Little Rouge Public School’s School Council Constitution

Article 1: Name and Address

The organization will be known as Little Rouge Public School Council. The members of the school council shall be responsible for maintaining the constitution.

Little Rouge Public School
571 Country Glen Road
Markham, Ontario
L6B 1E8

Tel: 905-202-5960
Fax: 905-202-5964

Article 2: Mission Statement

“Little Rouge Public School Council is a partnership of parents, staff, community, and students. We believe that a collaborative partnership is essential to improving student learning to achieve the highest possible standards of education in an inviting and wholesome environment.”

Article 3: Purpose and Objectives

1. Encourage effective parental involvement in the education of their children.
2. Provide a means for regular communication and dialogue between all partners in education.
3. Participate in the school improvement planning process.
4. Provide meaningful consultation and extensive involvement of all members of the school community.
5. Foster parental and community involvement in education.
6. Encourage meaningful involvement of all members of the school community in support of student learning.
7. Provide input into decisions made by the school administration, the Board, and the Ministry.
8. Encourage effective parental involvement by focusing on the following areas: parenting skills, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community.
9. Help to coordinate the services for school, family, and community partnerships related to social, health, recreational, and nutrition programs that assist in the education of children.
10. Facilitate the building of a viable school community, which works together in the best interests of our students and their education.

Article 4: Procedures and Operating Guidelines

The operational procedures of this council are outlined in YRDSB Procedure #262, see Appendix 1. All recommendations and activities of the council shall comply with all Ministry of Education Acts, York Region District School Board Policies and Procedures, and Staff Collective Agreements.

Article 5: Membership

There shall be no more than one member on the school council from any one household.

5.1: Number of Parent Members

The number of parents on the school council will not exceed 12.

5.2: Number of Community Representatives

The number of community representatives will not exceed four.

5.3: Student Representative

5.4: Other Members

Other members such as teacher representatives and support staff representatives shall be elected/appointed in accordance with YRDSB Policy #262.

Article 6: Elections

6.1: Acclamations

Parent elections shall be by acclamation when the number of candidates is equal to, or less than the number of parent member positions on the council.

6.2: Election Procedures for Parent Members

1. Each parent/guardian seeking election must be nominated or self-nominated in writing, must have a child registered at the school, and must declare if he or she is employed by the Board.
2. Each parent/guardian of a student enrolled in the school shall be entitled to one vote for each vacant parent/guardian membership position on the council.
3. The school council shall strike an election committee in May, to help plan the election process, the gathering of nominations, and the running of the election. No one standing for election, or the spouse of anyone standing for election, shall be a member of the election committee.
4. The election committee shall:
   1. provide nomination forms
   2. ensure that the school community is notified of election procedures and election date(s), location, and time, at least fourteen days in advance of the election
   3. request a profile from all candidates and make these available to the electorate
   4. conduct the elections by secret ballot
   5. count the ballots
   6. help the principal notify all candidates of the results
   7. keep all the results and related information confidential
   8. only release the names of successful candidates. A list of candidates and the vote results will be kept on file for use in the event of a vacancy on the council
   9. notify all individuals standing for election of the results before the results are released to the school community
5. The elections for the new school year will be held in September. The council of the previous year will remain established until the time that the new council is formed.

6.3: Terms of Office

Elected and appointed members may seek additional terms of office.

6.4: Vacancies in Membership

A vacancy in the membership of a school council does not prevent the council from exercising its authority.

1. If parent member positions remain vacant on council after the election, the council may accept parent members without further elections.
2. Positions that become vacant due to resignation or removal shall be filled as soon as possible by:
   1. Offering the person with the next largest number of votes who was not elected the opportunity to accept the position.
   2. Where there are not enough candidates to fill the vacancies, notice will be sent to all parents informing them of the vacancies and applications by interested volunteers sought.
   3. If there are more applications than positions, an election will be called.
   4. Vacancies will only be filled until September of the current year, at which time the vacant positions will be filled through October elections.

6.5: Resignations

Anyone who is a council member, except the principal, may resign their position by writing a letter of resignation to the chair.

1. If someone resigns, the position vacated will be filled according to Article 6.4: Vacancies.

6.6: Removal

The council may choose to remove from council any member who misses 3 consecutive meetings and shall undertake to replace that person according to Article 6.4: Vacancies.

