Only 3 Days Left to Order Yearbooks!!!

Have you ordered your yearbook yet?? Only 3 days left! All paper orders must be turned in by this Friday, March 15th. Online orders will be accepted until Sunday, March 17th.

Yearbook ID: 10052013

Lifetouch Online Yearbook Ordering 

March 2013 Minutes

T.A.P.E. Meeting Minutes
March 7, 2013

Board Members Present: President, Heather Shaw; Treasurer, Cindi Jennings; Secretary, Erin Manning Not Present: VP of Grade School, Monica Cross; Amanda Sparks, VP of Munson. Total Members Present: 18

January’s Meeting Minutes: presented by Heather Shaw. Motion to approve made by Heather Leggett, seconded Lynzee Backus.
January’s Treasurer’s Report: presented by Cindi Jennings. Motion to approve made by Heather Leggett, seconded by Michelle Riggs.

Principal’s Report:
Deena Waltrip, Munson: Construction is going very well. You can already see the progress! The construction workers will be doing some lessons in the classrooms to teach kids about construction. Thank you to all of the volunteers for picture day (and for all of those that helped to spread the word of the new date). MPS is planning on adding to their playground equipment, in phases. The new playground also has the goal of being handicapped accessible with paved paths and toys that are accessible as well. Both schools are applying for grants to help with their playground projects as well as saving T.A.P.E. funds, etc. MPS will be using all Spring fundraiser money towards the playground equipment.
Raquel Greer, MGS: Construction at MGS begins in April. Dates for state testing for 3^rd and 4^th graders were adjusted because of the snow days. Letters were sent home to all of these students. Currently, MGS is saving all of their funds that is being raised by T.A.P.E. to re-do the playground equipment at MGS. In order to accomplish this MGS will need to raise/save around $40,000. MPS will be using all Spring fundraiser money towards the playground equipment.

Committee Reports:
Fundraising: Kick off is March 12^th, 8 am at MPS and 2:30 pm at MGS.
Wildcat Breakfast and BINGO: This is our spring family event (in lieu of the carnival, due to construction and limited space). It will be advertised to the community so it is open for anyone to attend. This also gives the community an opportunity to see the construction changes at MPS. Saturday, April 13^th at 8am – 11am at MPS. Chris Cakes will be providing the food, for a fee per plate. MPS and MGS students are $3 per ticket, all others are $5 per plate, all you can eat. Kids 4 and under can share off of their parent’s plate if they would like; if a child 4 and under needs their own place then they would purchase a $3 ticket. BINGO will be running simultaneously as the breakfast. BINGO, and all of the prizes, is included in the price of the meal ticket. We will have back up activities for kids that get restless; these will be in the library.
Box Tops: Kristin: MPS $1116 and MGS $800+. We have lost our 75 box top prize so we are changing to Derby Doughnuts. This should be finalized soon! WalMart gave us a $50 grant (thank you WalMart!) so Kristin used this towards the cookies & milk party so we saved the money we had set aside for that and will use it for the popsicle party instead. In our area (approximately a 12 mile radius) we are ranked 2^nd for the most box tops submitted by a school, thank you Wildcats!!
Yearbook: Sales forms went home. The dates of the sale changed because of the snow days. The dates on the order form are correct. The final day to buy your yearbook is March 15^th. You can order online, there is no fee and this makes the sale much easier on the yearbook committee. Please order online if you can! A motion was made by Stephanie Bayliff  for T.A.P.E. to purchase one yearbook for each classroom in both buildings. These yearbooks will stay in the classroom for the kids to use and look through during class time. Seconded by Elizabeth Thornton. Passed by unanimous vote.
Movie Night: Friday March 8^th. Free admission, doors open at 6:30 and the movie will start at 7:00 pm at Mulvane High School. There will be door prizes, free popcorn, and free water. If you attend, PLEASE pick up your garbage as you leave the auditorium. This event is open to the families of students attending MPS and MGS. Wear jammies, no drop offs for kids – parents or an adult need to attend.

Old Business:
Conference Meals: Thank you to everyone who helped with conference meals. Thank you to Olive Garden in Derby for donating food and to all of the parents and families who sent in food.

New Business:
Fundraising vendors for 2013-2014:  We are only going to have one major fundraiser, in the fall, next year. The spring fundraiser (which has been a catalog sale the last few years) would be replaced with an event fundraiser (ie, a carnival or family fun day). After a vote, it was decided by majority that our 2013-2014 fundraiser will be through Rivercity (which is the company that has done our fundraisers for the past two falls). We will also sell Frontier Trash Bags at some point during the year and window clings, tumblers and sports bottles with t-shirts and throughout the year.
Kindergarten Round Up: April 16^th. Volunteers needed! Contact T.A.P.E. to volunteer and/or watch the Facebook page and sign up through that outlet.
Teacher Appreciation Ideas: Heather Leggett will head this committee. Xx made a motion to spend no more than $1,000 on teacher and staff appreciation (May 6^th – 10^th) gifts. Lynzee Backus seconded. Passed by unanimous vote.
Future of T.A.P.E.:  See Addendum

Hear nominations for new officers: Nominations will be taken up until the April 4^th meeting, which is when we vote on the 2013 – 2014 board. Please contact any board member if you have questions about the roles of the positions or would like to make a nomination.
T-Shirt Design Contest: Forms will go out the week of April 15^th and will be due the beginning of May. Have your kiddo start thinking about the T-shirt design that they would like to submit.

