-person voting during membership meetings is preferred, should circumstances prevent in-person meetings from being held, voting for essential business may take place by mail or electronic transmission by the processes described in Alcott PTSA election policy.
Elected Officers
Standing Rules
Approved Standing Rules 3 Updated October, 2023
17. The officers of Alcott PTSA shall be:
a. President
b. Vice President
c. Treasurer
d. Secretary
e. Director of Communications
f. Director of Membership
g. Director of Enrichment
h. Director of Volunteers
i. Director of Family and Community Engagement
j. Director of Fundraising
k. Director of Advocacy
18. Any elected position may be held jointly by 2 people. Each co-position is entitled to (1) vote per position at a board of directors meeting with the individual holders rotating privileges. The Secretary will record in the Minutes which co-officer is actively serving in their respective role during the board meeting.
19. Alcott PTSA shall comply with all duties outlines in the WSPTA Standards of Affiliation Agreement to remain a PTSA in good standing. The president(s) is responsible for completing this form yearly no later than May 31st.
20. Officers shall be elected in accordance with the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws for a term of one year that runs from July 1st- June 30th. No person shall serve in the same office for more than two (2) consecutive terms and no person is obligated to continue their position into a second year of service.
21. All elected directors shall be current members of the PTSA and current district approved volunteers.
22. Voting for officers or nominating committee may take place at a membership meeting, or in the event of a formidable challenge, may take place by mail or by electronic transmission. If elections take place by mail or electronic transmission the Alcott PTSA election policy and procedure will be followed.
23. An office shall be declared vacant if an officeholder misses three consecutive meetings unless previously excused by the president(s).
24. All elected officers will be expected to attend an approved training per Article 5, Section 2(a) of the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws. At least one elected officer is expected to attend PTA and the Law.
25. An officer of Alcott PTSA may be removed from office, with or without cause, by a two-third vote of the membership present at a regularly scheduled meeting or at a special membership meeting called
Standing Rules
Approved Standing Rules 4 Updated October, 2023
for such purpose.
26. The board of directors will meet monthly on a date and time to be determined by the board. Quorum for a board of directors meeting is half the number of filled positions plus one. Remote voting for board of directors’ meetings is permitted. All board members must be PTSA members in good standing.
Duties of Officers
27. Per the Washington State PTA Uniform Bylaws, Alcott PTSA will annually review the Washington State PTA Standards of Affiliation agreement in its entirety, and agree to abide by all requirements and to uphold the ethics, policies, and principles of PTA.
28. All PTSA officers shall execute the duties of their offices as described in the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws, Section 7, and shall perform additional duties as listed in these standing rules, job descriptions, and as requested by the president(s).
29. The duties of the Alcott PTSA president/Co-President are as follows:
a. Preside over all meetings.
b. Serve as spokesperson for the PTSA.
c. With approval of the executive committee, make one-year appointments to positions and committees as specified in the standing rules.
d. Be an ex officio member of all committees except the nominating committee.
e. Disseminate and communicate all information received pertinent to PTSA purposes and programs.
f. Assure Alcott PTSA representation at council meetings.
30. The duties of the Alcott PTSA vice president are as follows:
a. Preside at meetings in the absence of the president.
b. Act as assistant to the president.
31. The duties of the Alcott PTSA secretary are as follows:
a. Prepare accurate minutes of all meetings.
b. Be responsible for correspondence as requested by the president.
c. Maintain a roster of the members of all standing and special committees.
d. The PTSA secretary shall maintain a roster of members.
e. Maintain a legal notebook with relevant Alcott PTSA information.
32. The duties of the Alcott PTSA treasurer are as follows:
a. Serve as chair of the budget committee and present the budget to the membership.
Standing Rules
Approved Standing Rules 5 Updated October, 2023
b. Maintain accurate financial records.
c. Receive, issue receipts for, and deposit promptly in an authorized PTSA account, all funds and disburse funds according to the approved yearly budget.
d. Present a written financial report every month and at other times as requested by the president.
e. Provide all financial records if requested by the president or any member of the board of directors.
f. Close the books at the end of the fiscal year and submit the books and records for financial review to the financial review committee no later than thirty days thereafter.
g. Submit any dues collected to WSPTA by deadlines prescribed by WSPTA policy.
33. The duties of other officers are specified in the job descriptions posted on the website.
Executive Committee and Board of Directors
34. The executive committee shall consist of the elected officers.
35. The board of directors shall consist of the executive committee and directors for advocacy, communications, enrichment, family and community engagement, fundraising, membership, and volunteers.
36. The president with the approval of the executive committee may appoint other resource representatives as non-voting members to the board of directors. These representatives may include the principal and staff representative(s) of Alcott Elementary.
