BYLAWS
OF
[Insert Name of School here]
SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL
DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT RE.1
 
 

Article I

Name
 

The name of the school advisory council within the Douglas County School District Re.1 (“School District” or “District”) shall be: “[insert name of school here] School Advisory Council,” hereinafter referred to in these Bylaws as the “SAC.”
 
 

Article II

Purpose of the Council
 

The purpose of the SAC is to inform, encourage and provide opportunities for parent and community members to be involved in the planning and evaluation of the school’s instructional program and quality improvement processes. By definition, the SAC is an advisory body. Final decision-making authority rests with the principal or other person or group receiving the recommendation from the SAC (e.g., the Superintendent, District Advisory Committee (“DAC”) or Board of Education).
 
 
Article III
Duties and Responsibilities
 

1.   Adopt high, but achievable, goals and objectives for the improvement of education in the school (i.e. School Improvement Plans) and submit to the DAC for review. Reference: C.R.S. § 22-7-205(a)
 
2.   Adopt, and submit to DAC for review a plan to improve the educational achievement in the school, focusing on methods of maximizing graduation rates from the District’s secondary schools, and increasing the ratings of the school’s accreditation category. Reference: C.R.S. § 22-7-205(b)
 
1.   The SAC shall discuss, at least quarterly:
 
2.   The means for determining whether decisions affecting the educational process are advancing or impeding student achievement. Reference: C.R.S. § 22-7-107(2)(a)
 
2.   Report, at least annually, to the community and the Board of Education on, the educational performance of the school and provide data for the appraisal of such performance. Reference: C.R.S. § 22-7-107(2)(b)
 
2.   Recommendations to the principal on the expenditure of all school grants. Reference: C.R.S. § 22-7-107(2)(c)
 
2.   Safety issues relative to the school environment. Reference: C.R.S. § 22-7-107(2)(d)
 
 3.  Make recommendations to the principal regarding the prioritization of the        expenditures of the school’s moneys (state, federal, local or private grants and any    other discretionary funds). Reference: C.R.S. § 22-7-107 (1)
 
 
4.  Gather and provide information to the principal and DAC on the needs or  concerns of the school’s community. Reference: District guideline.
 
5.  Provide recommendations to the principal on expenditures of any awards  presented by the State Board of Education under the Educational Accreditation  Act of 1998. Reference:  C.R.S. § 22-11-303. See also, 1 C.C.R.301-51, Rule  2207-R-2.02(4)(a). 
 
6.  Discuss and make recommendations to the DAC relative to the prioritization of  expenditures of School District moneys according to the timeline provided by  DAC. Reference: C.R.S. § 22-7-105.
 
7.  Discuss and make recommendations to the DAC, Superintendent, and Board of  Education regarding the prioritization of expenditures of School District moneys  by the school, according to the timeline provided by the Superintendent or his/her  representative. Reference: C.R.S. § 22-7-207.
 
 8.  Perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be required by Board policy    and comply with Superintendent policies and directives.
 
B.  Duties and Responsibilities of the SAC Shall Not Include:
 
 1.  Personnel issues, including hiring or evaluation of individual staff members.
 
 2.  Individual student discipline issues.
 
 3.  Any issue dealing with a specific student, staff member or parent.
 

Article IV
Membership
 
A.   Establishment and Composition:  Colorado law requires that the SAC shall have seven voting members (no more than three members of which are either employed by or related to employees of the District) consisting of:
 

2.    One teacher who provides instruction at the school and who is elected by vote of  
 all licensed professionals who provide instruction at the school or have an office  
 in the school;
 
3.    Three parents or legal guardians of enrolled students and who are elected by a  
 vote of the parents and legal guardians of the students enrolled at the school;
 
4.    One adult designated by a recognized Parent-Teacher-Student organization; and
 

6.    At the option of the SAC, Non-Voting Members may be selected by a simple majority vote of the above voting members. Non-voting members will be active participants in the SAC, but will not be called upon to vote should a vote of the SAC be necessary.
 

1.    No more than three voting members may be employed by or relatives of an employee of the District. “Relative” includes a person’s spouse, son, daughter, sister, or brother. “District employee” includes anyone who is a W-2 employee of Douglas County School District Re.1.
 

C.  Term Limits. Except for the principal (or principal’s designee), no member shall serve more than two consecutive full terms, plus any balance remaining on an unexpired term if the initial appointment was to fill a vacancy.
 
D.  Terms of Members. Members shall serve a two-year term; except for those elected in the first election. In the first election, the first teacher elected and the first two parents or legal guardians elected who received the highest number of votes shall serve a three-year term. (In middle school, the staggering must be accomplished with one-year and two-year terms.)
 
E.  Vacancies. Any vacancy shall be filled by a simple majority vote of the remaining voting members of the SAC. In filling a vacancy, the SAC shall assure that the composition, required in Section A., above, is maintained.
 