Upcoming Dates to Know:

·       3/6 Child Find Clinic

·       3/8  Family Movie Night @ 7pm, Mulvane High School Auditorium

·       3/12 Signature Fundraiser Kick off

·       3/15 Yearbook sale ends

·       3/18 – 3/22 Spring Break

·       3/29 No school

·       4/2 Signature Fundraiser Ends

·       4/8 MGS Casual Picture Day

Adjourn: A motion was made by Heather Leggett to adjourn at 8:19 pm. Seconded by Christin Hargrove.

** Next T.A.P.E. Meeting: Thursday April 4th at 6:30pm at the Grade School Library! **
At this meeting we will: vote for new officers, vote on proposed changes for T.A.P.E., discuss filling chair positions

Addendum:
 

Proposed Changes to T.A.P.E.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The current board has been researching various ways to secure the future of T.A.P.E., both for our children and the schools we represent.  There is nothing wrong with the way our organization is running; however, there are additional steps we can take now, that will help us be more efficient, focused, defined, and most importantly, productive in supporting our schools financially.  We are proposing three changes:  1) Dissolve T.A.P.E., rename as Mulvane PTO (or other agreed upon name) 2) File to become Not for Profit Corporation 3) File to become tax-exempt with the IRS, receiving a 501(c )(3) status 

1.     Name Recognition – many people do not know what T.A.P.E. is or what we do

a.      This is a significant issue for new parents in our district, as many are looking for information about a PTO.  They are missing out on being a part of our organization because they don’t know how to ‘find us’

                                               i.     Solve by better communicating and advertising ourselves

                                              ii.     Solve by starting from scratch by restructuring and renaming

b.      Dissolving and starting fresh will enable a smooth transition to a 501(c)(3) status.  The application is extensive and it requires detailed financial information from the past five years.  Unfortunately, we do not have the proper records to successfully apply for 501(c)(3) status.  Starting over as a new organization will permit us to gain tax-exempt status, without the frustrations of trying to piece together the past 5 years of T.A.P.E.

2.     Not for Profit Corporation

                                               i.     We can file for incorporation using the T.A.P.E. name, or we can dissolve and rename as Mulvane PTO

                                              ii.     The primary benefit for our organization is protection from personal liability—our board members would be protected from liability for unpaid organizational debts or lawsuits against the organization.  Even with incorporation, it is still wise to purchase additional coverage to protect against situations that lie outside of incorporation law

1.     As we stand now, the board members and their assets are vulnerable.  There is nothing established that will protect individual board members from being sued and their assets taken.

2.     Additional benefits are on the “Before You Incorporate as a Nonprofit-Pros and Cons” sheet

                                            iii.     Cost to incorporate in the state of Kansas is $20 and can be done electronically, without additional fees

3.     File for 501(c)(3) status

a.      This is a win-win for our organization

                                               i.     Tax Exemption – gives us tax exempt status from income tax for all activities relating to our mission

                                              ii.     Credibility – would demonstrate to our community that we take ourselves seriously.  We have bylaws, policies, mission, programs, records and finances in place.

                                            iii.     Donations – In order for our sponsors and supporters to claim a donation to our organization as a tax deduction, we must be federally registered 501(c )(3) organization.

1.     Specifically important when we solicit donations for group events like an auction, raffle, or carnival.  Many will only donate if we are 501(c)(3) status.

2.     This would allow us to promote an ‘opt-out’ program for fundraisers.  Parents could choose to donate cash monies at the first of the year and that would ensure their child(ren) do not have to participate in fundraisers.  The full dollar amt donated would be tax deductible and the full amount would go to the schools; whereas buying from the fundraisers only guarantees a portion of the purchase price goes to the schools. 

a.      Give $50 to ‘opt-out’ program and it’s tax deductible and school gets $50

b.      Buy $50 worth of merchandise from a fundraiser and the school gets up to 50% or $25

                                             iv.     Grants – most grant programs require their applicants to be federally registered as 501(c)(3) status.  We could do so much more for the schools if we had the ability to apply for grants

                                              v.     Three cons

1.     Becoming tax exempt with the IRS requires an annual filing of our activity.  The form is simple and requires very little preparation

2.     Record keeping is a must!!  We must have our books available at all times for anyone from the community to view; however, have a good checks and balances will better protect our monies from potential embezzlement

3.     Cost is a one-time fee of $850

a.      We must decide on incorporation before we file for 501(c)(3) status.  If we hold off on incorporating and file for 501(c)(3) status, later changing our minds, we would have to pay the fee all over again (as well as complete an entirely new application)

References

Forhan, Christy, Taxes, PTOs, and the IRS, www.ptotoday.com

Forhan, Christy, 501(c)(3) for PTOs, www.ptotoday.com

Fritz, Joanne, Before You Incorporate as a Nonprofit – Pros & Cons, http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitbasics/bb/corppros.htm

www.irs.gov

https://www.kansas.gov/businesscenter/

Free Family Movie Night

Click the link below to learn more!

Friday, March 8th 7:00 p.m. MHS Auditorium