May 6, 2014
Article 1 Name and Address
School Council
c/o Ventura Park Public School
121 Worth Blvd.
Thornhill, Ontario L4J 7V5
(905) 707-6488
(905) 707-9319 (fax)
venturaparksc@gmail.com
Article 2 Mission Statement
The mission of Ventura Park Public School Council is for parents, staff, and administration to work collaboratively to promote a positive learning environment in both official languages and to foster in each student the values, skills, and knowledge needed to make a meaningful contribution to their
community and society.
Article 3 Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of school councils is, through the active participation of parents, to improve pupil
achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 2 (1).
A school council’s primary means of achieving its purpose is by making recommendations in accordance with this Regulation to the principal of the school and the board that established the council.
O. Reg. 612/00, s. 2 (2).
Working within the framework of its mission statement and constitution, and governed by the policies,
mission and goals of the school, and York Region District School Board, and the Education Act and
Regulations, the Council shall:
- Provide informed advice to the principal to assist in making decisions. This advice should reflect the views of the school community and the best interest of the students.
- Provide a communication link between the school and the school community1.
- Speak for all students in matters involving the safe and equitable delivery of quality education to the students of the school.
Article 4 Procedure and Operating Guidelines
- To maximize School Council success and to ensure that members and potential members have a shared
understanding of operating council norms, the Governance Committee shall be allocated fifteen (15)
minutes at the beginning of the first meeting of the school year to present the School Council
Constitution and prevailing Ontario and York Region resources that shall include, but not limited to, the
following:
(1 See Board Policy #262.0 School Councils (Document Integration Project Format) "School Community" includes, but is not limited to, parents,
administrators, teaching staff, support staff, students and members of the local community.)
Ontario Regulation 612/00 School Councils And Parent Involvement Committees - YRDSB School Council Handbook
- YRDSB Q & A School Council Fund Management
- YRDSB Board Policy #222.0, Conflict of Interest
- YRDSB Board Policy #262 School Councils
- YRDSB Board Policy #676.0 School Fundraising and Administration of School Generated Funds
- YRDSB Conflict Resolution Resources
- YRDSB Organizational Structure
- YRDSB Policy Review Process
- YRDSB School Council Annual Report
- YRDSB School Councils Budget
Article 5 Membership
There shall be no more than one member on the School Council from any one household. The principal must attend meetings of the School Council or delegate the task to the vice-principal (if there is one in the school).
5.1. Number of Parent Members
There shall be a maximum of twelve (12) parent members on the School Council.
5.2. Other Members
There shall be one teacher representative and one support staff representative. The principal or viceprincipal cannot fill the teacher position.
Article 6 Elections and Terms of Office
6.1. Acclamations
Parent elections shall be by acclamation when the number of candidates is equal to, or less than the
number of parent member positions on the Council.
6.2. Election Procedures for Parent Members
- Each parent/guardian seeking election must be nominated or self-nominated in writing, must have a child registered at the school, and must declare if he or she is employed by the Board.
- Each parent/guardian of a student enrolled in the school is entitled to one vote for each vacant parent/guardian position on the School Council.
- The School Council shall strike an election committee in May to help plan the election process, the gathering of nominations, and the running of the election. The election committee shall:
- Provide nomination forms;
- Ensure that the school community is notified of election procedures and election date, location,and time, at least fourteen days in advance of the election;
- Request a profile from all candidates and make these available to the school community;
- Conduct the election by secret ballot;
- Count ballots;
- Help the principal notify all candidates of the results;
- Keep all the results and related information confidential;
- Only release the names of successful candidates;
- Ensure that a list of candidates and the vote results are kept on file for use in the event of vacancy on the Council;
- Notify all individuals standing for election of the results before the results are released to the community.
6.3. Terms of Office
School Council members are elected for a term of one year that lasts from the first meeting of the school
year to the first meeting of the following school year. Members may seek additional terms of office.
6.4. Vacancies in Membership
- A vacancy in membership does not prevent the Council from exercising its authority.
- If parent member positions remain vacant on Council, after the election, the Council may appoint parent members.
- Positions that become vacant due to resignation or removal shall be filled as soon as possible by:
- Offering the position to the person with the next largest number of votes who was not elected; or,
- Seeking volunteers from the parent community if all members were acclaimed and
- Calling an election if the number of volunteers exceeds the number of vacancies, or
- Appointing parent members.
6.5. Resignations
- Any School Council member, except the principal, may resign their position by writing a letter of resignation to the chair.
- The vacated position will be filled according to Article 6.3 Vacancies.
6.6. Removal
- Any member of the Council who misses more than two meetings without informing Council shall forfeit his/her position on Council.
- Any member of the Council, who fails to perform his/her duties without just cause or explanation, will forfeit membership upon agreement of a majority of Council members.
Article 7 Executive
- The officers of Council shall consist of a chair, optional vice-chair/co-chair, secretary, treasurer, optional Community Representative and any other officer, as Council deems necessary to carry out the activities of Council.
- At the first meeting of the school year, officers of Council will be elected by secret ballot, from among the Council members elected by the school community.
- Each candidate for a position of officer shall be given the opportunity to address the Council for a maximum of five minutes.
- An employee of the York Region District School Board cannot be chair.