Committee Chairs/Leads
37. Alcott PTSA standing committees shall consist of Advocacy and Awards, and other committees as determined by the Alcott PTSA board of directors.
38. Chairs/Leads are appointed by the committee’s director or by the president.
39. All leads and committee chairs shall be current members of Alcott PTSA and current district approved volunteers.
40. Special committees shall be appointed by the president as needed with the approval of the PTSA board of directors.
41. The nominating committee shall be comprised of at least 3 individuals. The nominating committee shall be elected according to the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws no later than at the winter general membership meeting. Members of the nominating committee shall not serve two consecutive terms unless approved by the general membership. It shall comply with all duties of a nominating committee
Standing Rules
Approved Standing Rules 6 Updated October, 2023
as stated in the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws. The nominating committee shall provide a report to the
membership at least 15 days prior to the membership meeting at which the election is held.
42. A financial review committee shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members and shall be appointed by the president. A financial review can also be conducted by a qualified accountant. The treasurer shall close the books on June 30th and submit the books and records for financial review. The financial review committee shall not include people who were authorized to sign or individuals living within the same household as those authorized to sign the bank account for the period being reviewed. No member shall serve on the Financial Review Committee for more than two (2) consecutive years.
43. The awards committee will be appointed by the president with approval of the executive committee. Golden Acorn awards, Outstanding Educator award, Outstanding Advocate award, and Alcott volunteer SPLASH Awards will be given when appropriate.
44. Officers and chairs shall submit all files and records for transition to either the president or incoming officers and chairs by a date set by the board of directors.
Financial Policies
45. The federal tax return for a fiscal year (July 1-June 30th) is due on November 15th. The treasurer is responsible for filing the applicable tax return prior to November 15th and for providing a copy to the board of directors no later than the December board meeting.
46. Alcott PTSA shall approve the annual operating budget prior to July 1st of each year and reexamine it in the fall of the new school year.
47. The board of directors has authority to reallocate up to $1,500 budgeted for one purpose to another purpose. In case of a state emergency and the inability to hold a General Meeting, the PTSA board of directors has the right to reallocate any funds budgeted for one purpose for another purpose by a two-thirds vote.
48. The WSPTA Uniform Bylaws require two (2) signatures on each PTSA check and contract. The board of directors shall determine which officers shall have signing authority on the PTSA bank account. No two signors can reside in the same household. For business vendors, with frequent payments, bills may be paid directly from our bank account at an amount no greater than $2,000.
49. The PTSA’s monthly bank account statements shall be provided to a person appointed by the board of directors. This person will be appointed by the board at the beginning of the fiscal year and shall not be a signer on the account. The reviewer shall promptly report to the executive committee any concerns or discrepancies identified in the review. If no concerns or discrepancies are seen, the reviewer shall initial and date the account statements and provide them to the treasurer.
Standing Rules
Approved Standing Rules 7 Updated October, 2023
50. All reimbursement requests for authorized expenses must include a receipt and be submitted to the treasurer within 60 days of purchase. All requests for reimbursement must be received by the last day of school or they will be considered a donation to the Alcott PTSA.
No authorized signer will sign a check to her or himself. Two authorized signers must sign all PTA checks.
51. The Alcott PTSA shall maintain a reserve to ensure the stability of the organization in case of financial emergency. From the year of 2020, the reserve policy of the board will be to hold at least $15,000 in reserve to cover the necessary expenses of the organization, including insurance, license, bank charges, tax preparation, printing, fundraising expense, website expense, emergency preparation etc., as decided by the Board. The reserve fund amount shall be reviewed by the budget committee and the board each spring to ensure it accurately reflects the needs of the organization from year to year.
Online Account, Password Protection, and Transition Procedures
52. A list of all active online accounts and programs is kept with the president. A list of active accounts must be provided to the financial review committee, minus passwords and account numbers.
53. A list of current passwords will be transitioned to the incoming president after June 30, at which time all passwords will be changed and provided to any other board members whose role requires access.
54. It will be the responsibility of each officer who controls online accounts and passwords to obtain login information from the president upon taking office. The president(s) will trigger a password reset for any account that transitions between people.
Code of Conduct and Social Media Use
55. Elected officers of this PTSA shall follow a board code of conduct. Officers, committee chairs, leads and volunteers shall adhere to the Lake Washington School District Volunteer Handbook policies.
56. 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, including school board officials, school administrators, teachers, PTA members, volunteers, or other individuals that are associated with Louis May Alcott Elementary School.
57. This PTA shall have a social media policy which shall be reviewed yearly by the board of directors.

*Standing Rules to be updated after the 2026 Winter General Membership Meeting with the new membership service fees of $20 for individual membership, $30 for dual membership, and $12 for Alcott staff.