(Below are some selected sections of the California Education Code, relevant to School Site Councils.)
Section 52012
A school site
council shall be established at each school that participates in the
school improvement program authorized by this chapter. The council
shall be composed of the principal and representatives: teachers
selected by teachers at the school; other school personnel selected by
other school personnel at the school; parents of pupils attending the
school selected by such parents; and, in secondary schools, pupils
selected by pupils attending the school. At the elementary level the
council shall be constituted to ensure parity between (a) the principal,
classroom teachers and other school personnel; and (b) parents or other
community members selected by parents. In schools with fewer than
three teachers, this requirement may be met by establishing a council
that is composed of equal numbers of school staff and parents or other
community members selected by parents. At the secondary level the
council shall be constituted to ensure parity between (a) the principal,
classroom teachers and other school personnel and (b) equal numbers of
parents or other community members selected by parents, and pupils.
Section 52001
(a) “Other school
personnel” means persons who work directly and on a regular basis with
pupils, including administrative employees, as defined in subdivision
(e) of Section 33150, pupil services employees, as defined in
subdivision (c) of Section 33150, and classified employees.
(b) “Community
member” means a person who is neither in the employment of the school
district, nor the parent or guardian of a pupil attending the
participating school.
Section 52852
A school site council
shall be established at each school which participates in school-based
program coordination. The council shall be composed of the principal and
representatives of: teachers selected by teachers at the school; other
school personnel selected by other school personnel at the school;
parents of pupils attending the school selected by such parents; and, in
secondary schools, pupils selected by pupils attending the school.
- At the elementary level, the minimum council size is 10 members.
- At the secondary level, the minimum council size is 12.
- Student Participation is optional at the middle school level.
Section 64001
[...]
School districts shall assure [...] that the Single Plan for [Student]
Achievement has been prepared in accordance with the law, that
school site councils have developed and approved a plan [...] and that [the]
plans were developed with the review, certification, and advise of any
applicable school advisory committees.
Section 64001(g)
The plan required
by this section shall be reviewed annually and updated, including
proposed expenditure of funds allocated to the school through the
consolidated application, by the school site council, or, if the school
does not have a school site council, by school-wide advisory groups or
school support groups that conform to the requirements of Section
52012. The plans shall be reviewed and approved by the governing board
of the local education agency at a regularly scheduled meeting whenever
there are material changes that affect the academic programs for
students covered by programs.
CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
Section 4000. Classroom Teacher.
“Classroom
teacher” means all teachers as defined in former Education Code Section
33150(b) except those included in the definition of “other school
personnel” as defined in former Education Code Section 52001(a), (b) See
above.
Section 4001. Parity.
“Parity” of
membership between various groups of persons identified in former
Education Code section 52012 and Education Code section 52852 means
equal numbers of persons.
Section 4002. Parent Eligible for Membership on the School-Site Council.
“Parent eligible
for membership on the school site council” means a person who is the
mother, father, or legal guardian, or one acting in loco parentis of a
pupil attending the particular school but who is not employed at the
school attended by such pupil.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL ELECTIONS
Q: Who are the “other school staff” that may be represented on the school site council?
R: To
fully represent the school community, representatives of certificated
personnel such as school nurses, counselors and psychologists and
resource teachers may be elected to the council. In addition,
representatives of classified staff such as instructional aides, clerks
and others may also be elected.
Q: Is a union representative automatically entitled to membership on the council?
R: No. This would be inconsistent with the terms of EC 52012, which precludes imposition of additional qualifications.