Westchester Putnam School Boards Association Inc

“The bylaws were amended on march 28, 2019. Signficant changes included adding a section to artivle iv for board of directors regarding requirements for removal of a board member. Any of the members of any standing or ad hoc committee or the board of directors, including ex officio members, may be removed with or without cause, upon the recommendation of the executive committee to the board of directors. A board member who misses three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings, or a majority of regularly scheduled meetings in a fiscal year, may be asked to resign or may be removed from the board of directors. After the second such missed meeting, the president shall contact that director to inquire as to the reasons for the missed meetings and shall remind the director of the possibility of removal. If that director misses a third meeting, the president shall discuss the circumstances of the missed meetings with the executive committee. The executive committee shall have the discretion to allow that director to continue serving on the board, or to ask that director to resign, or to bring the matter of removal of that director to the board of directors. Removal shall require a 2/3 vote of the members of board of directors present, provided there is a quorum for the meeting at which the action is taken. At any meeting where a vote is to be taken to remove a member of the board or a committee, the individual may attend and shall be given a reasonable opportunity to argue in his/her defense.”

“The association shall have one class of members. Any public board of education in westchester or putnam county may become a member of the association at any time by paying the association's scheduled annual dues.”

“A meeting of the members entitled to vote shall be held for the election of directors.”

“Westchester putnam school board association has its form 990 prepared by an outside accounting firm and has established the following review process to ensure that the information reported is complete and accurate. When the form 990 has been prepared, reviewed by the chair of the audit committee and the treasurer and is ready to be filed with the internal revenue service, it is electronically sent to the board members of the organization for any comments. Any comments are then grouped, summarized and provided to the outside accountants. Each issue is documented and addressed until the return is finalized and approved for filing.”

“The conflict of interest policy applies to any director, officer, member of a committee with governing board designated powers, or employee who has a direct or indirect financial interest ("interested person"). Each director, principal officer and member of a committee with governing board delegated powers shall annually sign a statement which affirms such person: has received a copy of the conflicts of interest policy, has read and understands the policy, has agreed to comply with the policy, and understands wpsba is a not-for-profit organization and in order to maintain its federal tax exemption it must engage primarily in activities that accomplish one or more of its tax exempt purposes. Duty to diclose: in connection with any actual or possible conflict of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence of the financial interest and be given the opportunity to disclose all material facts to the directors and members of committees with governing board delegated powers considering the proposed transaction or arrangement. Determining whether a conflict of interest exists: after disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts, and after any discussion with the interested person, he/she shall leave the governing board or committee meeting while the determination of a conflict of interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining board or committee members shall decide if a conflict of interest exists. If the governing board or committee has reasonable cause to believe a member has failed to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest, it shall inform the member of the basis for such belief and afford the member an opportunity to explain the alleged failure to disclose. If, after hearing the member's response and after making further investigation as warranted by the circumstances, the governing board or committee determines the member has failed to disclose an actual or possible conflict of interest, it shall take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action. The minutes of the governing board and all communities with board delegated powers shall contain: a) the names of the persons who disclosed or otherwise were found to have a financial interest in connection with an actual or possible conflict of interest, the nature of the financial interest, any action taken to determine whether a conflict of interest was present, and the governing board's or committee's decision as to whether a conflict of interest in fact exists. B) the names of the persons who were present for discussions and votes relating to the transaction or arrangement, the content of the discussion, including any alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement, and a record of any votes taken in connection with the proceedings.”

“The westchester putnam school boards association (wpsba) executive committee makes a recommendation to the wpsba board based on the cpi, association finances, comparable position salary survey and the results of executive director evaluation. The board votes are recorded in the minutes of the meeting. A salary letter is issued each year reflecting any compensation or benefit changes. This process takes place annually. Each spring, the wpsba officers review the wpsba electronic executive director evaluation form to ensure it reflects the goals and priorities for the past year, and make revisions as needed. The survey is then distributed to the 15 voting board members using surveymonkey. The board members complete the survey and the executive committee completes the evaluation. The evaluation includes both multiple choice questions and narrative comments. The board of directors meets in executive session to go over the evaluation data and determine the compensation for the upcoming year. The board votes on the compensation for the upcoming year. The executive director evaluates the program coordinator, and makes a recommendation to the executive committee based on the cpi, association finances, use of comparable data, and the employee performance over the past year. The board of directors discusses the issue in executive session with the executive director. The board votes on the compensation for the upcoming year. The compensation process was approved by the audit committee, which was noted in the april 25, 2019 board of directors meeting minutes.”

“Form 990 is posted on the organization's website, guidestar.org and other similar types of websites. In addition, the organization's form 990, financial statements, conflict of interest policy, articles of incorporation and by-laws are available upon written request at 450 mamaroneck avenue (3rd fl), harrison, ny 10528 or by calling the organization directly at 914-345-8737.”

“Since its founding in 1962, the westchester putnam school boards association (wpsba) has served school board members by supporting their role as education leaders in their communities and the region. Board of education members are unpaid, elected local officials who oversee and set policy for a public school district's affairs, personnel, finances and properties. Wpsba works to improve the effectiveness of school boards and enhances our school districts by providing members with informative programs on education, public policy and board development as well as training workshops, data resource and advocacy and networking opportunities. To further support boards of education, wpsba offers training, support and networking for district clerks in member districts. The association also serves a key role by collaborating with other local, state and national educational and child-focused organizations. Wpsba is a member-driven 501(c)(3) organization that is financed primarily through school district membership dues. Sixteen school board members serve on the executive board. The immediate past president, two area superintendents of schools, the director of the westchester-east putnam region pta, and the regional director for the new york state school boards association (nyssba) serve as liaisons to the wpsba board. The day-to-day operations are managed by the executive director and a program manager. All member school boards are invited to appoint a member of their board to serve as a wpsba liaison and/or a legislative advocacy committee representative. School board members may also participate on our standing committees.”

“Description of organization mission: the mission of the westchester putnam school boards association is to provide leadership and support for our member districts. In this role wpsba will: -promote effective school district governance and board governance through training and education. -facilitate communication and the sharing of information. -serve as a resource on public education policy issues. -advocate for legislation that supports public education. -foster relationships with organizations that share common interests and goals.”

“The organization's executive director and audit committee assume the responsibility for oversight of the audit of its financial statements. The executive board selects the independent accountant at the annual board meeting. This process did not change from the prior year.”