Freedom Shores Elementary School School Advisory Council Approved By-Laws

Transcription

1 Freedom Shores Elementary School School Advisory Council Approved By-Laws Approved January 13, 2003 Reviewed and Approved August 20, 2009 Reviewed and Approved October 5, 2012 Reviewed and Approved October 2, 2013 Reviewed and Approved October 1, 2014 Reviewed and Approved September 2, 2015 Page 1 of 7

2 By-Laws of the School Advisory Council of Freedom Shores Elementary School (Approved by: Principal Dr. Nancy Lucas and SAC January 13, 2003) (Reviewed and Approved by: Principal Valerie Haines and SAC August 20, 2009) (Reviewed and Approved by: Principal Patricia Trejo and SAC October 5, 2012) (Reviewed and Approved by: Principal Patricia Trejo and SAC October 2, 2013) (Reviewed and Approved by: Principal Patricia Trejo and SAC October 1, 2014) (Reviewed and Approved by: Principal Patricia Trejo and SAC September 2, 2015) Name of Organization Article I The name of this organization shall be the School Advisory Council of Freedom Shores Elementary School. Purpose and Function Article II Section I: The School Advisory Council (SAC) is a resource for the school, its teachers, its staff, parents and principal. Its function is to develop and oversee the implementation of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) that serves as a framework for school improvement. The primary function of the SAC is to provide all stakeholders an opportunity to be active participants in the assessments of needs, development of priorities and identification and use of resources based on an analysis of available school data. Specific functions include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Develop the SIP and review its implementation; 2. Enlist, promote and support greater interaction between Freedom Shores and community; 3. Provide input on matters concerning disbursement of School Improvement funds and other monies related to school improvement, and ensure that such expenditures are consistent with the SIP; 4. Consult peripheral constituency groups when making decisions concerning educational practices within the school; 5. Consult with people or departments needed to support the SIP; 6. Function in accordance with applicable guidelines to assure Five-Star compliance. Page 2 of 7

3 Article III Representation and Membership In accordance with Florida Statute , this outlines the establishment of SAC s in each school: The membership shall be representative of the student body and community served by the school. The SAC shall have an appropriately balanced number of teachers, parents, support employees, and business / community members. The majority (50% + 1) of the members of the SAC shall be non-school employees. The SAC membership shall be appropriately balanced. Each parent of Freedom Shores Elementary School will be notified of SAC elections via School newsletter, Edline, PSO, front office flyers, flyers at the Aftercare sign out, and at Curriculum Night in accordance with F.S Public Meetings and records; public inspection. Council Membership: Description & Duties Article IV In accordance with Florida Statues Section (1)(a) which outlines the establishment of SAC s: Principal: The principal shall provide information regarding the school education plan, including the school budget. The role of the principal includes positive actions designed to engender feelings of trust and mutual regard among the SAC, the community and the staff. The principal shall arrange for presentations of interest to the SAC and encourage leadership from within the Council. Faculty and School Staff Representatives: The members of the school staff shall represent the views and interests of the total school staff. They will act as resources for the SAC by making available specialized information about educational programs, innovative ideas, and available resources. School staff representatives shall serve as a communication link between the SAC and the school staff, informing others of actions and activities of the Council. Page 3 of 7

