By-Laws

  • By-Laws of School Advisory Council
    Lake Shore Middle School
    A Title I School-Wide Project
    Prepared by: Principal and School Advisory Council - Updated on September 21, 2023

    Article I 

    Name of Organization

    The name of this organization shall be the School Advisory Council of Lake Shore Middle School.

    Article II

    Purpose and Function

    Section 1:  The School Advisory Council is a resource for the school and its staff, parents, and principal.  Its function is to develop and oversee the implementation of a school Improvement Plan that will serve as a
    framework for school improvement.

    Section 2:  The primary function of the School Advisory Council is to provide all of the stakeholders with an opportunity to be active participants in the assessment of needs, development of priorities, and identification and use of resources.

    Specific functions may include, but are not limited to the following:

    1. Develop and oversee the implementation of the School Improvement Plan.
    2. Enlist, promote, and support greater interaction between the school and the community
    3. Provide input in matters concerning the disbursement of school improvement funds, and ensure that such expenditures are consistent with the School Improvement Plan.
    4. Consult with the Instructional Innovation Team when making decisions concerning educational practices within the school.

    Article III
    Representation and Membership

    In accordance with Florida Statute 1001.452 which outlines the establishment of SACs:

    Section 1: The membership shall be representative of the student body and community served by the school.  The SAC shall have an appropriately balanced number of teachers, parents, education support employees, and business and community members.  Students are encouraged to be a part of the membership.

    Section 2:  The majority (50%+1) of the members of the SAC shall be non-school district employees.

    Section 3:  The SAC membership shall be racially, ethnically, and socio-economically balanced.

    Article IV
    Membership Selection

    Section 1: The SAC membership shall be constituted as follows:

    1. Parents, teachers, students, and support employees will be elected by their respective groups through an election
      1. Teachers shall be elected by teachers;
      2. Education support employees shall be elected by education support employees;
      3. Students, when appropriate, shall be elected by students;
      4. Parent members shall be elected by parents in general, with all parents having an opportunity to participate in voting for any parent on the ballot.
    2. There will be notices of SAC vacancies and elections through methods that include school marquee, school newsletter, announcements at Open House, etc.  The names of parents willing to serve on the SAC will be listed on a ballot.

    Section 2: Elections for membership shall be held in September of each year, and the installation of new members shall follow immediately.

    Section 3: . All stakeholders of Lake Shore Middle School will be notified of Council membership elections by public meetings and records open for public inspection.   

    Article V

    Tenure:  The term of office shall be for a full school year, with Council Officers serving no more than two years. 
    No member may miss more than two (2) unexcused consecutive School Advisory Meetings. An unexcused absence is defined as an absence without proper advance notification. In the event of recurring absences, the School Advisory Council Chairperson shall arrange for the replacement of the member by election as specified in Membership Selection, Article IV, Section 1  

    Meetings:  SAC meetings shall be held on the third Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m.

    Officers:  The officers of this Council shall be a chairperson, or co-chairperson, a secretary, and a historian.  In the event of a vacancy in a Council office during an existing term, the vacancy will be filled by a SAC member election.

    SAC Governance

    Establishing procedures for making proposals, collecting, counting, and narrowing suggestions; and for the resolution of disputes and/or deadlocks.

    1. Person(s) suggesting idea(s) should be present at SAC meeting(s) where their idea is being presented or considered for questions/comments or concerns.
    2. All ideas should be heard and considered prior to making any decisions.
    3. Any idea should have a purpose and outcome affecting school improvement and be aligned with the Strategic Plan.
      a. A historian or secretary will be in charge of recording minutes.
    4. Ideas can be addressed before the closure of the meeting or postponed until the next meeting. (Have a specific time frame)
    5. When an idea is addressed, SAC by majority vote will decide the outcome of adopting or rejecting the idea.
    6. If voted and approved, the SAC chairperson must sign as approved, and give a copy to the school administration, the school's treasurer, with a copy going to the SAC historian.
    7. A summary of the minutes will be kept at the school site.

    Article VI
    Duties of Officers/Members

    Section 1: Chairperson - The president shall preside at all meetings of the Council and be the de facto member of all committees.

    Section 2: Co-Chairperson - The vice-president shall act as an aide to the president and preside in the absence of the president. In the case of a vacancy in the office of president, the vice-president shall become the chairperson for the remainder of the unexpired term.  

    Section 3: Secretary - The secretary shall keep minutes of the meetings and shall be responsible for such correspondence as is delegated to him/her by the chairperson. The secretary shall document activities, decisions, and attendance of the Council. A record of the School Advisory meeting minutes shall be kept on file in the school office and available for public inspection following the meeting.  

    Section 4: Principal - The principal shall provide information regarding the school's educational plan.  The principal encourages leadership from within the council.

    Section 5: Title I Staff - The Title I Coordinator will act as a resource for the SAC by making available specialized information about educational programs, innovative ideas, and available resources.

    Section 6: Faculty and School Staff Representatives - School staff council members shall serve as a communication link between the SAC and the school staff.  They will act as resources for the SAC by making available specialized information about educational programs, innovative ideas, and available resources.

    Section 7: Parents, Business and Community Representatives - The parent, business and community members shall represent the view of the parents, citizens, and business and community organizations of the school community.  They shall act as resource persons in the areas of community-related problems that affect the school and its students.

    Section 8: Student Representatives - The student representatives of the SAC shall serve as voting representatives of all students, relaying suggestions and recommendations from members of the student body and the Student Council to the SAC for consideration.

    Section 9: Historian - The historian shall document the past, present, and future progress of the SAC and its subcommittees.  The historian shall maintain the minutes of previous years, any anecdotal record and the SAC archive.

     Article VII

    Voting Body: The secretary shall keep minutes of the meetings and shall be responsible for such correspondence as is delegated to him/her by the chairperson. The secretary shall document activities, decisions and attendance of the Council. A record of the School Advisory meeting minutes shall be kept on file in the school office and available for public inspection following the meeting.

    Committees:  The use of various sub-committees serves several functions. It will allow greater participation of those who wish to serve while allowing a wider variety of ideas and a greater sense of ownership by the constituents. The SAC chairperson will appoint the chairperson of a sub-committee.  

    Article VIII
    Rules of Order/Consensus

    Section 1: School Advisory Council decisions shall be reached by consensus whenever possible. If a deadlock occurs, decisions will be made according to Parliamentary Procedures. “A deadlock consists only if two or more alternative propositions are being voted on at the same time and two or more of them receive the same number of votes. In this case, the vote must be taken until the tie is resolved by voting or by some other method which the assembly may choose.”  

    Section 2: Consensus will be the primary decision-making method to be used by the SAC. Consensus is reached when all members understand the decision, will support it, and are willing to implement the decision. Any deadlock will result in an oral poll of members.  

    Article IX
    Amendments

    Section 1: The by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the SAC committee by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. Notice of the proposed amendment shall be 30 days prior to the meeting at which it is to be voted upon. A quorum is required.

    Section 2:  The SAC or an appointed sub-committee shall review the Council by-laws at least once every three years. The adoption of revised by-laws shall follow the procedure for amendments.