By-Laws
By-Laws
Walpole Site-Based Committee
VISION
The Walpole Site-Based Committee will encourage
the staff, parents and community members to work collaboratively to design and
implement challenging and relevant educational programs that allow all students
and staff to learn and succeed in a mutually supportive environment.
GOALS
§To emphasize self-respect, mutual-respect and responsible citizenship.
§ To promote high expectations to develop confidence, interest, excitement, and
willingness to participate in the learning process.
§ To foster the creation of a learning environment that encourages
creativity, critical thinking and problem solving.
§ To continually strive for high academic standards.
§ To enhance intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of all
students.
§ To instill the concept that education is a process of life long learning.
§ To encourage and support professional excellence for all staff.
§ To communicate with the school board on a consistent basis.
§ To foster parental and community support in achieving the mission of the
Walpole School.
§ To produce globally competitive students.
PURPOSE
§ Provide a forum for ideas and opinions from everyone within our community
and school.
§ Incorporate community input into our decision making process.
§ Review, discuss, adopt and annually evaluate a school improvement plan,
which strives to accomplish the long-term goals and enhances the academic and
social growth of our students.
§ Enlist the support of all staff, parents, community, school district and
student representatives in the implementation of the improvement plan.
§ Present annual report to the superintendent on the progress of the school improvement
plan and summary of activities and decisions of the Site-Based Committee.
§ Plan and evaluate the school budget.
§ Participate in and promote the school budget.
§ Participate in the selection of curriculum, special programs and address
other matters regarding the improvement of education.
§ Participate in school personnel decisions (where warranted).
§ Function as the advisory committee for the school’s guidance program.
SCOPE
§ We are empowered by Fall Mountain Regional School District to operate our Site-Based
Committee under guidelines and regulations set forth in documents titled CFA,
CFAA, CFAB, and revisions.
§ We are encouraged to render actions that complement the mission statement
of the Walpole Attendance Area.
§ We are confined to act with respect to regulation and contract limitations.
§ We are a decision making body for the Walpole Attendance Area.
§ We provide an advisory function to the school board for regional issues.
§ We operate with the understanding that there may be circumstances that require
a decision by the school board.
MEMBERSHIP
§ One principal
§ Two support staff members
§ Five teachers
§ Four parents (not employed by the Fall Mountain Regional School District)
§ Four community representatives residing in the Walpole Attendance Area (not
a parent or employed by the Fall Mountain Regional School District)
§ One Walpole school board member
SELECTION
Each constituency, with the
exception of the principal and the school board member, shall be entitled to
use a secret election process to select its representative(s) and may announce
an alternate. All elections of members
will be conducted in June under the auspices of the Site-Based Committee. The Site-Based Committee approves the ballot,
directs distribution to constituents, and supervises the counting of
returns. Annually, a nominating
committee will be formed to fill membership vacancies. In the event there is a vacancy, the
nominating committee will recommend a replacement to finish the term, subject
to approval by the Site-Based Committee.
MEMBERSHIP TERM
Members shall serve for a
two-year term. No one may serve more
than two consecutive terms, except the school principal and the school board
member, if applicable.
The chairperson shall contact
any member who is absent from more than two meetings in a school year to
discuss the member’s continuing interest in membership. More than three absences from regular meetings
during the school year may result in termination of membership upon a majority
vote of Site-Based Committee members present.
OFFICERS
A chairperson and a secretary
will be elected by a majority vote of the Site-Based Committee members
present. Additional offices may be
created upon consensus of the council membership. These offices will be filled by a majority
vote present.
Any member may serve as any Site-Based
Committee officer, with the exception of the principal and the school board
member; they may not serve as chairperson.
Each officer shall serve a
term beginning September 1 and ending the next September. The following September, during the first
meeting of the school year, candidates for chairperson and other officers shall
be nominated and elected by a majority vote of the council. Those elected shall take office immediately.
The replacement of an officer
who is no longer a member of the council, or who resigns office, shall be
decided by an election of the majority of the members present during the
council’s next regular meeting.
The chairperson shall preside
at all council meetings. An alternate,
appointed by the chairperson prior to the meeting shall preside in the
chairperson’s absence.
MEETINGS
Meetings shall be held at
least once a month during the regular school year as scheduled by the
council. Meetings during the summer
months shall be held as needed and decided by the chairperson.
The regular meetings shall be
held in compliance with the state’s open meetings law. An annual schedule of meetings shall be
printed and posted on the school bulletin board, sent home to parents, posted
in the newspaper, Site-Based Committee blog and mailed to anyone who provides a
stamped, self-addressed envelope. In compliance with the state’s open meeting law, emergency meetings may be
called with the provision of: (1) twenty-four hour notice posted on the school
door, (2) communication to all current committee
members, and (3) notice sent home with students when school is in session.
QUORUM
A quorum consisting of a
majority of the membership representing at least five of the constituent groups
must be present at a legally convened meeting.
AGENDA
The chairperson, in consultation
with the members and principal, shall prepare an agenda. The agenda shall be provided to all members of
the council three days before the meeting. A place shall be reserved on every agenda to
allow any member of the Walpole community to address the committee. These members, however, may not take part in
the decision making process.
COMMITTEES
The Site-Based Committee may
establish committees to accomplish specific tasks. Each committee shall have at least one member
from the council. Participation is open
to any member of the Walpole community.
The Site-Based Committee
shall appoint the leader for each committee from its members. The committee shall establish the following
committees as needed:
§ Curriculum
§ Policy/By-laws
§ Safety / Facilities
§ Personnel
§ Nominating Committee
§ Site-Based Evaluation Committee
Committees shall annually
develop operating procedures in order to conduct tasks.
RECORD KEEPING
The secretary shall be
charged to keep action minutes of all meetings.
In the absence of the secretary, the chairperson will find an alternate. The actions recorded during the meeting shall
be read for verification at the end of the meeting. The secretary shall provide a copy of the
minutes for each member to approve or correct at the next meeting and post
approved minutes on the school bulletin board and Site-Based Committee
blog. The minutes shall be maintained in
a secure place in the school office.
AMENDMENTS
A proposed amendment to these
bylaws may be presented to the committee in writing at a regularly scheduled
meeting when a quorum and at least two-thirds of the members are
present. Adoption of an amendment
requires consensus at two meetings before the amendment takes effect.
DECISION MAKING
Site-Based Committee members shall present the ideas, concerns, and
problems of students, parents, teachers, community, and administration of the
Walpole Attendance Area. Members shall
state their views on all topics under discussion to help the committee arrive
at consensus, if possible.
Consensus
means that all committee members are in substantial agreement with the
proposal.
Members
agree that they will not work against any decision made by consensus and will
support the decision to the degree possible.
On matters
that require an immediate decision or expenditure of funds where consensus is
not achieved, two-thirds of the committee members present must vote to submit the
question to a binding vote of two-thirds of all members of the committee.
TIP
Consensus does not require
unanimous agreement. If a discussion shows that members are in accord on an
issue, the leader may ask for a determination of those who agree and consent,
those who do not agree but will consent, and those who neither agree nor
consent. If consensus cannot be attained on matters of school policy, refer the
matter to a committee charged to present improvements or alternatives for
future consideration.
SELF-EVALUATION
In April
of each year, the Walpole Attendance Area shall appoint a committee of Site-Based
Committee members and interested school community members to evaluate the
performance of the committee. The
results of the evaluation shall determine areas for improvement and goals for
the coming year. The report of this
committee is due prior to the June meeting.
COMPLIANCE
The Walpole
School Site-Based Committee shall recognize and observe all laws, regulations,
district policies, collective bargaining, and other agreements in its
operations.