Parent Organization

We are always in need of volunteers for events and for the board. If you are interested, please email PSCO.volunteer.coordinator@gmail.com

Q: What if I accidentally donated to the wrong organization instead of PSCO?
A: Sometimes, new parents mistakenly select Portal School instead of PSCO. If this happens, the donation will go to the school’s account. Don’t worry— the school will forward your donation to PSCO periodically.

Q: Is there a deadline for making a direct donation?
A: No, there’s no deadline. We understand that each family has its own financial plans, and we welcome donations at any time.

Q: How can I donate?
A: We prefer donations via checks, Zelle, or your company’s matching platform. PayPal is also an option, though they do charge processing fees. For example, if you donate $1,000 through PayPal, they will deduct 1.99% + $0.49, and PSCO will receive $979.61.

Q: Can we see a visual representation of how close we are to reaching our fundraising goal?
A: Yes! We have reached 74% of our fundraising goal through direct donations so far.

Q: How is company match money used?
A: Ideally, if all families donate the suggested amount, we will meet our budget. However, if there’s a shortfall between the budget and actual donations, company match funds are used to cover the gap. Any remaining funds may be used for unplanned enhancements, such as campus improvements (e.g., wall painting, new drinking fountains), or added to our reserve funds.

Q: Are we at risk of losing instructional assistants (IAs) or other services due to low donations? Has this happened before?
A: Thankfully, no services have been canceled due to insufficient donations, thanks to the generosity of our parents.

Q: What information should I include in the note section when making a donation?
A: Please include your child’s full name and room number. If you are donating in multiple installments, note that as well.

Q: When will I receive my direct donation receipt?
A: Our vice treasurers are fellow Portal parents and work hard to send receipts as quickly as possible. Before issuing a receipt, they must verify all details, including your child’s name and room number. Sometimes, parents forget to include this information, or donate through multiple sources, which requires additional time to reconcile.

Q: Is there any other ways I can support PSCO?
A: Yes! Many companies offer programs that match their employees' volunteer hours with financial donations to nonprofit organizations. We encourage you to reach out to your Human Resources department for more details.

Q: Can I donate stock to PSCO instead of cash?
A: Yes, we are working on offering this option. More details will be available soon. In short, there is a tax-efficient way to donate stock directly to a donor-advised fund, which can then make a donation to PSCO. This method avoids capital gains taxes while still allowing you to receive the full tax benefits of the stock’s value.

Name	Position
Wei Wang	President
Mohul Pandey	Vice President
Shilpa Nagaraja	Secretary
Han Hu	Treasurer
Ying He & Ruiping Ren	Co-Vice Treasurers
Yanbin (Iris) Chen	Volunteer Coordinator
Qi Liu	Web Master (Non Elected Position)
Abhishek Agrawal	Dine out Nights Coordinator (Non Elected Position)
Mariko Edwards	Book Fair Chair (Non elected position)
Need Your Help	Virtual Assemblies Chair (Non elected position)
Alison Luvara	Principal

• Provide excellent enrichment and learning opportunities for the benefit of all Murdock-Portal students
• Build and nurture a high sense of community among parents, teachers and students through initiatives and events
• Support the Murdock-Portal philosophy and our staff
• Manage the PSCO Direct Donation Campaign and budget judiciously
• Offer transparency in all of our activities and communications
• Work with the Murdock-Portal School Site Council 

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE PORTAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION (PSCO)

Preamble

THE PARENTS AND TEACHING STAFF OF MURDOCK-PORTAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (the “School”) join together to form a parent-teacher group in order to:

• Effectively channel the efforts and resources of the School parents, staff and students (the “School Community”) to the direct benefit of the students;
• Facilitate mutual communication and nurture a cohesive relationship among the School parents, staff and students; and
• Initiate, carry out and sponsor programs and projects that benefit the School and School Community.

Article I
Name. This organization shall be known as the “PORTAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION” (“PSCO”).

Article II
Nature of Organization. PSCO is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation and is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. PSCO’s Articles of Incorporation have been filed with the California Secretary of State. The PSCO shall be non-profit, non-sectarian and non-partisan. Therefore, it is the policy of the PSCO to practice non-discrimination with regard to race, color, religion, sex, age or national origin. Further, this PSCO shall not attempt to direct the educational activities of the School.

Article III
Membership. All staff and parents or guardians of students enrolled in the School are members with full voting privileges as follows: (1) one vote for each staff member and (2) for parents and guardians, one vote per student (“Member Votes”). The maximum number of Member Votes (“Total Member Votes”) equals the total number of staff and students. All parents are strongly encouraged to contribute to the School through direct donation, fundraising and participation in the many volunteer opportunities available.

Article IV
Board of Directors
1. Members of the Board. The members of the PSCO Board of Directors (the “Board”) shall be as follows:

President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Vice-Treasurer
Volunteer Coordinator
School Principal

2. Powers and Duties. Subject to the provisions of the California Corporations Code and any limitations in the Articles of Incorporation, the PSCO Constitution and the PSCO Bylaws relating to actions required to be approved by the membership, the business and affairs of PSCO shall be managed and all corporate powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of the Board. Each director shall discharge his or her duties in good faith, with due care and in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the PSCO membership and not in the director’s own interest or in the interest of another person or organization.

Article V
Committees and Volunteer Positions. A “Standing Committee” or a “Standing Position” is a permanent committee or position that is listed in Article VI of the Bylaws. A “Special Committee” is a temporary committee that is not listed in Article VI. The Board shall appoint Standing Positions and Standing Committee Chairpersons and may appoint committee members. The Board may create Special Committees as needed. The Board shall appoint the Special Committee Chairpersons and may appoint the committee members. Other volunteer positions may also be created and appointed by the Board as needed. The Board shall describe the duties to be performed by these committees/volunteers. These actions shall be noted in the Board minutes.

Article VI
Amendment of Constitution. This Constitution may be amended by the vote of two-thirds of the Member Votes cast by members present at any membership meeting, provided that written notice of the proposed revision or amendment is given to all members of the PSCO at least twice, once two weeks in advance, and again one week prior to the meeting, at which time such revision or amendment is to be voted upon by the members in attendance. Amendments may be proposed to the members of the Board or by any member through the affirmative vote specified in this Constitution. A copy of the current Constitution and Bylaws shall be available to members both at the School office and online at the School website.

BYLAWS

Article I
Membership Meetings.
1. Regular Membership Meetings. Membership meetings shall be held at least twice during the school year.
2. Special Membership Meetings. Membership meetings may be called at any time by the Board or written petition of five percent (5%) of the PSCO membership. If a Special Meeting is called by five percent (5%) of the membership, the meeting must take place in a timely manner, no later than twenty-one (21) days after receipt of the request.
3. Notice and Agenda. Except as otherwise stated in Article VI of the Constitution regarding amendment of the Constitution, (1) the Secretary shall provide the members at least two week’s notice of membership meetings, (2) all agenda items for membership meetings shall be announced prior to the meeting and (3) publication in the Penguin Press shall be sufficient notice.
4. Quorum. A quorum for all membership meetings shall be five percent (5%) of the Total Member Votes (see Article III of the Constitution).
5. Voting Without Meeting. Any action which may be taken at a membership meeting may be taken by ballot, without a meeting, if the ballot sets forth the action taken and is approved by at least the number of votes that would be necessary to approve that action at a meeting. For the purposes of determining a quorum, the number of ballots submitted shall be deemed the equivalent of the number of Member Votes represented by members attending a meeting. Such a ballot may be provided to the members in the Penguin Press and the results shall be announced in the Penguin Press in a timely manner.

Article II
Board of Directors Meetings.
1. Regular Board Meetings. The Board of the PSCO shall meet monthly during the school year to conduct all business as directed by its membership.
2. Special Board Meetings. Board meetings may be called at any time by the President or written petition of five percent (5%) of the PSCO membership. If a Special Meeting is called by five percent (5%) of the membership, the meeting must take place in a timely manner, no later than twenty-one (21) days after receipt of the request.
3. Notice and Agenda. The Secretary shall provide the members at least one week’s notice of all Board meetings. Agenda items for Board meetings shall be announced prior to the meeting. Publication in the Penguin Press shall be sufficient notice.
4. Quorum. A quorum for all Board meetings shall be a simple majority of the Board.
Additional voting rules are set forth in Article VIII of the Bylaws.
5. Open Meetings. All Board meetings, both Regular and Special, shall be open to attendance by PSCO members.

Article III
Officers’ Duties. The duties of the PSCO’s officers are as follows:

1. The President shall:

• Preside at all membership and Board meetings.
• Coordinate the activities of the committees and volunteer coordinators.
• Be one of three (3) Board members who can provide the signature required for disbursement of PSCO monies (unless otherwise determined by resolution of the Board).
• Appoint interim designee officers in the event one or more officers are unable to fulfill their obligations until a general election can be held.
• Initiate and facilitate first committee meetings or select designee to act as a representative of the President and preside over selection of committee chairpersons.
• Be responsible for keeping non-tax filings with state and federal agencies up to date.