4 Parents, Business and Community Representatives: The parent, business and community members of the SAC shall represent the views of the parents, citizens, and business and community organizations within the school community. They shall act as resource persons for the SAC in the area of community-related issues that affect the school and its students. They shall serve as a communications link between the SAC, business, community, and parent groups. Section 4: Student Representatives: (optional): If the SAC includes student representatives, any such student representatives shall serve as voting representatives for the entire student body. They shall also relay suggestions and recommendations from members of the student body and the Student Council to the SAC for consideration. See F.S (1) (a). Council Officers: Composition & Duties Article V The School Advisory Council shall have, at a minimum, a chairperson, a Co- Chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer. Additional officers, such as a historian, may be elected if such positions for that school calendar year are approved. In the event of a vacancy in a Council office during an existing term, the vacancy will be filled by SAC member election. Co-Chairpersons: The chairpersons shall preside at all meetings of the Council and be de facto members of all committees. Secretary: The secretary shall keep minutes (available to the public per F.S ) of the meetings and shall be responsible for any correspondence delegated to him/her by the chairperson. The secretary shall also document meeting attendance, activities, and decisions of the Council and its committees for accountability purposes. Section 4: Treasurer: The Treasurer shall account for all monies provided in the annual General Appropriations Act for use by the SAC. Section 5: Historian: (optional) The historian shall document the past and present progress of the SAC and its committees. The historian shall maintain the minutes of the previous years, along with any anecdotal records and the SAC archives. In the event an historian is not elected, the School Principal shall be responsible for maintaining all SAC archive records including, but not limited, to the minutes of the SAC meetings. At the end of Page 4 of 7

5 the school year, the historian and/or Secretary must turn over copies of all minutes and archived records to the School Principal to maintain until the next historian is elected. Tenure Article VI SAC Members, other than those designated to complete unexpired terms, shall serve one year terms. The terms of elected officers shall be staggered two (2) years terms to provide continuity from year-to-year. Officers shall serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms in any one elected position. No member, including officers, may miss more than 2 consecutive SAC meetings or a total of 4 SAC meetings in a calendar year. The Chairperson of the SAC has the authority to excuse the absences of members under special circumstances. In the event of recurring absences, the SAC may initiate a search for a replacement member. Any such vacancy will be filled by SAC member election. Such individuals will fill the reminder of the term to which they were elected. In the event of a vacancy in a Council office during an existing term, the vacancy will be filled by SAC member election. Meetings Article VII All SAC meetings shall be held in accordance with Florida Statute Public meeting and records, public inspection. There shall be a Council meeting at least once per month, to be held at a mutually agreeable time and place as decided by the SAC membership. The SAC chairperson may call special meetings at his/her discretion. Members shall be given at least (3) three business days notice for a specially called meeting. Subcommittees will meet as needed. Page 5 of 7

6 Article VIII Committees Committees are formed to research and make recommendations regarding specific areas that affect the organization. Committees may be constituted as deemed appropriate by the SAC. Standing Committees are created for long term, ongoing functions and are expected to conduct regular meetings. Standing committees shall focus on large issues such as school safety, curriculum, professional development and student needs. A standing committee will study issues and make recommendations to the Council s voting body. Ad Hoc Committees are formed to address specific, short term concerns that are not appropriately assigned to the standing committees. An example of an Ad Hoc Committee would be a uniform committee or a committee to deal with traffic flow problems in student drop-off areas. Voting & Rules of Order Article IX SAC decisions shall be reached by consensus of the eligible voters. Non-SAC members may not vote. Consensus is when all eligible voters understand the decision, agree to support it and are willing to implement the decision. If no consensus can be reached, decisions will be made by majority vote and any such voting shall take place by written ballot. The chairperson shall abstain from all voting unless there is a tie vote. In the event of a tie vote, the chairperson may cast the tie-breaking vote. Although the SAC need not strictly operate following Robert s Rules of Order or Parliamentary Procedures, the chairperson should, at a minimum, ensure that a motion is made by a SAC member prior to SAC taking any formal action. Non-SAC members may not make motions. Following the making of a motion by a SAC member, another SAC member must second the motion. Thereafter, the chairperson shall entertain discussion on that motion. It is up to the chairperson to facilitate the discussion on any pending motions. Following the discussion, there shall be a vote upon the pending motion or the motion may be tabled. Page 6 of 7

7 Article X Amendments: The By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the SAC by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. Notice of the proposed By-Law amendment shall be 20 days prior to the meeting at which it is voted upon. A quorum is required at any meeting for action to be taken. All SAC meetings shall be held in accordance with F.S Public meetings and records; public inspection. A committee shall be appointed to review, and when appropriate, recommend revisions of the Council By-Laws at least once every three years. The adoption of revised By-Laws shall follow the procedure for amendments as outlined in Section 1. Page 7 of 7