From the Superintendent's Desk: April 18

From the Superintendent's Desk

Myth Busters - Are the rumors true.....is the SAS PTA going away? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!

SAS is fortunate to have an active PTA that supports our students, faculty, and community at large. We deeply appreciate the many years of leadership, support, and volunteerism provided by our PTA. The PTA is responsible for several of our large community events including the most recent International Fair. The PTA has an important role in our community and many don't realize that every family is a member of the PTA.

And while the sole purpose of the PTA is to support SAS, it is organized as an independent legal entity with the Registry of Societies (ROS), governed under its own constitution and By-laws. This has been the case for many years. Each year the school allocates PTA registration fees from tuition ($40 per family) and then grants each family unit an official membership into the PTA. This has worked well for the PTA and for the school.

This year we learned through our auditor and attorney that according to Singapore law, we cannot collect fees and manage membership on behalf of another nonprofit organization. We informed the PTA that under the current structure, the PTA would need to begin collecting their own fees and manage membership beginning this fall. This does not serve the school or the PTA well.

As we looked at other IASAS schools and sought expert advice, we found that many schools organize the PTA as a club under the school, similar to our high school Booster club, rather than operate as a separate legal entity. If SAS adopted this model, the membership and fee collection issue would be resolved with no real impact on the operation or leadership of the PTA.

With this as context, SAS leadership and the SAS PTA have agreed to organize the PTA under the school, operating with the same structure and purpose as today.

Unfortunately, there are several steps required to make this happen. First, PTA by-laws need to be updated to ensure that dissolution of the legal entity is clearly understood and assets are directed to the desired entity. Second, the PTA board and membership, according to the updated by-laws, will need to vote to dissolve. Third, the PTA must request dissolution with the Registry of Societies. Fourth, the assets from the PTA will be disbursed to another non-profit (presumably SAS). And fifth, the PTA structure needs to be set up under the school. This will take some time.

To make this transition - WE NEED YOUR HELP!! On April 29 at 9:30 a.m. the PTA will hold their Annual General Meeting. At that meeting a vote will be taken to update the by-laws, allowing for a smooth dissolution process. In order to pass the by-laws at least 133 members of the PTA must vote, and ⅔ of those that vote must vote in favor of the motion to change the by-laws. The school and the PTA is asking members to come out and vote on April 29.

We deeply appreciate the work of the PTA and other volunteers at SAS. Structuring the PTA as a part of the school will ensure legal compliance, create operational efficiencies, and will provide avenues for contribution to the life of the school.

If you have questions about this change, please contact your PTA leadership at saspta.president@gmail.com.

Please attend the PTA Annual General Meeting on April 29!

from Singapore American School http://bit.ly/2vb4yd0