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By-Laws

North Carolina School Public Relations Association

BYLAWS

 ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the organization shall be the North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA), herein referred to as the “chapter.”

ARTICLE II - GEOGRAPHICAL JURISDICTION

The geographical jurisdiction of the North Carolina chapter shall encompass the state of North Carolina.

ARTICLE III - OBJECTIVES

The chapter is organized and shall be operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes, as may qualify it as exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, or any corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law. More specifically, such purposes include, but are not limited to:

  1. Establish a clear philosophy of school public relations.
  2. Promote within the education profession an awareness of the importance of planned school public relations programs.
  3. Promote sound ethical practices by all people in the field of school public relations.
  4. Develop effective techniques with which school personnel can deal with the increasingly complex problems of school-community relations.
  5. Foster the professional growth of all people engaged in the field of school public relations.
  6. Encourage the exchange of successful school public relations programs and techniques by providing channels and vehicles for these exchanges.
  7. Foster two-way communication between the people in education and the people in the community.
  8. Provide school public relations/communications training when feasible to school units and educational units so requesting and to announce this service to all school units and educational organizations in the state.

ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP

  1. MEMBERSHIP: Membership is open to anyone who has responsibilities in educational communications/school-community relations. Members may vote, hold office in the chapter (as set forth in Article VI), and have all the rights, duties, and privileges of services rendered by the chapter. Membership in the National School Public Relations Association shall be encouraged for active membership in the chapter.
  2. INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP: Institutional membership is open to any educational institution, agency, or association and entitles the group to designate individuals as NCSPRA members in accordance with the dues structure.
  3. RETIRED MEMBERSHIP: A person who has retired from responsibilities in educational public relations is eligible for a retired professional membership. Retired members receive membership materials, benefits, and access to resources and are eligible to maintain accreditation (APR) but are not eligible to vote or run for office.
  4. STUDENT MEMBERSHIP: A person who is currently enrolled full-time in a post-secondary institution is eligible for student membership. Student members receive membership materials, benefits, and access to resources but are not eligible to vote, run for office, or apply to become candidates for accreditation (APR).

ARTICLE V – DUES

The establishment of dues, and all policies pertaining thereto, shall be on recommendation of the chapter’s board of directors. Approval must be by two-thirds of the members present at any chapter meeting. Thirty (30) days’ notice to the full membership shall be required on all matters affecting dues. Dues shall apply to a fiscal year from July 1 through June 30.

ARTICLE VI - ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Except as provided below (for the directors who are the Presidential Appointee and the State Coordinator), to be eligible to serve as an officer or director of the chapter a candidate for such role must be an employee of a local board of education as defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. 115C-36 and a member in good standing of NCSPRA.  Officers and directors of the chapter shall also be members of the National School Public Relations Association and shall be elected yearly at the chapter’s annual meeting or by e-mail ballot in the spring of the year as determined by the board of directors.  Any member in good standing of NCSPRA may nominate a member who is eligible to serve as a director.  The Board of Directors shall also serve as a Nominating Committee to annually propose candidates for elected officers.  Results must be tabulated no later than May 1 and reported to the national office no later than May 15. Officers and directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast. E-mail ballots will be counted after the deadline established for receipt. In the event of a tie, a runoff election will be held between the tied candidates. Runoff ballots will be e-mailed to members, and the deadline for the receipt of those ballots will be prior to May 15 to allow reporting of the results to NSPRA on schedule.

Newly elected officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and directors shall take office on June 1 of the same year in which they are elected. The term of office for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, the Immediate Past President director, State Coordinator, and the Presidential Appointee shall be one year. The terms of the five (5) elected directors shall be two years.

  1. Officers and their duties shall be:

PRESIDENT: Shall be the senior officer of the chapter and shall preside at meetings of the chapter and the board of directors. The President shall appoint committee leaders and approve the selection of committee members made by the committee leaders. The President shall approve disbursements within available budgeted funds. The President shall maintain a continuing liaison with NSPRA through the Southeast regional Vice President, the State Coordinator, and the national office staff.  The President shall attend the NSPRA National Conference.  

