SCC ByLaws

Altara Elementary School Community Council (SCC)

All Utah School Community Councils function under the following laws and statutes:

Utah Code Ann.

Utah Administrative Code

Canyons School District Policy 700.01

1. Elections for SCC representatives will be held no earlier than May 1st and no later than the September SCC meeting.
   1. Notification of available SCC parent member seats, election dates and procedure for declaring candidacy for the SCC will be posted on the Altara Elementary website.
   2. If there are more candidates than available seats, two alternates will be selected from the remaining candidates in the order of the number of votes received. They will be appointed as voting members of the council if a seat is vacated prior to the next election and the council votes to fill the vacated seat.
2. Membership: The number of School Community Council members will be limited to nine. Parent members should be represented from neighborhood and dual-immersion classrooms. This number adheres to laws.
   1. 53A-1a-108 (4)(a)(ii) each school community council for a school other than a high school shall have four parent or guardian members and three school employee members, including the principal.
   2. 53A-1a-108 (4)(c)(i) A school community council may have a larger membership provided that the number of parent or guardian members exceeds the number of school employee members.
   3. 53A- 1a- 108 (4)(c)(ii) A school community council may have a smaller membership that: (A) the number of parent or guardian members exceeds the number of school employee members; and (B) there are at least two school employee members on the school community council.
3. Members, parent and employee, have an expectation of attendance.
   1. If for some reason a member cannot attend a scheduled meeting, notification should be given to the Chair or Principal prior to the meeting.
   2. If an SCC member misses three consecutive meetings during a given school year they will be invited to discuss why with the Principal and Chair. If need arises they will be asked to provide a letter of formal resignation. The respective group (parent or employee) can appoint a replacement. If alternate members were selected, their appointment to the vacated seat will be ratified by the SCC. If the number of the respective group still remains at or above the minimum number then a replacement isn’t necessary, but a majority vote will be taken to determine if a replacement is needed.
   3. If no alternates are available to serve, and by vote it is determined that the seat needs to be filled, the SCC may seek out parents or school employees to be appointed. An absent parent will be filled by another parent and an absent employee will be filled by another employee.
4. A quorum is defined as a majority of members with the stipulation that the majority must follow the legal composition of the council and have, at minimum, two more parent members than employee members present to vote.
5. The Altara Elementary School Community Council will meet monthly with the exception of December, June and July. The majority of the council must approve of canceling and/or calling additional meetings.
6. School Community Councils are subject to Open Meetings Requirements, S 3G-7-1203; electronic meetings will comply with the law and be publicly noticed as is any public meeting by this body.
7. Subcommittees may be established or dissolved by a majority vote of the council. Parent members may serve on one or more sub-committees.
   1. Each subcommittee will be chaired or co-chaired by at least one elected school community council member, which will report regularly to the SCC on the committee’s progress
   2. Additional community members, both employee and parent, that are not elected SCC members may serve on any subcommittee with the approval of the SCC
8. All meetings will be conducted using Robert’s Rules of Order and follow the conduct guidelines listed below.
   1. Meetings will begin on time, use time wisely and finish on time, and stay focused on the agenda
   2. Members and guests will come prepared to participate and avoid side conversations during the meeting. Respect for others in verbal and non-verbal communication will be shown at all times
   3. Avoid disruptions by silencing cell phones and taking necessary calls or conversations out of the room during meetings
9. The Chair will be elected at the final meeting in May or June each school year by the current SCC personal. Other Officers will be elected by the SCC at the September meeting. Leadership positions include:
   1. Principal: Creates agendas with the SCC Chair and is responsible to take on the Secretary roles if that person is not in attendance.
   2. Chair: Conducts the meetings. Other duties as outlined in Canyons District policy.
   3. Vice-Chair: Works with the Chair and conducts the meeting in the case of the Chair’s absence. Will be elected from either the parent or school employee group.
   4. Secretary: Takes notes at the meeting and creates the minutes for approval by the SCC. Is also responsible for recording the meeting according to the Open Meeting regulations
   5. PTA Liaison: Only if elected, the PTA liaison may be a parent member of the committee, current year PTA President with voting rights, or an ex-officio non-voting member.
10. Guests may share appropriate input on subjects that fall under the SCC purview. A guest must contact the Principal or Chair in advance of the meeting and ask to be added to the agenda. The guest may share their information to the council with the time allotted by the Principal or Chair. The council, as a body, may then choose to further discuss the topic(s) or add the topic(s) to an agenda for future discussion. The SCC may invite any person/group to make a longer presentation on issues pertinent to the role of the SCC. The items that are appropriate for discussion by School Community Councils include, but not limited to:
    1. School Improvement Plan (TSSP).
    2. School LAND Trust Plan.
    3. Academic needs of the school, with the direction to determine the greatest academic need of
       the school for LAND Trust Plan expenditures.
    4. Advise and make recommendations regarding school programs and issues relating to the
       community environment for students.
    5. Parent/School communication and involvement.
    6. School Safety Plan.
    7. Digital Citizenship Plan.
    8. Input on Positive Behavior Plan.
11. Items not to be discussed by the School Community Council include:
    1. Any personnel issues
    2. Individual student information
12. These Bylaws will be posted on the SCC page of the school website. Each SCC member will read and agree to
    abide by the Bylaws as signified on their declaration of candidacy and at the beginning of each school year