Framework for School Community Council Elections Procedure

2.1 Membership of a school community council shall include:

• a number of parent representatives that is specified through council by-law, if not specified 10 parents of students enrolled in the school (exception adult day school when parent positions shall be held by students) are recommended;
• one community representative (more if stated in council by-laws);
• one student (mandatory in secondary schools; recommended, but at the discretion of the principal, in consultation with the school community council, in elementary schools);
• the school principal;
• one teacher assigned to the school;
• one non-teaching employee assigned to the school.

2.2 Parents shall form the majority on the council. A person is not qualified to be a parent member of a school community council if they are employed at the school. A parent who is not employed at the school but is employed by The Durham District School Board may qualify as a parent member if they take reasonable steps to inform people qualified to vote of their employment with the DDSB prior to election.

2.3 Each member of a school community council is entitled to one vote in votes taken by the council. Each 
member of a committee of a school community council is entitled to one vote in votes taken by a committee 
of the school community council. The principal is not entitled to vote in votes taken by the school community council or by a committee of the school community council.

2.4 It is expected that the membership of the council will reflect the diversity of the school community. (Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy and PPM #119, 2009).

2.5 A trustee on the Durham District School Board cannot be a member of a school community council established by the Durham District School Board.

2.6 Membership on the school community council shall be determined as outlined below:

Parents shall be elected by parents of students enrolled in the school.

• One student representative shall be appointed by the student council (secondary schools).
• One student representative may be appointed by the principal (elementary schools).
• One teacher representative shall be elected by members of the teaching staff, not including the principal and vice-principal.
• One non-teaching employee shall be elected by non-teaching employees assigned to the school.
• The school principal shall be a designated member. The school principal may delegate any of their powers or duties as a member of the school community council to a vice-principal of the school.
• Community representative(s) shall be appointed by the council. A person who is employed by the Durham District School Board may be appointed as a community representative if they are not employed at the school and the members of the school community council are informed of the person's employment before the appointment.
• The chair/co-chairs of the council shall be a member who is a parent of a student enrolled at the school, and shall be elected by the council. A person who is employed by the Durham District School Board cannot be the chair/co-chair of a school community council.

3.1 The term of office for elected and appointed positions on the council shall be for one year. Elected and appointed members may seek additional terms, unless the council by-laws provide otherwise.

4.1 There will be no remuneration/honorarium paid to members or officers of the school community council.

5.1 A person is qualified to vote in an election of parent members of a school community council if they are a parent of a pupil who is enrolled in the school.

5.2 An election of parent members of a school community council shall be held during the first 30 days of each school year, on a date that is fixed by the chair or co-chairs of the school community council after consulting with the principal. For a new school, the first election of parent members to the school community council shall be held during the first 30 days of the school year, on a date fixed by the principal.

5.3 The principal, on behalf of the school community council, shall give written notice of the date, time and 
location of the election to every parent at least 14 days before the date of the election.

5.4 The election of parent members shall be by secret ballot.

5.5 Individual campaign literature for school community council elections shall not be distributed or posted in the 
school. An exception to this ruling will be made for any candidate forum organized by the school
5.6 A candidate forum may be held at the school, in an evening, prior to the day of the elections. The forum will provide parents an opportunity to learn more about the candidates. The forum will be moderated by the 
Principal.

5.7 School resources, both human and material, may not be used to support particular candidates or groups.

5.8 Each school shall conduct school community council elections in accordance with their by-laws.

6.1 A school community council shall have a Chair, or if the by-laws of the council to provide, two Co-Chairs.

6.2 A Chair or Co-Chair must be a parent member of the council and shall be elected by the members of the 
council.

6.3 A person who is employed by the Durham District School Board cannot be the Chair or Co-chair of the school community council.

6.4 A school community council may have such other officers as provided for in the by-laws of the council.

6.5 Officers shall be elected at the first meeting of the school community council after the elections.

7.1 A vacancy in the membership of a school community council shall be filled by election or appointment in 
accordance with the by-laws of the council.

7.2 A vacancy in any of the elected officer positions on the school community council shall be filled in accordance with the by-laws of the council.

8.1 A school community council shall meet at least four times during the school year.

8.2 A school community council shall meet within the first 35 days of the school year, after the elections on a date fixed by the school principal.