F.  Resignation. Any SAC member may resign by giving written notice to the Chairperson or Recorder of the SAC. The resignation of any SAC member shall take effect upon receipt of notice thereof or at such later time as shall be specified in such notice; and, unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation by the SAC shall not be necessary to make it effective.
 
G.  Removal. Any SAC member who is elected or appointed shall be removed upon a conviction, deferred sentence, plea of guilty, or plea of nolo contendere to any offense which constitutes any felony or upon a conviction of a misdemeanor crime involving unlawful sexual behavior or unlawful behavior involving children. Any elected or appointed SAC member may also be removed for failure to attend three consecutive meetings without excuse or for reasons deemed sufficient by a three-fourths majority of the SAC’s voting members, not including the member who is subject to the removal vote.
 
 

Article V

Appointments and Elections
 

A.  Date for Appointing or Designating Members. Appointment or designation of members shall occur by September 1.
 
B.  Date for Election of Members. Election of members shall occur by October 31.
 
C.  Election of Teacher Member(s). The election of the teacher member shall occur at a teacher staff meeting or similar forum on or before October 31. All licensed professionals who provide instruction at the school or who have an office at the school will be invited to attend. Nominations will be taken from the floor during the meeting. Any teacher may nominate himself or herself or another teacher. If there are more teachers nominated than the number of vacancies, a written ballot may be used.
 
D.  Election of Parent or Legal Guardian Members.
 
0.  Notice of Election. The notice of election shall occur by means of the school newsletter or similar format, and will include notice of the deadline for submission of nominations. The notice will allow sufficient time for submitting nominations and conducting the election prior to October 31.
 
0.  Nominations. Any parent or legal guardian of a student enrolled in the school may nominate himself or herself and/or nominate another parent or legal guardian of a student enrolled in the school. Nominations shall be submitted in writing to the principal of the school.
 
3.    Conducting the Election. Only parents or legal guardians of a student enrolled in  the school will be permitted to vote. The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) receiving  the most votes shall be elected; provided, however, that only one parent/guardian  voting member may be a District employee or relative of a District employee. If  there are more people nominated than there are positions available, there are three  primary ways to conduct the election of the parent/guardian members, as follows:
 
        a.  “Back to school night” or similar forum: Written ballots shall be used  
               and shall have a signature line and a printed name line to enable the
school to verify eligibility and avoid duplicates.
 
b.  Mail-in ballot: Included in the school newsletter or similar format. The  mail-in ballots shall have a signature line and a printed name line to enable  the school to verify eligibility and avoid duplicates.
 
3.    Electronic, email, school website: Alternate methods are appropriate, if  the method used can assure only one vote per person.
 
 

Article VI

SAC Officers, DAC Liaison, and School Principal
 

A.  The Officers of the SAC Shall Consist of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Recorder.
 
1.  Chairperson:
 
a.  Is an elected position.
b.  May not be the school principal, principal’s designee, or teacher at the  school.
c.  Serves a one-year term and may be re-elected for one additional one-year  term.
d.  Sets agenda in collaboration with the principal and vice-chairperson and  sends to SAC members at least five days in advance of the meeting.
e.  Presides over the meeting.
f.  Assures the SAC complies with the Bylaws.
 
2.  Vice-Chairperson:
 
a.  Is an elected position.
b.  May not be the school principal, principal’s designee, or chairperson.
c.  Serves a one-year term, may be re-elected for one additional one-year  term, and may be elected such that the vice-chairperson will assume the  chairperson’s role the following year.
d.  Participates in setting the agenda with the chairperson and principal.
e.  Assumes duties of chairperson when the chairperson is absent.
f.  Assumes the duties of the chairperson in the event of a resignation and  until a successor chairperson is elected.
g.  Assures the SAC complies with the Bylaws.
 
3.  Recorder:
 
a.  An elected or rotating position in which members volunteer to fulfill the  responsibilities for a single meeting.
b.  Submits meeting minutes for distribution to all SAC members prior to  next meeting.
c.  Maintains a file containing all council business.
d.  Assures the SAC complies with the Bylaws.
 
B.  District Advisory Committee Liaison.
 
 1. Is an elected or appointed position.
 
 2. Should be a parent or community member.
 
 3. Attends all scheduled Conventions and Forums of the DAC and reports
    back to the SAC.
 
 4. Is a member of the SAC.
 

1.  Principal or Principal’s Designee:
 
1.   Collaborates with the chairperson and vice-chairperson to set the meeting agenda.
2.  Assures the agenda and minutes are posted.
3.  Assures that the SAC complies with the Bylaws.  
 
2.  Assistant Principal:
 
a.  Attends SAC meetings as an ad-hoc member, if needed.
b.  Assumes the role of the Principal in the Principal’s absence.
 
C.  Election and Term of Office. Officers shall be elected by a simple majority of the voting members of the SAC for a term of one year. Individuals may be re-elected for one additional term by a simple majority of the voting members of the SAC.
 
D.  Vacancy. A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled for the unexpired term by a person elected by a simple majority of the voting members of the SAC, notice of such election having been given.
 
