Interschool Council of Lower Merion School District By-laws
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ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Interschool Council (ISC) of Lower Merion School District (LMSD).
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purposes of the ISC are:
1. To promote:
a. The educational development of students in LMSD;
b. The gathering, studying, and dissemination of information on the concerns and needs of LMSD; and
c. A cooperative relationship and effective communication between LMSD and the surrounding community, as appropriate.
2. To coordinate and support the efforts of the Home and School Associations (the "HSAs") of LMSD by fostering inter-school communication to promote best practices.
3. To serve as a liaison between the HSAs, LMSD administration and Board of School Directors, as appropriate.
ARTICLE III: BOARD AND MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 -- Board
A. Executive Committee: The Executive Committee shall be made of a maximum of two Co-Presidents, a maximum of two Vice-Presidents of Communications, a Treasurer, and Mini-Grants Chair.
a. If only one Co-President is elected, all references to Co-Presidents in these By-Laws should also apply to a single President.
B. Voting Members: The Voting Members shall consist of the Executive Committee members of the ISC, one representative appointed by the Committee for Special Education ("CSE"), a maximum of six Members-at-Large, and one co-chair of the ISC Parent-Education Committee.
C. ISC Representatives: Each individual HSA may appoint an ISC Representative to act as a liaison between their respective HSA and the ISC. ISC Representatives shall be entitled to one vote per school when voting for members of the Executive Committee, as outlined in Article V, Section 3Ig.
D. Non-Voting Members: The Non-Voting Members shall include ISC Luncheon Chair, ISC Art Show Chair, and other committee chairs as appropriate.
Section 2 -- Members
A. Community Members: Parents and/or guardians with children and/or wards enrolled in LMSD or in placements made by LMSD.
Section 3 – Expectations
A. No member of the ISC shall use their position on the ISC Board to endorse a personal agenda.
B. Interactions with other ISC members, members of the School Board of Directors, LMSD Administration and staff shall be respectful.
ARTICLE IV: ISC BOARD STRUCTURE
Section 1 -- ISC Voting Members
A. ISC Voting Members shall have one vote and will consist of the following: a. The Executive Committee members of the ISC;
b. One representative appointed by the Committee for Special Education ("CSE");
c. One co-chair of the ISC Parent-Education Committee; and
d. Up to six Member(s)-at-Large per Article V, Section 3E.
i. When determined necessary by a majority of the Executive Committee, the Committee may nominate Members-at-Large to serve on the Executive Committee for a one-year term, unless otherwise established at the time of the nomination.
ii. The Executive Committee shall present the nominated candidate(s) to the ISC Voting Members at any special or regular meeting of the ISC Voting Members, to be voted on at such meeting.
iii. A nominee must consent to be nominated and must serve if elected. B. The Executive Committee shall consist of two Co-Presidents; a maximum of two Vice-Presidents of Communications; one Treasurer; and one Mini-Grants Chair. a. All members of the Executive Committee must have a child or ward currently enrolled in a school of LMSD or in a placement designated by LMSD.
b. A candidate for the Co-Presidency shall have had: at least one year’s experience as a member of the Executive Committee; or served in an executive capacity for an HSA; or served on an ISC committee; or served as an ISC Representative; or be a Member-at-Large.
c. The Executive Committee will determine and make appointments to all non-voting positions by a majority vote of those Executive Committee members present at a meeting at which such action is being taken. These non-voting committee positions and their tenure may be modified or changed to best meet the needs of the ISC from time to time.
Section 2 – Non-Voting Members
Non-Voting positions include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. The ISC Luncheon Chair(s)
2. The Art Show Chair(s)
Section 3 – Committees
1. The Executive Committee may designate and appoint the members of one or more committees.
2. The Executive Committee may nominate, at any time, a Member-at-Large to be the chair of any committee provided that any such individual shall only have one vote.
3. The Executive Committee may also determine the term of a committee at the time of its appointment, or it may terminate any committee at any time by resolution adopted by a majority of the Executive Committee Members in office.
ARTICLE V: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 1 -- Powers of the ISC Voting Members
A. The ISC Voting Members shall elect the members of the Executive Committee, the Chair/co-Chair of the Parent Education Committee, and the Member(s)-at-Large, if any; and
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B. Approve changes in the scope and/or orientation and/or direction of the ISC through an amendment and/or restatement of these By-Laws.
Section 2 -- Powers of the Executive Committee
A. The Executive Committee shall manage and supervise the affairs of the ISC and shall establish the policies of the ISC to fulfill its duties as stated herein.
B. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Executive Committee. C. The act of a majority of the Executive Committee members present at any meeting of the Executive Committee, either in person, video conference or telephone, shall be considered an act of the full Executive Committee.
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D. The Executive Committee may vote to authorize the Treasurer or Co-Presidents to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any document on behalf of the ISC. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
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E. There is an assumption that all committee members will adhere to Article III Section 3. Should there be a situation where a committee member is acting inconsistently with ISC By-Laws, or due to a conflict of interest that cannot be resolved, the committee member will be given written notice by the Co-Presidents of the ISC. The committee member shall be given seven days to respond to the charges. Any removal shall require a majority vote of the full Executive Committee.
Section 3 -- ISC Position Roles
A. Co-Presidents shall:
a. Be the Chief Executive Officers of the ISC and the chairpersons of the Executive Committee;
b. Preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee and the ISC membership;
c. Convene meetings with the Presidents/Co-Presidents of the HSAs and the CSE on a regular basis to share information, concerns and/or ideas;
d. Shall be ex officio, non-voting members of all committees and subcommittees of the ISC;
e. Recognized as the official public spokespersons of the ISC;
f. Coordinate and attend monthly meetings with the LMSD Superintendent;
g. Establish the agenda for all ISC meetings;
h. Set the calendar for General, HSA Presidents and Executive Committee meetings in conjunction with the LMSD calendar; and
i. Review fiduciary statements.
B. The Treasurer shall:
a. Prepare annual budget projections after consultation with the Executive Committee;
b. Keep full and accurate accounts of income and expenses and report these to the Executive Committee at regular meetings;
c. Handle banking statements and accounts;
d. Make all deposits and pay all bills on a timely basis;
e. Sign, either physically or electronically, all checks in accordance with Executive Committee action as evidenced in meeting minutes;
f. Send budgetary communication to HSA Presidents including payment of membership dues and donations to ISC initiatives, which include but are not limited to the ISC Luncheon and Mini Grant Program;
g. Send monthly banking statements for review to Co-Presidents; and h. Track and verify grant expenditures in collaboration with the Mini-Grants Chair.
C. The Vice-President(s) – Communications shall:
a. Act as the clerk at all ISC General meetings by taking attendance, drafting meeting minutes and receiving any electronic presentation or handouts by speakers;
b. Post to the ISC webpage the minutes of all ISC Executive Meetings and maintain files of all past and current meetings;
c. Provide the Executive Committee, and LMSD administration with an ISC Directory in a paper and/or electronic format with decisions on the content of the ISC Directory to be made in collaboration with the Executive Committee;
d. Prepare the Co-Presidents’ flyers or any other type of correspondence requested for distribution by the Co-Presidents to the ISC membership;
e. As appropriate, work in collaboration with the LMSD Webmaster to maintain the accuracy of the ISC website; make suggestions to change, enhance or improve the website; and in collaboration with the Executive Committee, add new content to the website. Should an independent ISC website be created, the vice-president of
communications will work to help keep that site maintained; and f. Ensure monthly Roundtable and Parent Education programs are recorded, when appropriate, and available to ISC Members.
D. The Mini-Grants Chair shall:
a. Coordinate the mini grant review and award process for the current and upcoming school year, including:
i. Setting meeting dates for the Mini-Grants Committee and Assistant Superintendent to review grant applications, and awards;
ii. Assuring invitations to participate in the Mini-Grants Committee are sent to include, at minimum: Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum Director, Director of Student Services, one school Principal;
iii. Answering questions from teachers/staff regarding the grant application process;
iv. Emailing grantees, school principals, HSA Presidents and Board of School Directors with award information; and
v. Notifying all applicants of the final determination of grant awards, to include LMSD sponsored awards.
b. Maintain contact with current awardees regarding implementation of grants/expenditure of funds;
c. In collaboration with ISC Treasurer, track and verify grant
expenditures;
d. Report on annual grant awards to ISC and LMSD Board of School Directors;
e. Review and modify the grant application process for distribution to LMSD staff;
f. Provide information to the Vice President - Communications for the website; and
g. Provide a summary, as determined by the Executive Committee, at the annual Administration Luncheon.
E. Member(s)-at-Large shall:
a. Coordinate and/or assist with ISC events or special projects; b. Attend designated subcommittee meetings of the LMSD Board of School Directors and report back to the Executive Committee; c. Promote ISC to individual HSAs; and
d. Take meeting minutes when the ISC Vice President - Communications is unavailable.