Article 7: Executive

7.1: Chair/Co-Chair

At the first meeting after the elections, the council will elect a chair or two co-chairs.
An employee of the board cannot be a chair.

7.2: Other Officers

At the first meeting after elections, the council will elect or appoint the following officers:

1. Secretary
2. Treasurer

7.3: Vacancies in Office

Officer vacancies will be filled as soon as possible according to Article 7.1 and 7.2.

Article 8: Sub-Committees

8.1: Establishment

Sub-committees may be formed to:

1. conduct more detailed or in-depth work than is possible during council meetings,
2. make recommendations to the council,
3. keep the council informed of issues and developments in its particular area.

Additional sub-committees will be formed by the council as the need arises.

8.2: Sub-Committee Membership

1. Each sub-committee must contain at least one parent member of the council.
2. Persons who are not members of the council may be members of sub-committees.

8.3: Chairs of Sub-Committees

Each sub-committee will appoint its own chair.

Article 9: Meetings

9.1: Timetable of Meetings

1. At the first meeting after elections, a timetable will be created which states the meeting dates agreed to for that school year.
2. A copy of these dates and times will be included in communication(s) to the families of the school.
3. It is recognized that the timetable may change at any time.
4. A copy of the list of dates and times of meetings will be sent to the local trustee.

9.2: Quorum

A meeting will have quorum if:

1. The majority of council members are present
   AND
2. The majority of those present are parents.

A meeting of council can be held if there is no quorum but all voting will be deferred.

9.3: Decision-making

The preferred method to resolve issues on council is by consensus. Consensus is a collective opinion or general agreement by ALL the council members.
In the case where a decision cannot be reached through consensus, the chair may decide on one of the following:

1. To have a vote by way of a show of hands or a silent vote by those present in which a 51% majority shall carry the vote
2. To defer the issue to the next meeting
3. To defer the issue to a special meeting
4. To defer the issue to a sub-committee

9.4: Conflict of Interest

1. If individual council members perceive themselves to be in conflict of interest, they are honour bound to declare their conflict at the earliest possible opportunity and at the time of the meeting, so the minutes may reflect this declaration.
2. Council members cannot receive any remuneration for their work as a member of council.

9.5: Conflict Resolution

1. The council will undertake to resolve all internal conflicts within its mandate in a timely manner.
2. The council will abide by any conflict resolution policy issued by the Board.

Article 10: Financial Records

10.1: Signing Authorities

Signing authority on the school council bank accounts must include the principal and a council member (treasurer or chair/co-chair). Two signatures will be required, of which one is the principal.

10.2: Disbursement and Allocation of Money

All money must be collected by the end of the year. Funds should be dispersed or allocated to a specific purpose by the end of the year.

10.3: Annual Audit

Each year, there will be an independent audit of the school council books performed by an accountant.

Article 11: Agendas and Minutes

11.1: Agendas

1. Agenda items should be submitted to the chair one week prior to the council’s next meeting.
2. Any new business items should be communicated to the chair no later than 24 hours before the council’s next meeting.
3. The chair will set the agenda with the principal, prior to the meeting.

11.2: Minutes

1. Minutes shall be posted in the school prior to the next meeting of the council.
2. The minutes shall include motions, decisions, and actions to be taken.
3. Members of the council must inform the chair if they are going to be absent from a council meeting.

Article 12: Constitutional Amendments

1. The school council will review the constitution every two years or as the need arises. A sub-committee can perform the review and bring proposed amendments to the school council for voting.
2. Amendments to the constitution must be presented to the council at a regularly scheduled meeting.
3. Constitutional amendments need a 2/3 majority to be passed.

Article 13: Code of Ethics

School Council members:

1. Shall be guided by the Mission Statement of the Little Rouge Public School Council and the York Region Education guidelines for School Councils.
2. Shall encourage a positive atmosphere where individual contributions are encouraged and valued.
3. Shall recognize and respect the personal integrity of each member and build on their strengths.
4. Shall respect the nature of confidentiality in schools and its limitations.
5. Shall limit discussions at School Council meetings to matters of concern to the school community as a whole.
6. Shall use the appropriate communication channels when questions or concerns arise.
7. Shall endeavor to promote high standards of ethical practice within the school community.
8. Shall educate the school community on the role and functions of the School Council.