E.  Resignation. Any officer may resign by giving written notice to the Chairperson or Recorder of the SAC. The resignation of any officer shall take effect upon receipt of notice thereof or at such later time as shall be specified in such notice; and, unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation by the SAC shall not be necessary to make it effective.
 
F.  Removal. Any officer may be removed from office by vote of a simple majority of the voting members of the SAC at any meeting whenever in the SAC’s judgment the best interests of the SAC will be served thereby.
 
 

Article VII

Meetings
 

1.  A meeting schedule will be established during the first SAC meeting of the school
   year.
 
2.  Because the meetings are public, no confidential information shall be discussed at these meetings (e.g. disciplinary policy may be discussed, but a specific instance of enforcement of the policy may not be discussed).
 
3.  Subcommittees may be established to meet outside of SAC meeting times to research or study a topic.
 
B.  Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by any Officer of the SAC, with a minimum of five days notice given to all SAC members.
 
C.   Notice of Meetings. Unless otherwise specifically provided, regular and special meetings shall be preceded by written notice, posted at the school at least 24 hours in advance. The notice shall include the meeting time, location, a description of any matters for which member action may be requested, and a description of the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.
 
D.  Waiver of Notice. When notice is required to be given to any SAC member under these Bylaws, a waiver in writing signed by the person entitled to that notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be the equivalent of giving such notice. Furthermore, attendance at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice unless the member attends solely to object that the meeting has not properly been called.
 

1.  Proposed agenda items are to be submitted to the chairperson at least ten working days before the meeting. The SAC may modify the agenda during the meeting, elect to address the topic in the future or decide not to address the topic at any meeting.
 
2.  Meeting minutes shall be produced and distributed to members before the next scheduled meeting. Minutes shall be publicly available following each meeting.
 
3.  As provided by law and in Article III of these Bylaws, the SAC shall meet at least quarterly to discuss:
 
   a.  Means for determining whether decisions affecting the educational process      are advancing or impeding student achievement;
   b.  Reporting to students, parents, board of education, educators and the        school  district board of education on the educational performance of the        school and providing data for the appraisal of such performance;
   c.  Recommendations to the principal on the expenditure of all school grants;        and
   d.  Safety issues related to the school environment.
 

1.  Members:
 
a.  Members shall contact the chairperson or principal if unable to attend a meeting.
b.  Members who fail to attend three consecutive meetings are subject to removal in accordance with Article IV, Section G.
 
2.  Scheduled Visitors:
 
a.  Speakers may be scheduled to address the SAC on any topic of considerable school and community interest provided the chairperson approves the topic.
b.  The chairperson shall schedule and determine the duration of each presentation.
 
3.  Unscheduled Visitors:
 
a.  Unscheduled visitors may address the SAC during open forum for up to three minutes.
b.  The SAC reserves the right to limit the number of persons who address the council.
 
G.  Compliance with Colorado’s Open Meetings Law. All meetings shall be open to the public with meeting time and location posted in compliance with Colorado’s open meetings law, C.R.S. §§ 24-6-401 et seq. Additionally, minutes of any meeting shall be open to public inspection in accordance with Colorado’s open meetings law, C.R.S. §§ 24-6-401 et seq.
 
H.  Quorum. At any meeting, a quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the voting members.
 
I.    Voting at Meetings. At all meetings, each voting member shall have one vote. SAC members may vote when absent by giving their vote in writing to the chairperson or vice-chairperson, prior to the meeting.
 
H.    Participation by Electronic Means. Any SAC member may participate in a meeting by means of telephone conference or similar communications equipment by which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Such participation shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
 
 

Article VIII

Decision-Making Process
 

Decision-making (except for election of officers, removal of officers, removal of members, and appointment of additional members) should be done using a consensus model. If consensus cannot be reached, decisions may be put to a vote of the voting members. Decisions by consensus or vote require a quorum of the SAC. To the extent decisions cannot be reached by consensus, the chairperson or the SAC by majority vote may elect to proceed under the procedural rules set forth in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
 

Article IX

Amendments
 

B.  Additional Articles. Additional articles may be added to these Bylaws, subject to the  following procedures and limitations:
 
1.  Proposed amendments must not conflict with Articles I through IX of these
 Bylaws, and must comply with C.R.S §§ 22-7-201 et. seq. and all guidelines
 established by the District.  
 
2.  Subject to the above, an amendment, repeal, or alteration of the Bylaws may be  proposed at any regular meeting or special meeting of the SAC.
 
3.  Members will be provided with notice at least one meeting in advance prior to any meeting in which the SAC will discuss and approve any proposed amendment, repeal, or alteration, unless unusual circumstances exist and the SAC must temporarily approve an amendment, repeal, or alteration to meet emergency conditions. If such unusual circumstances occur, final ratification of any amendment, repeal, or alteration will occur at the next meeting.
 

CERTIFICATE OF BYLAWS