F. The Parent-Education Chair(s) shall:
a. Act as the event manager for all parent-education events, in collaboration with LMSD, as appropriate;
b. Confirm appropriateness and qualifications of speaker, and; c. Plan, organize, coordinate, promote and facilitate each
parent-education event, including monitoring the event's timeline, budget and program.
G. The ISC Luncheon Chair(s) shall:
a. Act as the event manager for the ISC's Annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon in collaboration with the Executive Committee;
b. Coordinate and plan the ISC's Annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon to enhance ISC presence among LMSD staff and administrators; c. Plan, organize, coordinate, invite, promote and facilitate the ISC's Annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon including monitoring the event's timeline, budget and program;
d. Ensure ISC programs such as Mini-Grants and Art Show are represented throughout the event;
e. Oversee and direct the volunteer luncheon committee of ISC members; and
f. Coordinate with appropriate LMSD staff members to ensure a creative and memorable experience for LMSD staff members.
H. The Art Show Chair(s) shall:
a. Act as the event manager for the ISC's Annual Art Show, in collaboration with the Executive Committee;
b. Coordinate and plan the event with the showing facility, the art
teachers, and parent/guardian volunteers from LMSD's eleven
schools;
c. Ensure ISC Art Show promotion at the ISC Luncheon; and
d. Plan, organize, coordinate, promote and facilitate the art show
including monitoring the event's timeline, budget and program..
I. ISC Representatives shall:
a. Attend the monthly Roundtable Meetings, in person and/or over zoom; b. Communicate with parents about upcoming monthly Roundtable
meetings, encouraging attendance, and soliciting questions/concerns in advance of the meeting;
c. Help to promote the Parent Education Speaker Series;
d. Raise awareness for the ISC YouTube Channel;
e. Assist/Attend ISC-sponsored events/activities, such as the annual luncheon;
f. Foster relationships with school administration and staff to help with ISC initiatives, including Mini-Grants;
g. Vote on the incoming ISC slate at the annual ISC Business Voting meeting; and
h. Ensure that there is an ISC Art Show Representative assigned to their school to support the Art Show.
ARTICLE VI: PROCEDURES AND FUNCTIONS
Section 1 -- Quorum and Approval
A. For any action taken in accordance with Article V Section 2, roll call will be taken prior to any vote to establish enough voting members are present to satisfy a quorum.
B. For any action taken in accordance at the Annual ISC Business Voting Meeting, one-third of the total votes of the ISC Voting Members shall constitute a quorum. C. Approval shall be by a majority of those present (in person, videoconference or by phone) at a regular or special meeting, so long as there is a quorum for such vote. D. Voting by proxy shall not be accepted.
Section 2 -- Meetings
A. ISC Annual Business Voting Meeting:
a. The Executive Committee shall hold an Annual Meeting of the ISC Voting Members for the election of the members of the Executive Committee.
b. The Annual Meeting shall be held no later than the end of May of each year.
c. Reasonable advance written notice, as set forth on the LMSD calendar or by mail, text, email or personal notice of such meeting shall be given to each ISC Voting Member.
B. Monthly ISC Roundtable Meetings:
a. The Executive Committee shall use its best efforts to hold a monthly meeting of the ISC Membership during the school year, at a minimum of seven times. b. These meetings shall strive to include a representative from LMSD Administration. Notice of such meetings shall be set forth on the LMSD calendar.
c. The ISC Membership's monthly meeting is referred to as the "ISC General Meeting" or “ISC Roundtable” for scheduling purposes on the LMSD calendar.
C. ISC Executive Board Meetings:
a. The Executive Committee shall meet at least seven times per school year. b. The Co-Presidents shall call such meetings and give at least thirty calendar days' notice of each meeting to each member of the Executive Committee. c. The Co-Presidents or two-thirds of the members of the Executive Committee may call a special meeting of the Executive Committee upon reasonable written or electronic notice to the other members to be held at a reasonable time and place. Notice of such meeting shall be made at least seven calendar days prior to the meeting. The subject(s) of the special meeting shall be included in the written notice.
d. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee in office (present in person, online or by telephone) shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Executive Committee.
e. Voting by proxy shall not be accepted.
f. The act of a majority of the Executive Committee present at any scheduled meeting of the Executive Committee shall be considered an act of the Executive Committee.
D. HSA President Meetings: The Co-Presidents may also schedule separate monthly meetings with the HSA presidents as needed, and these meetings will be referred to as HSA Presidents’ Meetings on the LMSD calendar.