2. The Vice-President shall:

• In the absence of the President serve as President
• Assist the President in an advisory capacity.
• Act as Secretary at membership and Board meetings when the Secretary is unable to attend.
• Be one of three (3) Board members who can provide the signature required for disbursement of PSCO monies (unless otherwise determined by resolution of the Board).

3. The Secretary shall:

• Record all proceedings of PSCO membership and Board meetings, provide an abbreviated copy of the minutes of each membership and Board meeting to the editor of the Penguin Press and make a full copy of the minutes available online at the School website.
• Keep or cause to be kept at the School the PSCO’s corporate records, including minutes of all membership and Board meetings and all governmental filings.
• Keep an accurate record of all revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws.
• Be responsible for providing members with notice of membership and Board meetings as required in Articles I and II of the Bylaws.
• Notify each Board member at least one week prior to all membership and Board meetings.
• Be the responsible coordinator for soliciting incoming officer nominations and presenting those at the November membership meeting.
• Document attendance, confirm the presence of a quorum and, under the supervision of the Principal, count all votes at all membership and Board meetings.
• Provide copies of this Constitution and Bylaws to each member of the Board at the beginning of each Board term.
• Be one of three (3) Board members who can provide the signature required for disbursement of PSCO monies (unless otherwise determined by resolution of the Board).
• In coordination with the Treasurer, be jointly responsible for reporting to the PSCO membership all Board changes in the PSCO annual budget of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more during the year. This disclosure shall consist of clearly stating and briefly explaining the budget changes both in the Board meeting minutes and in the abbreviated copy of the minutes given to the editor of the Penguin Press.

4. The Treasurer shall

• Receive and deposit in the bank the specified by the Board all monies on behalf of the PSCO and issue receipts for the same.
• Keep an accurate record of receipts, disbursements and other financial transactions of the PSCO.
• Reconcile the bank statement on a monthly basis and verify the reasonableness of the expenditures and deposits.
• Keep or cause to be kept at the School the PSCO’s financial records.
• Ensure proper and secure storage and back up of all electronic financial records.
• Institute financial control measures and keep an accurate record of all changes in the accounting practices of the PSCO.
• Keep the PSCO’s checkbook and post all transactions. The Vice-Treasurer shall maintain the checkbook in the Treasurer’s absence should the Treasurer be away for an extended period of time.
• Manage the budget process.
• Present at each membership meeting and each Board meeting a detailed written financial report.
• File tax returns, tax-related forms and tax exemption forms with state and federal agencies as required.
• In coordination with the Secretary, be jointly responsible for reporting to the PSCO membership all Board changes in the PSCO annual budget of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more during the year. This disclosure shall consist of clearly stating and briefly explaining the budget changes both in the Board meeting minutes and in the abbreviated copy of the minutes given to the editor of the Penguin Press.
• ​​​​​​​Transfer the PSCO’s books of account to the Treasurer-elect at the end of the Board term.

5. The Vice-Treasurer shall:

• Have primary responsibility for collecting and following-up on direct donations from PSCO members.
• Assist the Treasurer in collecting all other monies on behalf of the PSCO.
• Work with the Community Building Committee to insure proper accounting of income from that Committee’s activities.
• Assist in the assigned duties of the Treasurer (while retaining the authority to report independently to the Board on all financial/accounting issues).
• Maintain the checkbook in the Treasurer’s absence should the Treasurer be away for an extended period of time.
• ​​​​​​​Audit the bank statement reconciliation reports prepared by the Treasurer on a monthly basis and verify the reasonableness of the expenditures and deposits.

6. The Volunteer Coordinator shall:

• In coordination with the Membership Coordinator, organize the volunteer information database in order to support extracurricular (non-classroom) volunteer activities (including the programs managed by the Community Building Committee).
• ​​​​​​​Assist in staffing PSCO and School events/programs with volunteers through coordination with event/program managers, direct contact with member volunteers and by delegating such contacts to willing room parents.

7. The School Principal shall:

• Attend or appoint a designee to attend all Board meetings.
• Act as an advisor to the Board on the PSCO’s activities.
• ​​​​​​​Act as a liaison between the school district, the PSCO and the School Site Council (SSC) and keep the Board informed of relevant information.

8. Except for the positions of President and School Principal, each of the other Elected Positions may be shared by 2 elected PSCO Members. The Elected Officers will be known as “co-“ officers (i.e. “Co-Vice Treasurer”).

Article IV
Budget and Disbursements.

