School Community Councils hold elections once a year to fill open seats. Parents elect parent members and employees elect employee members. Elections may be held near the beginning of the school year or in the spring if they are completed before the last week of school. Councils, in conjunction with the local school board, may decide on the timing of the annual election. Elections should be held at a consistent time for at least four years. Electronic elections are not allowed.
*Due to COVID-19 Spring elections were not held in 2020. Affected schools can resume their normal election schedule when appropriate.
The council seats should be roughly divided, so that ½ of the council roles off and have open seats up for election every year. Open positions, after the elections are held, may be appointed by the respective group. (Parent appoint parents, employees appoint employees).
- Elections Checklist
- Are there at least two more parent/guardian members* (through the remainder of this document referred to as parent members) than school employee members**, including the principal, on the school community council
- Are there fewer parents, who are licensed district employees (not employed at the school), than parents who are not licensed district employees?
- Are there at least two employee members on the SCC, including the principal?
- Did the principal (or designee) provide notice of an election that included the dates and times of the election with the positions up for election and instructions for becoming a candidate? Was the notice provided at least ten days in advance of the election?
- Was the race uncontested, not requiring ballots and voting?
(If the answer is yes, skip questions 6-8.) - Did only parents of students at the school vote for the parent positions at the election?
- Did only employees at the school vote for the employee positions (except the principal) at the election?
- If the race was contested, was each parent member elected by secret ballot by a majority vote of the parents voting in the election and each school employee elected by secret ballot by a majority vote of the school employees voting in the election?
- If there were vacant positions on the council after the elections, did parents on the committee appoint parent members, and the employee members appoint employee members?
- Did the SCC elect a chair from the parent group, and a vice-chair from the parent group or employee group?
- Were elections and subsequent appointments, where necessary, completed according to a timeline in which councils could begin meeting and receive training in September?
* Parent member means an SCC member who is a parent or guardian of a student who will be enrolled at the school in the fall. A parent member may serve the second year of their 2-year term after their student has left the school. A parent member may not be a licensed employee at the school.
** Employee member means a member of an SCC who is a person employed at the school, including the principal. A non-licensed employee, who has a student at the school, may also serve as a parent member. Licensed employees have to serve as employee members.
