Advisory Council

1.3 ADVISORY COUNCILS (Rev. 5/14/98)
The board of education and administrative staff are cognizant of the mandate for
effective lines of communications to be maintained and improved with the many
school communities served by the Davidson County School System.
These lines could and should be best effectuated by providing for a permanent
organization, with prescribed duties and responsibilities, for each school in the system.
1.3.1 RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. Each school shall have a school advisory council.
2. School advisory councils shall consist of five members. During
transitional periods, such as in the merging of schools and/or
reorganizations, the size may be enlarged at the discretion of the board.
The size of advisory committees so involved will be returned to its regular
number after one school year.
3. Each school advisory council member shall be a person of intelligence, of
good moral character, of good business qualifications, and one who is
known to be in favor of public education, who supports the concepts of
the North Carolina Community Schools Act (Article 23, Chapter 115c of
the North Carolina General Statutes) and who resides in the school area.
No person, while employed in the Davidson County School System, or
while serving as a member of any county or city board of education, or
who is prohibited by Article XIV, Section 7, of the Constitution of North
Carolina shall be eligible to serve as a member of an advisory council.
Only one member of a household (wife, husband, parents, sisters,
brothers, or children) shall be eligible to serve as a member of an advisory
council at the same time.
4. Appointments shall be made at the first regular school board meeting
during the month of April or as soon thereafter as practical. Term of office
shall be for one, two, or three years and shall begin on July 1 or as soon
thereafter as appointed. Terms of office shall end on June 30. In the
event of death, resignation, or the removal of any member of said council,
the board of education will select and appoint a successor to serve the
remainder of the term beginning immediately. A member of the advisory
council will not be eligible for reappointment after nine consecutive years,
but may be appointed after being off one year.
5. The school advisory council, at its first meeting after the membership has
been completed by the board of education, shall elect a chairman and a
secretary who shall keep a record of its proceedings in a book to be kept
for that purpose. This shall be open to public inspection.
The names and addresses of the chairman and secretary shall be reported
to the county superintendent and recorded. The council shall meet to
conduct school business a minimum of five times per year.
6. It shall be the responsibility and duty of the council to work with the
principal, the faculty, and parents of the school by providing advice,
support, and guidance in matters relating to the general welfare of the
school and the boys and girls he/she serves.
7. The council shall be responsible in acting as liaison between the board of
education and the citizenry for interpreting, reviewing and studying
relevant school matters, both for individual schools and the total system
program.
8. Council members will be expected to participate, as deemed prudent by
the board, with special groups in studying and making recommendations
to the board.
9. The minutes book of each school shall be open for inspection to any
citizen expressing an interest or desire to peruse.
10. A copy of all minutes shall be forwarded within seven days to the
superintendent for his/her inspection.

1.3.2 ACTIVITIES - GUIDELINES
1. School councils should meet periodically with:
a. Members of the professional staff serving in the school they represent.
b. Other committees serving schools if communication is relevant.
c. School's PTA/PTO executive board.
d. System-wide in-service type experiences.
e. Individuals and/or special interest groups within the school
community.
2. The meetings of the councils are for the primary purpose of:
a. Becoming knowledgeable of relative strengths and weaknesses of
programs, policies, procedures, and facilities.
b. Determining ways that the quality and quantity of educational
opportunities for students can become more meaningful through the
efforts of school patrons.
c. Objectively studying suggestions, priority assertions by patrons on
matters of intra-school and total school system policies, practices, and
needs.
d. Studying of fiscal structures and problems of both the individual
school and of the total system.
e. Determining ways the school facilities of Davidson County can be used
to extend the valuable community resource they represent to the
total school community as encouraged by Office of School/Community
Relations.
3. So that, through their comprehensive indoctrination of proper and
wholesome perspective, the Council might effectively provide advice,
support and guidance to the legally responsible officials--principal,
superintendent, and the board of education--on those matters incumbent
for a vibrant and dynamic service to all the children entrusted to their
charge.
4. School advisory councils should:
a. Serve as advisor, counselor, sounding board, "buffer," enthusiastic
supporter, constructive critic, etc.
b. Be sensitive to controversies which could conceivably deter a higher
and more noble service to youth.
c. Become apprised of school programs and activities by visiting schools
and sharing in their offerings.
f. React to issues as a body instead of as an individual. Assign
responsibility for preparation of agendas for meetings to assure
meaningful direction.
g. Establish regular time and place for meetings.
h. Preserve information and materials as a ready reference file.
5. A school advisory council should not:
a. Involve itself in personnel matters or individual student problems.
b. Get involved as a body in fund-raising or fund-directing activities.
c. Become a negatively oriented pressure group.
d. Assume authority for direct action or decision-making within the
schools.
e. Become involved as a body in political issues or campaigns.
Revised: May 14, 1998; November 7, 2005