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ST JAMES SCHOOL
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
BYLAWS
Article I. Purpose
The Development Committee (DC) is an organization dedicated to the enrichment of St. James School and its students and faculty. The organization:

 Strives to help parents and teachers acquire an appreciation of the ideals of Catholic Education.
 Promotes a clear understanding of the mutual educational responsibilities of both parents and faculty.
 Encourages a greater degree of cooperation between the home and school as well as other parish organizations.
 Actively encourages financial support in order to maintain Catholic Education.
 Lastly, assists the school authorities in the continuing goal of improving the quality of Catholic Education.

Article II. Mission

The mission of the DC is to initiate and manage school fundraisers, volunteer opportunities, and teacher/parent/child appreciation and enrichment activities. It is the responsibility of the DC to provide information to parents concerning school activities, fundraisers, and volunteer opportunities in order to better their commitment to our children and our school.

Article lII. Meetings

 Meetings will be held at least monthly during the school year and at other times as deemed necessary. Meetings maybe     canceled or rescheduled as the need arise.
 Time of meeting shall be 7:00 P.M.
 A recorder is elected at the first meeting and will provide a record of discussion and decisions made at each committee meeting.
 In the month of September, the Annual Meeting shall be held at the school. This meeting will clarify the commitment and expectations of the organization. Opportunities will be given for families to commit to activities during that meeting.

Article IV. Committee Segments

“Fun Events” incorporate family, teacher, and student’s participation. While some activities accrue funds, the main purpose of the group is to sponsor family-oriented activities that incorporate relationships to the school curriculum as well as promoting the connection between school and home. This committee provides all parents with the opportunity to be actively involved in school related activities. Specific activities are listed in activities column and vary from year to year.
Volunteer and Community Service: Room parents, field trip chaperones, family sponsors, and others help the school to fulfill its mission. Although these opportunities do not count towards the yearly assessment, without the help from volunteers, many of the programs within the school would not be possible.

Event Chairs: In addition to managing the event, the chair or co-chairs of a St. James Event is responsible for:

 Recording and reporting all volunteer hours on standard form completed by all participants and turn into DC Chair.
 Receive budget approval for expenses from the principal.
 Keep and submit all receipts for reimbursement.
 Attend the DC general meeting prior to and directly following the event or activity.
 Submit all flyers and advertisements to the office for approval prior to distribution.
 Use the school’s tax exempt number for reimbursable expenses.
 Submit all volunteer hour records and fundraising monies no later than one week after the event.

Article V. Responsibilities: Service Hours and Family Assessment

With tuition not covering all the expenses of the school, expenses defined as those materials needed to run the school from day to day, it is necessary that every family participate in the fundraising programs outlined by the school administration and the Parent-School Organization. This is known as the “assessment.”

The assessment directive is aimed at insuring that every family contributes equally. The school succeeds because of everyone’s participation.

The required assessment and service hours for each family must be completed by June 30 or end of the school year. Service hours completed after July 1 are applied to the following school year.

Families in K-8:

Yearly assessment is $500.00 which includes 15 service hours, 5 of which must be done at the annual Bazaar. (Each service hour is worth $10) $300 must be generated through fundraising events. If the goal is not met, the balance will be due at the end of the school year.
For Example:

This is just one of the many possible ways to earn your $500 in credit.
 $60 for 1000 Club Membership (part of registration)
 $50 for 5 hours volunteering at the Bazaar (minimum required)
 $100 from remaining 10 hours of volunteer time (minimum required)
 $25 sold of Bazaar raffle tickets
 $20 for selling $50 worth of Yankee Candles (40% of sales)
 $100 for selling 1 ticket to 200 Club Dinner
 $40 for selling 2 Calendar raffle ticket
 $20 for CHERUBS basket raffle tickets
 $15 for being a Bowl a Thon Sponsor
 $10 for purchasing from the GIFT CARD Program
 $60 for selling an additional 1 ticket to the 1000 Club

Families in PreK: Yearly assessment is $150.00 which includes 5 service hours. (Applies only to families who do not have children in Grades K-8.)

Opt-Out Plan: Families may pay their assessment in full by September 30; however, families are still responsible for 15 service hours noted above and may participate in any fundraiser they choose.

DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

 There is a $10.00 per hour fee for every unfulfilled service hour.
 If families do not complete their 5 hours leading up to or at the annual Bazaar, they will be charged $150 at the end of September. This fee will be SEPARATE from their yearly assessment and therefore the amount will not be counted towards the total.
 More than one adult family member can accrue service hours at the same event.
 At the discretion of the Principal, families may be excused from service hour requirements if circumstances prohibit volunteer time.
 Coaches and events chairman will receive a $200.00 credit towards their assessment. This credit can be used towards your hours(20 hours); towards your dollar amount($200); or can be broken up to be credited towards the area that is needed to full fill your overall development credit. Please be advised that coaches credit is awarded for your overall coaching duties. No other hours can be logged/credited.
 Service hours will be submitted by the chairman of each event.

Article VI. Book of Account

The Book of Account shall be a complete set of accounts, consisting of assets, liabilities, and appropriate revenue and expense accounts. This account will be authorized and handled by the school’s financial secretary.
Article VII. Annual Accounting

 Each calendar year, a full and complete account of the condition of the organization shall be made to the School Board. The annual accounting shall take place at the Annual Meeting for the preceding year.
 All financial transactions shall be reviewed monthly by a Principal.
Article VIII. Activities

At the end of the school year, the DC will send out a packet of information to all enrolled families for the following years fundraising events. This packet will include the specific dates (if already determined) as well as a detailed description of each event. New families will receive the same packet at the beginning of the school year.

The following is a list of activities planned for this upcoming school year or have been planned in the past years. Some dates maybe subject to change.