8.3 A meeting of a school community council cannot be held unless a majority of the current members of the 
council are present at the meeting and a majority of the members of the council who are present at the 
meeting are parent members (majority is more than 50%).

8.4 All meetings of a school community council shall be open to the public.

8.5 The principal of a school shall give written notice of school community council meetings to every parent.

9.1 A school community council may, in accordance with its by-laws, establish committees to make 
recommendations to the council.

9.2 Every committee of a school community council must include at least one parent member of the council.

9.3 A committee of a school community council may include persons who are not members of the council.

9.4 All committee meetings shall be open to the public.

9.5 The principal shall give written notice of school community council committee meetings to every parent.

10.1 A school community council may make by-laws governing the conduct of its affairs.

10.2 Every school community council shall make the following by-laws:

1. A by-law that governs election procedures and the filling of vacancies in the membership of the school community council.
2. A by-law that establishes rules respecting participation in school community council proceedings in 
   cases of conflict of interest.
3. A by-law that, in accordance with any applicable policies established by the Board, establishes a conflict 
   resolution process for internal school community council disputes.

11.1 Reimbursement is dependent upon the allocation of funds for this purpose by the Ministry of Education 
through the provincial funding formula.

12.1 A school community council shall keep minutes of all its meetings and records of all its financial transactions.

12.2 The minutes and financial records shall be available at the school for examination without charge by any 
person.

12.3 12.1 and 12.2 do not apply to minutes that are more than four years old and financial records that are more than seven years old.

13.1 A school community council shall not be incorporated.

14.1 A school community council shall consult with parents about matters under consideration by the council.

15.1 Every school community council shall submit annually a written report on its activities to the principal of the school and to the Board.

15.2 The annual report shall include a report on any fundraising activities of the school community council and the "Annual School Community Council Treasurer's Report" (see Procedure #5131 section 9.0).

15.3 The principal shall share a copy of the report with the school community.

16.1 School community councils shall attempt to resolve internal council disputes among the council members. If the council is not able to resolve a dispute at the school level, the school community council Chair or the Principal may appeal to the appropriate Superintendent of Education/Area. If the Superintendent of 
Education/Area is not able to resolve the dispute the Director may appoint an external mediator to assist in 
resolving the dispute.

16.2 Conflict resolution training for school community council members shall be provided by the Board.

17.1 The Chair/Co-Chairs of the school community council shall:

• call school community council meetings,
• prepare the agenda for school community council in collaboration with school Principal and share agenda with school community prior to meetings;
• chair school community council meetings;
• ensure that minutes of school community council meetings are recorded and maintained;
• participate in information and training programs;
• communicate with the school principal and Board staff on behalf of school council;
• ensure that there is regular communication with the school community

18.1 The members of the school community council shall:

1. provide informed advice to the Board on matters related to student achievement and Board accountability to parents;
2. provide informed advice to the school principal on matters related to student achievement and school accountability to parents;
3. maintain a school-wide perspective on issues;
4. participate in council meetings;
5. participate in information and training programs;
6. act as a link between the school community council and the community;
7. plan and support activities that increase active participation for parents within the school community.
8. encourage the participation of parents from all groups and of other people within the school community.
9. sit on other committees that may be established by the council
10. initiate an agenda item through Chair/Co-Chair
11. seek information in an open and non-threatening manner
12. give information that contributes to the knowledge and decision-making process
13. offer opinions as opinions, not as facts
14. elaborate on another’s contribution
15. observe Council’s Code of Ethics and established by-laws

19.1 In addition to its other obligations to solicit views of school community councils under the Act, the Board shall solicit the views of school community councils with respect to the following matters:

1. The establishment or amendment of policies and guidelines that relate to pupil achievement or the accountability of the education system to parents, including:
   • policies and guidelines established with respect to the conduct of persons in schools;
   • policies and guidelines respecting appropriate dress for pupils in schools;
   • policies and guidelines respecting the allocation of funding by the Board to school community councils;
   • policies and guidelines respecting fundraising activities of school community councils;
   • policies and guidelines respecting conflict resolution processes for internal school community council disputes; and
   • policies and guidelines respecting reimbursement by the board of expenses incurred by members and officers of school community councils.
2. The development of implementation plans for new education initiatives that relate to pupil achievement or to the accountability of the education system to parents, including:
   • implementation plans for policies and guidelines with respect to the conduct of persons in schools;
   • implementation plans for policies and guidelines respecting appropriate dress for pupils in schools.
3. Board action plans for improvement, based on the Education Quality and Accountability Office's reports on the results of tests of pupils, and the communication of those plans to the public.
4. Criteria to inform the placement of principals and vice-principals.
5. The Board shall consider each recommendation made to the Board by the Council and shall advise the Council of the action taken in response to the recommendation.