E. Special Meetings: Any member of the Executive Committee shall have the power to call a special meeting of the ISC Voting Members. The Vice President(s) - Communications will make the notice of such a meeting to all ISC Voting Members. This can be done by telephone, mail, text, email, or personal notice at least two calendar days prior to the meeting.
F. For all meetings, any changes in meeting times or location from those scheduled on the LMSD calendar will be disseminated as widely and as timely as possible.
Section 4 – Elections
1. Executive Committee Members
a. An ISC Representative or any voting member of the ISC may nominate a member of the ISC to be a member of the Executive Committee.
b. The ISC Executive Committee Members are elected by the ISC Voting Members of the Board and ISC Representatives.
c. The Executive Committee shall present the nominated candidates to the Voting ISC Members at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the ISC Annual Business Voting Meeting or such other meeting at which a vote regarding the candidates will be taken, to be voted on at such meeting.
d. The recommended schedule for the slate of nominees is as follows:
i. January ISC General Meeting: Call for
Nominations.
ii. February: Call for Nomination closes.
iii. March ISC General Meeting: Present nominations slate to ISC
Members.
iv. April ISC Annual General Meeting: ISC Voting Members vote on slate.
v. May: newly elected members of the Executive Committee begin transition into their position with outgoing members.
e. The Voting ISC Members shall strive to make the Executive Committee geographically diverse, representing all areas of LMSD.
f. A nominee must consent to be nominated and must serve if elected. g. A nominee does not need to be present at the ISC Annual Business Voting Meeting to accept an elected position.
Section 5 -- Term of Positions
A. The term for each member of the Executive Committee shall be two years.
B. A person may, however, serve more than two full consecutive years as a member of the Executive Committee so long as that person is serving in a different capacity.
C. A member of the Executive Committee may not serve for a period that exceeds four consecutive years; unless otherwise agreed by a majority of the remaining Executive Committee and only for a period until a successor is identified and elected.
D. A member of the Executive Committee who has served four consecutive years must resign from the Executive Committee for a period of at least two consecutive years before submitting his/her name for consideration for a position on the Executive Committee.
E. A member of the Executive Committee may not serve simultaneously on an HSA Board in the following positions (whether by title or responsibilities), either individually or with a designated "co": President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary.
F. The term of each Member(s)-At-Large shall be one year, unless otherwise designated by the Executive Committee, to a maximum of four years.
Section 6 -- Vacancies
A. Any Executive Committee member may resign at any time by giving at least two weeks’ written notice to the Co-Presidents or the Vice President(s) - Communications.
B. Any such resignation shall take effect as of the date the resigning Executive Committee Member has designated provided it is within guidelines set in Section 6A.
C. Should both Co-Presidents simultaneously resign, the Voting Committee will be required to nominate and vote on a new Co-President/s within 14 (fourteen) days.
D. In addition, the ISC Voting Members acting according to the procedures set forth in Articles IV and V, may remove with cause, a member of the Executive Committee, or any Voting Member, and such removal shall become effective as of the date of the ISC Voting Members' decision.
E. The ISC Voting Members, following the recommendation by the Co-Presidents, may fill vacancies at any meeting.
ARTICLE VII: DUES
A. Dues shall be set by the Executive Committee of the ISC on an annual basis and shall be paid annually by each school's HSA on behalf of its members.
B. The Executive Committee shall assess the dues on a per student basis, determined by the LMSD administration's tenth day of the new school year's enrollment figures.
C. An additional flat fee per school, not based on school enrollment, shall be set by the Executive Committee and will be assessed annually.
ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENT
1. The ISC By-Laws may be altered, amended or repealed.
2. Altered, amended or repealed By-Laws may be adopted at any regular or special meeting of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IX: MANDATORY REVIEW
1. The members of the Executive Committee shall review the ISC By-Laws every five years.
2. After review and/or revision, in order to confirm the accuracy of the By-Laws and their consistency with current practices of the ISC, the Co-Presidents and Vice President(s) - Communications, and other involved Committee Members, shall date and set forth their name below.
Modified and Reviewed April 24, 2025
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Lisa Prosnitz, ISC Co-President
Kami Pulsifer, ISC Co-President
Amy Badler - ISC Co-VP Communications
Katie Grinnell, ISC Co-VP Communications
Allison Crawford, Chair, Mini-Grants
Robin Gauri, Parent Education Co-Chair