VICE PRESIDENT: Shall perform all duties of the President in the event of the inability of the President to preside or act. The Vice President shall serve as the coordinator for all major professional development and awards events in collaboration with committee chairs and the Executive Director.

SECRETARY: Shall keep records of meetings, assist in handling chapter correspondence, and prepare and distribute copies of minutes of meetings to the Board of Directors (and, upon request, to the membership).

TREASURER: Shall collaborate with the Executive Director to keep records of all fund sources (checking, savings, etc.), provide periodic financial statements to the board of directors and an annual statement to the membership. This office shall work jointly with the Executive Director in maintaining membership by receiving all member dues and promptly reporting same to the Vice President.

No officer shall be elected in the same capacity for more than two consecutive terms.

  1. Directors

In addition to the four (4) officers, the Board of Directors shall include eight (8) additional voting directors, five (5) of whom shall be elected by the members, and non-voting ex-officio members as set forth below. The five (5) elected directors shall serve terms of two years and shall be elected on a staggered 3/2 rotation. The other three (3) voting directors who shall serve one-year terms shall be as follows: the Immediate Past President, the State Coordinator, and a Presidential Appointee.  All terms shall run from June 1 of the year elected or appointed until May 31 of the last year of their term.

The directors shall be chosen in the following manner:

One (1) director shall be the Immediate Past President, to bring continuity and stability to the board of directors.  If the Immediate Past President is unable to serve, a previous past President shall be appointed by the President.

Presidential Appointee:  One (1) director shall be appointed by the newly elected President.  If this Presidential Appointee is not an employee of a local board of education as defined by N.C. Gen. Stat 115C-36, the appointment must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the full board of directors.

The State Coordinator shall be one (1) director.

Five (5) directors shall be elected by the membership on a staggered basis and at the same time and in the same manner as the officers. The five directors will be elected to fill seats. Seats 1, 2, and 3 will be elected in odd-numbered calendar years with Seats 4 and 5 to be elected in even-numbered calendar years.  If for any reason, the individual elected to fill a seat does not complete the two-year term, including becoming an officer or any other position on the Board, the remaining term of the seat shall be filled per Article VIII of these bylaws.

  1. State Coordinator

The State Coordinator shall be nominated by the President and elected by majority vote of a quorum of the board of directors; provided, however, if the nominee is not an employee of a local board of education as defined by N.C. Gen. Stat 115C-36, election must be by a two-thirds majority vote of the full board of directors. The State Coordinator shall provide a point of contact between NCSPRA, its board of directors, and such organizations as the State Department of Public Instruction and NSPRA and its national staff, with the responsibility of dispensing information of interest to the NCSPRA membership. In addition, the State Coordinator shall have equal voting power with the officers and directors.

  1. National Officer

In the event that a member of NCSPRA shall be elected to serve a term as an officer of the National School Public Relations Association, that individual will be invited to serve as a nonvoting ex-officio member of the NCSPRA board of directors for the duration of the member’s term in the NSPRA office.

  1. Superintendent Liaison

The superintendent liaison may be nominated by any board member and appointed by a majority vote of a quorum of the board of directors to a one-year term on the board as a nonvoting ex-officio member. The term of office shall coincide with the fiscal year.

The superintendent liaison shall provide and maintain a point of contact between NCSPRA and its board of directors and state organizations to which superintendents are members in the majority. The superintendent liaison shall advocate for the association in order to foster among his/her peers an understanding of the value of school public relations in meeting educational goals and to expand an appreciation for NCSPRA’s role as the voice of public education. The superintendent liaison also shall apprise the board of directors about current issues of importance to superintendents and advise the board on matters related to the stated purposes of the organization listed in Article III of these bylaws.