19.2 Section 19.1 does not limit the matters on which the Board may solicit the views of school community 
councils.

20.1 In addition to their obligations to solicit views of school community councils under the Act and the regulations, the principal shall solicit the views of the school community council with respect to the following matters:

1. The establishment or amendment of school policies and guidelines that relate to pupil achievement or to the accountability of the education system to parents, including: 
   • a local code of conduct governing the behaviour of all persons in the school, and
   • school policies or guidelines respecting appropriate dress for pupils in the school.
2. The development of implementation plans for new education initiatives that relate to pupil achievement or the accountability of the education system to parents, including:
   
   • implementation plans for a local code of conduct;
   • implementation plans for school policies or guidelines respecting appropriate dress for pupils in the school.
3. School action plans for improvement, based on the Education Quality and Accountability Office's
   reports on the results of tests for pupils, and the communication of those plans to the public.
4. The Principal shall provide for the prompt distribution to each member of the school community council any materials received by the principal from the Ministry of Education that are identified as being for distribution to the members of school community councils.
5. The Principal shall post any materials distributed to members of the school community council under 4.2 in the school in a location that is accessible to parents.
6. The Principal shall make the names of the members of the school community council known to parents not later than 30 days following the election of the parent members of the school community council.
7. The Principal shall attend every meeting of the school community council, unless they are unable to do so by reason of illness or other cause beyond his/her control.
8. The Principal shall act as a resource person to the school community council and shall assist the council in obtaining information relevant to the functions of the council, including information relating to relevant legislation regulations and policies.
9. The Principal shall consider each recommendation made to the principal by the school community council and shall advise the council on the action taken in response to the recommendation.
10. The Principal may delegate any of their powers or duties as a member of the school community council, to a vice principal in the school.

21.1 Recommendations of school community councils that are specifically related to the school should be referred to the school principal.

21.2 Recommendations which are broader in scope than the local school may be referred either to the school 
principal for direction or to the appropriate Board official or Board committee.

22.1 SCC members will ensure that information communicated publicly through social media applications shall notreveal personal information about staff, students, parents or other members of the school community. Information that is inappropriate for posting may include, but is not limited to photographs and/or videos of students or staff for which no consent has been provided, school financial information, school plans, or other school administrative information.

22.2 Any inappropriate or demeaning references to staff, students, parents or other members of the school 
community communicated through social networking applications represent a contravention of Board policy.

22.3 Inappropriate use of electronic communication and social networking is contrary to Board policy, and may result in criminal charges or civil actions. Examples of inappropriate use include, but are not limited to:

1. Making inappropriate online comments that are defamatory in nature:
2. Disclosing confidential information about the Board, school, staff or students;
3. Posting the work of others without proper attribution, in breach of copyright law;
4. Breaching a court-ordered publication ban;
5. Inciting hatred against an identifiable group;
6. Contravening the Youth Criminal Justice Act by disclosing information about a minor;
7. Using technology to criminally or otherwise harass a student, staff or others;
8. Using a computer to lure a child or for juvenile prostitution;
9. Exchanging or forwarding compromising photos, video or audio recordings of children which are 
   sexually explicit in nature

22.4 Only DDSB staff have editing rights to the school websites. A staff liaison may be appointed to post school community council information as requested by the Chair in conjunction with the school Principal.

22.5 School community council members wishing to use social media (Facebook, YouTube, Remind or like 
applications) as a method of communication with the broader community on behalf of the school community 
council must ensure that they have received permission from their school Principal. Logins and passwords for access to these sites must be provided to the school Principal. Application privacy settings must be set such that the public may view the content without the need to be “accepted”, “ friended” or “ followed” by the application administrator.

22.6 School community councils must adhere to Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation. Anyone who sends an electronic message that encourages participating in a commercial activity must do the following:

1. Obtain the consent of the recipient;
2. Provide identification information about the sender;
3. Provide an unsubscribe option so recipients can remove themselves from the list. (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation: www.fightspam.gc.ca)