1. Budget. A proposed budget for the following school year shall be developed and approved by the Board and presented to a membership meeting in May/June. The approved Budget should be signed by the President and Treasurer and filed with the Treasurer. A final budget for the new fiscal year and a financial report for the past fiscal year shall be developed and approved by the Board and presented to a membership meeting in September/October. A copy of the final budget shall be available to members both at the School office and online at the School website. The Budget should contain a reserve contingency fund, not to exceed 10% of the approved budget total. The PSCO’s fiscal/business year will be July 1 – June 30.

2. Disbursements. The Board shall, by formal resolution at a Board meeting, establish a fiscally prudent procedure for disbursement of monies for PSCO expenses. This procedure shall be followed until amended by the Board.

3. Non-Budgeted Expenses. Any expense exceeding the provisions of the final annual (fiscal year) budget is a "Non-Budgeted Expense." Any Board proposal to approve related Non-Budgeted Expenses over $10,000 (for the purposes of this article, the “Proposal”) must be approved in the following manner:

1. The Proposal must be discussed and voted on in two separate PSCO Board meetings.
2. The agenda of the initial Board meeting (published in the Penguin Press) shall include a general notice of the Proposal.
3. The Board shall discuss the Proposal at the initial Board meeting. A clearly stated summary of the Proposal and reasons for it shall be recorded in the meeting minutes and summarized in the abbreviated copy of the minutes published in the Penguin Press.
4. The Board shall discuss and vote on the Proposal again at the second meeting. The results of this vote and the details of the Proposal (if approved) shall be clearly stated both in the Board meeting minutes and in the abbreviated copy of the minutes published in the Penguin Press.
5. Handling of the notices of these meetings, meeting agendas and meeting minutes shall be in compliance with the respective articles of the Bylaws.

Article V
Election of Officers.

1. Time of Election. The positions of President, Secretary and Vice-Treasurer shall be elected in May of even-numbered years, and the positions of Vice-President, Treasurer and Volunteer Coordinator shall be elected in May during odd-numbered years. Collectively they shall be known as the “Elected Officers.” The Secretary shall present to the membership names of nominees for each office. Nomination may also be made from the floor provided membership can be assured the nominee will serve if elected. Election shall be by ballot.

2. Term. Each Elected Officer position will be held for 2 years, with half of the board elected in odd-numbered years and the other half elected in even-numbered years as detailed in Article V (1).

3. Officer Transition. The Elected Officers shall take office on July 1. For transition purposes, Elected Officers shall attend Board meetings beginning immediately after their election.

4. Term Limits. Elected Officers shall be eligible for re-election to the same office only once. Should there be no one wishing to hold an office, the incumbent may take the office for additional terms as necessary. However, at least one of the following two positions must be filled by a new person (i.e., someone not currently holding one of the two positions) each term: Treasurer and Vice-Treasurer. Both Treasurer and Vice-Treasurer are elected positions, not appointed.

Article VI
Standing Committees and Positions.

The Standing Committees and Positions of the PSCO and their duties are as follows:

1. Teacher Representative Shall serve as a liaison between the School staff and PSCO, give input at PSCO meetings and share PSCO information with the teachers.
2. Membership Coordinator Shall solicit names and member information for the Membership Directory, be responsible for publishing the Membership Directory and maintain a member information database.
3. Assembly Coordinator Shall, in coordination with the School Principal and staff, be responsible for scheduling assemblies for student enrichment in academics, arts and sciences.

Article VII
Vacancies. In the event of the permanent vacancy of the office of the President, the Vice-President shall assume that office. The Board, at its next meeting, shall nominate and elect a successor to the Vice-President, provided that a written notice of this election is given to all member of the PSCO at least twice; once two weeks in advance of the actual election and once again just one week prior to the election. In the event of permanent vacancy of the office of the Treasurer, the Vice Treasurer shall assume that office and the same procedures put into place as those for the successor to the Vice-President. In the event of the permanent vacancy of any other office, the same procedure of notification of the community shall be followed.

Article VIII
​​​​​​​Voting. All decisions of the PSCO shall be reached by consensus whenever possible. Except as otherwise stated in Article VI of the Constitution regarding amendment of the Constitution by the membership and in Article IX of the Bylaws regarding amendment of the Bylaws by the Board, if consensus cannot be reached then a majority vote shall be required.

Article IX
Amendment of Bylaws.

1. By Membership Vote. The Bylaws of the PSCO may be amended by the vote of the majority of the Member Votes cast by members present at any membership meeting.
​​​​​​​2. By Board Vote. The Bylaws of the PSCO may be amended by unanimous vote of the Board, provided that (a) the proposed amendment is listed as an agenda item announced to the membership prior to the Board meeting and (b) the results of the amendment vote are announced in the Penguin Press in a timely manner.