CRESTWOOD SCHOOL PARENT ASSOCIATION

Governance Document

2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR

This document sets out the structure, roles, and practices of the Crestwood School Parent Association (CSPA) for the 2026-27 school year.

1. Purpose

The Crestwood School Parent Association (CSPA) is a volunteer parent organization at Crestwood School dedicated to supporting and enriching the education, school life, and sense of community of Crestwood students. The CSPA raises funds and organizes programming beyond what the school day itself provides, in partnership with, not on behalf of, Crestwood School administration. The CSPA also works to build community among Crestwood parents and families – through grade-level socials, special evenings, and other opportunities to connect – alongside its fundraising and programming role.

The CSPA is not a legally incorporated not-for-profit organization.

2. Membership

Every parent or guardian of a currently enrolled Crestwood student is automatically a member of the CSPA. This membership doesn’t depend on having paid the annual fee – the fee funds programming, it isn’t what makes someone a member.

3. Executive Team & Roles

2026-27 Executive: Inge Neal (President), Derrick Khoo (Vice President), Erin Higgins (Secretary), Keeley Simpson (Treasurer).

2026-27 is different from a typical year – the executive has worked together to build this governance document, a new website, refreshed digital communications, and several new programs and initiatives that didn’t exist before, all while growing the sense of community across CSPA families. Because of that, the roles below weren’t followed as strictly this year; everyone worked across role lines to bring all of this to life. Going forward, the roles below reflect how the executive is expected to operate, on a much more solid foundation than before.

Role responsibilities:

• President – overall leadership of the CSPA, primary point of contact with Crestwood administration, sets meeting agendas, ensures the CSPA operates within this governance document
• Vice President – supports the President, owns a designated area of responsibility (this year: the website), supports CSPA initiatives, steps in for the President when needed
• Secretary – prepares and distributes meeting agendas and minutes, owns the CSPA’s official records (including this governance document and the log of official correspondence), supports CSPA initiatives, helps with events
• Treasurer – manages CSPA finances, prepares financial reports, ensures spending follows the approval thresholds in Section 5, maintains records to support year-end transition

Term: one school year per role. The executive is reconfirmed or re-elected each spring for the following school year.

Elections: nominations open at least two weeks before the spring meeting where elections are held. Any CSPA member may nominate themselves or another member for a role. If a role is contested, a vote is held among members present at the meeting, or by written ballot if broader participation is preferred. A simple majority decides, and results are announced at the meeting.

Resignation and vacancies: any executive member may step down before their term ends by giving the rest of the executive as much written notice as possible, minimum 30 days recommended, to allow for the handover steps in Section 6. The remaining executive decides whether to appoint someone to fill the role for the rest of the term or redistribute the duties among themselves.

4. Meetings

2026-27 Kickoff: Wednesday, September 9, coffee at 8:30 AM, first meeting at 9:00 AM. Ongoing meetings are the first Tuesday of each month at 8:20 AM, with any date changes communicated in advance.

Meetings are open to all CSPA members – any Crestwood parent or guardian may attend – with advance notice given for any change in date, time, or location.

5. Financial Practices

Starting 2026-27, the CSPA will publish a full annual budget to all Crestwood families for the first time, showing what is raised and how funds are allocated.

Any vendor partnership, sponsorship, or use of the Crestwood name or platforms requires Crestwood School administration’s awareness and approval before being formalized.

Spending approval thresholds:

• Up to $200 – may be approved by a single executive member
• $200 to $1,000 – requires agreement from two executive members
• Over $1,000 – requires majority executive approval, and, where the school’s name, platform, or a new vendor relationship is involved, Crestwood administration’s awareness before being finalized

Financial controls:

• The CSPA bank account requires two authorized executive signers to add or approve any new transfer recipient or payee, and for any payment or transfer made to an individual rather than a registered vendor, regardless of amount. Other outgoing transfers and payments follow the spending approval thresholds above.
• All disbursements, reimbursements, and vendor payments require a receipt or invoice on file before payment is made, kept in CSPA (not personal) records.
• CSPA funds are held only in CSPA-named accounts; funds are never routed through or held in a personal account, even temporarily.
• E-transfers and other electronic payments go only to verified vendor accounts or pre-approved reimbursement recipients with receipts on file.
• The Treasurer reconciles the bank statement monthly against CSPA records, and a second executive member reviews and confirms the reconciliation.
• Financial records, including transaction and transfer confirmations, are kept in the CSPA’s shared record-keeping system (see Section 6) and are not deleted without executive agreement.

The Treasurer gives a brief financial update at each monthly meeting, and a full written report at year-end alongside the published annual budget.

6. Year-End Transition

• Outgoing and incoming executive members overlap for a minimum of 4 weeks before the start of the new school year.
• All CSPA financial accounts, passwords, vendor contacts, and records are documented in a shared, CSPA-owned location (not a personal account or device), accessible to the current executive at all times.
• A year-end financial reconciliation and handover report is completed and reviewed by at least two executive members before a transition is considered complete.
• No CSPA funds, accounts, or vendor relationships are held in a single individual’s name where a CSPA-owned alternative is available.

7. Code of Conduct

CSPA executive members and volunteers agree to:

• Represent the CSPA and Crestwood community with honesty and respect.
• Disclose any conflict of interest, such as a vendor relationship with a personal connection, to the rest of the executive before proceeding.
• Keep sensitive family, financial, or school information confidential.
• Raise concerns about CSPA conduct or finances directly with the executive, or with Crestwood administration if needed.

8. Amendments

This governance document may be updated by majority agreement of the current 
executive team. Any change affecting the school’s name, platforms, or formal 
relationships should be reviewed with Crestwood administration first. This document is 
reviewed at least once per school year, at the start of each new executive term.