  1. Executive Director

The Executive Director shall be a contracted position at the discretion of the Board of Directors to perform such duties and services as agreed upon annually by the Board and the Executive Director. The directives of the Board shall be conveyed to the Executive Director by the President. The President shall negotiate the terms of the Executive Director’s contract annually and present it to the Board for approval. If presented at a Board meeting, the terms of the contract must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Board members present. If presented for approval by email or other electronic means, the terms of the contract must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Board.  The Executive Director is authorized to disburse funds for purposes approved by the Board or the President and within available budgeted funds.  The Executive Director shall not serve on the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VII – GOVERNANCE

The governing body of the chapter shall be the board of directors. It shall consist of the four (4) elected officers of the chapter and eight (8) other voting directors and ex-officio non-voting directors as set forth in Article VI.  The board of directors shall be responsible for all policy decisions affecting the chapter’s operation. It shall carry out all directives as voted by the chapter membership. A majority of the twelve (12) voting members of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE VIII - VACANCIES ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  1. If, for some reason, the President is unable to complete the normal term of office, the Vice President shall become President and complete the remainder of the term. If the Vice President is unable to assume the presidency, the board of directors, by majority vote of a quorum, shall fill the vacancy.
  2. If, for some reason, an officer (other than the President) or a director is unable to complete the normal term of office, the board of directors, by majority vote of a quorum, shall fill the vacancy.

ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS

  1. There shall be an annual meeting of the chapter. The time, place, and program of the chapter’s annual meeting shall be determined by the chapter’s board of directors. The board of directors shall prepare a report of the chapter’s activities to be presented at this meeting. At an annual meeting, except as specified elsewhere in the bylaws, business may be transacted by a majority vote of members present.
  2. Other meetings of the chapter shall be set at the discretion of the board of directors. At these meetings, except as specified elsewhere in the bylaws, business may be transacted by a majority vote of members present.
  3. The board of directors shall, in writing or by e-mail, notify all members of any chapter meetings at least three weeks in advance of the meeting date.
  4. The board of directors shall hold periodic meetings from August through May with an annual planning retreat in June. Special board meetings may be called by the President, if necessary. At board meetings, except as specified elsewhere in the bylaws, business may be transacted by a majority vote of a quorum of the board of directors.

ARTICLE X - DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  1. The board of directors shall have general charge and control of the affairs, funds, and property of NCSPRA. It shall inform the membership of all proposed major program activities and solicit ideas for future activities.
  2. Attendance by all board members and officers shall be required at all regular board of directors meetings and association conferences.
  3. If a member misses two meetings within a year, the officers may meet to decide if a recommendation will be made to remove the member from the board of directors. Failure to notify the President or Executive Director of an absence and the reason therefor in advance of a Board meeting can be considered grounds for removal from the board.
  4. A two-thirds majority vote of the full board shall be required for removal from the board for the reasons set forth above or for any substantial reason deemed detrimental to the NCSPRA.
  5. Board members shall assume such duties as designated by the President.

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS

The bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the membership present at any chapter meeting, providing at least thirty (30) days’ notice, either in writing or by e-mail, has been given on any proposed amendment. Bylaws also may be amended through an e-mail vote of the membership. E-mail vote amendments must be proposed by a two-thirds majority of a quorum of the board of directors and must be approved by a two-thirds majority of members casting ballots. E-mail ballots will be counted after the deadline established for receipt. After chapter approval, all amendments shall be submitted to the executive committee of the National School Public Relations Association for approval before they become effective.

ARTICLE XII - PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

No part of the earnings of the chapter shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its directors, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to reimburse expenses incurred on behalf of the chapter and approved by the President, Executive Director, or the Board, and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in these bylaws.

Except as provided in Section 501(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, or any corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law, no substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of campaign statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Notwithstanding any other provision of these bylaws, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of1954, or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.

Upon dissolution of the corporation, the board of directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the corporation, dispose of all the non-monetary assets of the corporation exclusively for the purposes of the corporation in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law, as the board of directors shall determine.

ARTICLE XIII - DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS

Should NCSPRA cease to exist for any reason, the remaining funds held within a general operating account or any other type of savings or investment account shall be disbursed to the National School Public Relations Association Foundation.

Revised May 2004

Revised November 2013

Revised October 2018

Revised April 2025