Article 8 Committees
Council shall form such committees as may be required to carry on the activities of Council such as (but
not limited to) Finance, Fundraising, Governance, Fun Fair, Volunteer Engagement,.
- Council shall form and disband ad hoc committees as deemed necessary.
- Each committee must contain at least one parent member.
- Persons who are not members of Council may be members of committees.
- The principal and chair shall be ex-officio members of all committees.
Article 9 Council Meetings
9.1. Timetable of Meetings
- Council shall hold a minimum of four meetings per school year with at least one meeting during each school term.
- Additional meetings may be called by the Chair in consultation with the principal or by the secretary of the Council on direction, in writing, of any five members of Council.
- Meeting dates and times will be set at the first meeting of the school year and communicated to the school community.
9.2. Quorum
- The meeting will have a quorum if the majority of Council members are present and the majority of those present are parent members.
- A meeting of Council can be held if there is no quorum. If decisions must be made prior to the next scheduled meeting, officers present at the meeting must obtain votes from the majority of absent members and communicate the outcome to the Council.
9.3. Voting
The preferred method of decision-making is by consensus. In the case where a decision cannot be
reached through consensus, one of the following procedures may be used:
- A motion is put on the table and seconded.
- Focused discussion occurs on the motion during which the chair will facilitate the discussion working towards a consensus.
- The chair will present the motion as a question and call for a vote by show of hands.
- Fifty-one percent of attending members will carry the motion.
- A tie vote defeats the motion.
- The issue may be deferred to the next meeting or to an ad hoc committee.
9.4. Conflict of Interest/Conflict Resolution
- The Council will abide by any conflict resolution policy issued by the Board.
- Individual Council members, who perceive themselves to be in conflict of interest, must declare their conflict at the earliest opportunity so the conflict may be reflected in minutes of the meeting.
- Members who declare conflict of interest shall not deliberate or vote on that particular issue.
- The Council shall undertake to resolve all internal conflicts within its mandate in a timely manner.
Article 10 Financial Records and Expenditures
10.1. Council funds must be used for the benefit of Ventura Park Public School students.
- The Principal and Elementary Office Administration Assistant shall have signing authority
- In order to facilitate the School Council's fulfilment of its obligation to participate in the development and implementation of the school improvement plan (YRDSB Board Policy #262 School Councils), the School Council shall:
- be provided with the (a) Needs Assessment, (b) School Improvement Plan, (c) Board Improvement Plan, and (d) Fundraising Plan (collectively, the "School Council Budget Documentation") at least 10 days prior to any vote in respect of same, and
- review the School Council Budget Documentation and provide informed advice to the principal in respect of the allocation of the School’s resources including, without limitation, the allocation of the funds generated from School Council activities.
- Providing receipts are furnished, predetermined expenditures of up to one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) may be authorized by any two of the chair, vice-chair/co-chair and treasurer without prior approval by the Council.
- Expenditures in excess of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) shall be made only with prior approval of Council.
- The purchase of any single item over two thousand ($2,000.00) must have the approval of the majority of the school community at a General Meeting.
- Money collected is to be counted by council members under the supervision of the Treasurer and in the presence of a minimum of two members, on site and kept in school pending deposit to the bank.
- Requests for funds for events wholly or partially funded by Council must be submitted to School Council and pre-approved by the Treasurer prior to monies spent
- Receipts must be submitted for reimbursement.
- Future School Councils will honour all financial commitments signed by Council officers.
- All long term financial commitments made by Council must be passed at a General Meeting. Written monthly reports outlining the sources and uses of the funds (i.e. monthly treasurer’s report) and the current financial position of the school council’s account (i.e. bank reconciliation) must to be presented at each meeting of the council. It must be noted in the meeting minutes that the treasurer’s report has been received and approved.
Article 11 Agendas and Minutes
11.1. Agendas
- Agenda items should be submitted to the chair two weeks prior to the next meeting.
- The chair will set the agenda with the principal, prior to the next meeting.
11.2. Minutes
- Minutes shall be distributed to members within two weeks after the meeting of Council. Email distribution of minutes is acceptable. Email communication of feedback and approval of minutes is also acceptable.
- A decision to accept the minutes may be reached once a quorum of members approves the minutes; either by email prior to the next meeting or in a general meeting.
- Any decision made via email should be included in the meeting minutes of the next general meeting. The names of the members of council who motioned for approval and who seconded the motion must also be written in the minutes.
- Approved minutes shall be posted at the school and posted on the school website no later than one week following the next general meeting if not before.
- Members of Council must inform the chair if they are going to be absent from the Council meeting.
Article 12 Amendments to the Constitution
- The constitution may only be amended by vote at a General Meeting.
- Amendments to the constitution must be presented at a regularly scheduled meeting and be passed by a majority of members constituting a quorum. The majority constituting the quorum must be parents.
- Copies of all proposed amendments shall be available to the school community at least 14 days priorto the General Meeting.
- Amendments that do not receive approval may not be re-proposed before one year has elapsed.
Article 13 Revision History
History as approved by the Ventura Park P.S. School Council.
2010-2011
Approved at the General Meeting of the Ventura Park P.S.
Co-Chair S. Yitzhaky, P. Weinberg
2013-2014
Approved at the General Meeting of the Ventura Park P.S. Co-Chair L. Attias and D. Lazovski