1110.3

Community Relations

Communications with the Public

School Governance Council

It is the policy of the _____________ Board of Education (Board) to endorse and support parent, staff, student and community involvement in school governance.  It is the intent of the Board that every school will have a School Governance Council (Council) that enables parents, school staff, students (when appropriate), and community to work together in facilitating quality educational plans that engender continuous improvement of student achievement.  It is the responsibility of the Principal to develop and maintain effective organizational structures and processes for advisement in the school in conjunction with the School Governance Council.

A school that has been identified as “in need of improvement” by the State Department of Education may establish a school governance council.

A school that has been designated as a “low achieving school” by the State Department of Education, due to such school failing to make adequate yearly progress in mathematics and reading at the whole school level shall establish a school governance council.

Schools that have been classified by the State Department of Education as a category four school, or a category five school, pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes 10-223e, as amended, shall establish a school governance council for each such school.

Optional:  (Any Board or school not subject by P.A. 10-111 may voluntarily establish a School Governance Council)

In addition to the schools mandated to establish Councils, each school within the District shall establish a Council and use the model described in the statute or an alternate model.  The Board recognizes that a Council is considered a component of parental involvement for purposes of federal funding under ESSA.

Exceptions

Schools consisting of a single grade level are excused from the requirements (C.G.S. 10-233e) pertaining to school governance councils.

Schools that have adopted a similar school governance council model on or before July 1, 2011, that consists of parents, teachers from each grade level or subject area, administrators and paraprofessionals and such school governance council is being administered at the time such school is so identified as in need of improvement or so designated as a low achieving school are excused from the requirements pertaining to school governance councils (C.G.S. 10-233e).

Composition of School Governance Council

1.  The School Governance Council for high schools shall consist of (a) seven members who shall be any parent or guardian of a student attending the school, regardless of such parent or guardian’s status as a public official, (b) two members who shall be community leaders within the school District, (c) five members who shall be teachers at the school, (d) one nonvoting member who is the Principal of the school, or his or her designee, and (e) two nonvoting student members who shall be students at the school. The parent or guardian members shall be elected by the parents or guardians of students attending the school, provided, for purposes of the election, each household with a student attending the school shall have one vote.  The community leader members shall be elected by the parent/guardian members and teacher members of the Council.  The teacher members shall be elected by the teachers of the school. The nonvoting student members shall be elected by the student body of the school.

2.  The School Governance Council for elementary and middle schools shall consist of (a) seven members who shall be any parent or guardian of a student attending the school, regardless of such parent or guardian’s status as a public official, (b) two members who shall be community leaders within the school District, (c) five members who shall be teachers at the school, and (d) one nonvoting member who is the principal of the school, or his or her designee. The parent or guardian members shall be elected by the parents/guardians of students attending the school, provided, for purposes of the election, each household with a student attending the school shall have one vote. The community leader members shall be elected by the parent or guardian members and teacher members of the Council. The teacher members shall be elected by the teachers of the school.

3.  Terms of voting members shall be for two years and no members shall serve more than four terms on the Council.  The nonvoting student members shall serve one year and no student member shall serve more than two terms on the Council.

Responsibilities of School Governance Council

The School Governance Council serves in an advisory capacity and shall assist the school administration in the areas listed below:

·  Analyze school achievement data and school needs relative to the improvement plan for the school;

·  Review the fiscal objectives of the draft budget for the school and advise the Principal before the budget is submitted to the Superintendent of Schools;

·  Participate in the hiring process of the school Principal or other administrators of the school by conducting interviews of candidates and reporting on such interviews to the Superintendent of Schools and Board of Education;

·  Assist the Principal in making programmatic and operational changes to improve the school’s achievement;

·  Develop and approve written school parent involvement policy that outlines the role of parents and guardians. (Note: A school’s Title I parent involvement policy can serve the purpose of the policy required under this section.); and

·  Work with school administrators in developing and approving a school compact for parents, legal guardians and students that outlines the school’s goals and academic focus identifying ways that parents and school personnel can build a partnership to improve student learning. (Note: A school’s Title I compact can serve the purpose of the compact required under this section.)

In addition to its required responsibilities, a Council may:

·  Assist in developing and reviewing the school improvement plan and advise the Principal before the report is submitted to the Superintendent of Schools.

·  Work with the Principal to develop, conduct and report the results of an annual survey of parents, guardians, and teachers on issues related to the school climate and conditions.

·  Provide advice to the Principal on any other major policy matters affecting the school, except on matters relating to collective bargaining agreements between the teachers and the Board of Education.

·  Utilize records relating to information about parents and guardians of students maintained by the Board of Education for the sole purpose of the election to the Council. Such information shall be confidential and shall only be disclosed as provided in the statute and shall not be further disclosed.

The Council, after being in place for three years, may vote to recommend that a school be reconstituted, in accordance with the provisions of law. The Council may not vote to reconstitute if the school was already reconstituted. Such reconstitution, determined by an affirmative vote, shall be to one of the following models: (a) Turnaround model, (b) Restart model, (c) Transformation model, (d) CommPACT School, (e) Innovation School, or (f) any other model that may be developed under federal law.

Note: Within 10 days of receiving a recommendation for reconstitution the Board must hold a public hearing to discuss the vote and at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting or ten days after the public hearing, whichever is later, conduct a vote to accept the model recommended by the Governing Council, select an alternate model or maintain the current school status. Other timelines are established in the statute regarding an alternative model chosen by the Board and required discussions and role of the Commissioner of Education.

The Board of Education recognizes its statutory responsibility and will provide appropriate training and instruction to members of the School Governance Council to aid them in the execution of their duties. (Districts should consider using Title I parent involvement funding, where applicable, to support the work of the Councils.)

In addition to School Governance Councils’ responsibilities, the Board believes it is also important to recognize the limits of their advisory function. The duties of School Governance Councils do not entail activities including, but not limited to:

·  Managing the school;

·  Supervising staff;

·  Entering into contracts or purchase agreements;

·  Discussing individual issues between teachers and students and/or parents;

·  Determining student eligibility for school admission; or

·  Determining class allocations or student assignments.

The Board recognizes that School Governance Councils shall be subject to an evaluation by the Commissioner of Education. In addition, a School Governance Council shall be considered a component of parental involvement for purposes of federal funding pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act, P.L. 114-95.

Legal Reference:  Connecticut General Statutes

10-14n Mastery examination.

10-233e State-wide education accountability plan and possible actions. Study of academic achievement. School governance councils. Responsibilities of schools and boards of education.

10-233j School governance councils (as amended by PA 18-42 and PA 19-91)

10-265g Summer reading programs required for priority school districts. Evaluation of student reading level. Personal reading plans. (as amended by PA 01-173)

10-265l Requirements for additional instruction for poor performing students in priority school districts; exemption. Summer school required; exemption (as amended by PA 99-288, PA 01-173, and PA 03-174)

PA 10-111 An Act Concerning Education Reform in Connecticut.

PA 12-116 An Act Concerning Education Reform in Connecticut

Policy adopted: