Natcher Elementary By-Laws

ARTICLE I. PURPOSE

To provide the council with a set of operational guidelines with which to function effectively.

ARTICLE II. MISSION

It is the mission of the SBDM Council to improve student performance by providing direction for William H. Natcher Elementary School through policies resulting from shared decision making which involves all members of the school community.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

A.  COMPOSITION

1.  The school council shall consist of the principal, three teacher      members, and two parent members.  The principal shall serve as      the chairperson.

2.   If the school’s total minority enrollment reaches 8 percent or           more minority students enrolled as of October, and there was no             minority elected in the initial elections, a special election shall       be conducted by the PTO to elect a minority parent to serve on       the school council.

3.  In the event a special election is needed, the teachers shall elect                    a minority teacher from the school’s staff.  If there are no           minority teachers on staff at the school, the teachers shall elect       a non-minority teacher to represent the interest of the minority       students in the school.

4.  If there is a minority teacher on staff and he or she does not wish         to serve on the council, the seat shall remain vacant until filled by       a minority teacher.

B.  REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP

1.  All Members:  No one may serve on the school council who has         a business interest in the school as designated by KRS 45A.340.

     All Council Members shall complete the required training.

2.  Teacher Members:  Teacher council members must posses      certification required for their position as a basis for employment         in Kentucky public schools.  Itinerant teachers may nominate,         serve, and vote in our school.  Counselors may serve as teacher          council members.  Principals or assistant principals may not serve      as teacher council members, nor vote in teacher elections.

3.  Parent Members:  The legal definition of parents

     (KRS 160.345 1.c) allows biological parents, stepparents, foster         parents, or persons who have court ordered legal custody to be         nominated or to vote.  According to the law, parents who are      nominated or wish to vote must have a child “pre-registered to      attend” the school for the next year.  Parents of 6th graders who are        exiting our school may nominate but cannot vote for candidates.

C.  ELECTIONS

1.  Parent Members:  Parents conduct their own elections as per

     KRS 160.345.  Annual elections shall be conducted each April by          the school’s PTO organization that is formed for the purpose of      electing two parent council members.  Parent elections may be by      plurality (two parents with the highest number of votes).  The      election of parent council members shall be held at a time and      place convenient for parents to attend.

2.  Teacher Members:  Teachers conduct their own elections as per        KRS 160.345.  Annual elections shall be conducted each May for      the purpose of electing two council teacher members.  Teacher      members must be elected by a simple majority (one half plus one)      of the number of teachers assigned to the school.

3.  Terms:  School council members can serve an unlimited number             of terms as long as they continue to meet the eligibility               requirements.

D.  REMOVAL OF MEMBERS

Members may be removed according to previsions in KRS 156.132

E.  FILLING VACANCIES

If a member of the council resigns or is removed from office,      another member shall be elected in a special election held not more   than one month after the vacancy occurs.  The person elected in the special election shall serve the remainder of the term until July 1, and be eligible for re-election.  A vacancy is created when a teacher is no longer assigned to a school, or when a parent no longer has a child enrolled in the school, or is removed from the council.

F.  TERMS OF OFFICE

The terms of parents and teacher members shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30.  Between the date of the elections and July 1,   members-elect are expected to attend all council meetings.

ARTICLE IV DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS

A.  ELECTION OF OFFICERS

1.  Officers shall include Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary.  The      Secretary will be a non-voting member appointed by the Chair for      the purpose of taking minutes, preparation and organization of      council materials.

2.  The Vice-Chair of the school council shall be elected each        September by council members and will serve for one year.  Re-      election is permitted.

3.  If the Vice-Chair resigns his or her position, the council shall      conduct a vote at that meeting to fill the position with another      council member.

B.  CHAIRPERSON

1.  The Principal shall serve as the Chair of the Council.

C.  VICE CHAIR

1.  Presides over council meetings in the absence of the Chair.

2.  Calls a special meeting of the Council in the event a Principal        vacancy occurs.

3.  Conducts meetings necessary for the Principal hiring to take           place.

D.  COUNCIL MEMBERS

      Duties of council members include:

1.  Knows and adheres to the mission, philosophy, and goals of             Natcher Elementary

2.  Attends all council meetings, both regular and special

3.  Encourages and requests opinions from their constituencies

4.  Supports, promotes, and communicates council decisions

5.  Seeks information independently and as needed about issues             brought before the school council, and brings that information to      the council

ARTICLE V. COUNCIL MEETINGS

A.  REGULAR MEETINGS

Regular monthly meetings will be established by the incoming     council members – dates, times and location.  Meetings will adjourn within a two-hour limit.  Any uncompleted agenda items will be     included in a subsequent meeting agenda.  Meetings shall be held at times convenient to working parents.  No council meeting shall be held during the scheduled instructional day.  Advance notice of   meetings shall be given to the public as required.

B.  SPECIAL MEETINGS

The council may hold special meetings as necessary to conduct                   council business pursuant to the provisions of KRS 61.823.

Delivery of Notice:  The chairperson shall arrange for the notice to be delivered to each council member and to any media organization that has requested notice of council meetings.  The delivery can be by hand, FAX machine, or mail.  The members must receive the meeting notice at least twenty-four hours prior to the time of the meeting.

C.  OPEN MEETINGS

All meetings of the council are open to the public and subject to the open meetings law in KRS 61.820 and KRS 61.835.  Requirements of the open meetings will apply to committees of the council as well.

D.  QUORUM

A quorum of the Natcher Council shall be defined as four members of a six-member council of five members of an eight-member council.  No new council business shall be discussed or conducted unless a quorum of council members is present.

If a quorum of the members of the school council is not available to attend a meeting for the purpose of consulting for the vacancy, the principal shall call a special meeting and conduct consultation with the council members who can attend.

E.  AGENDA

1.  Anyone may submit items for inclusion on the agenda to the           Chairperson/Principal in writing by 2 working days to a regular      scheduled council meeting.  The principal shall maintain a        complete file of these items.

2.  The Chairperson shall prepare an agenda for each council meeting,      including items submitted in writing for inclusion by the public,      staff, parents, other council members and other items he or she      believes should be on the agenda.  The chairperson may declare an           item received as not within school council authority.

3.  At a special called meeting, only the items listed on the notice of      the meeting can be discussed and no new items can be introduced      for discussion or in inclusion on the agenda.

4.  The public may address the council on agenda items during the      discussion phase of any agenda item.  The council chairman may,      with the consensus of the council, establish a 5-minute time limit      for speakers to maintain order and to ensure the expedient conduct      of the council’s business.

F.  CLOSED SESSION

A closed session is a portion of regular or special meetings of the council during which the members meet in private.  Within the realm of council responsibilities, the allowed subjects at closed meetings are proposed or pending litigation by or against the council, allowed by KRS 61.810 (1)(c), or selection of a new principal or other new staff members, allowed by KRS61.810 (1)(f).  Before a closed session can begin, the following steps must be taken:

1.  Announcement—Contents:  An announcement must be made in      open session.  The announcement must state that the council needs         to discuss business involving a topic that the law allows to be      discussed in closed session.  The announcement must state the      general nature of business that needs to be discussed in closed      session and identify the specific section of the law that allows the      session to be closed.

2.  Motion:  A motion must be made and passed by a majority of      members present to go into closed session to discuss that business.

     During the closed session, only the business stated in the        announcement can be discussed, and no final decision can be      made.  After full discussion, the council must return to open          meeting and make any official decision needed on the matter, and        the decision must be recorded in the minutes of the open session.

ARTICLE VI MINUTES AND OTHER COUNCIL RECORDS

A.  MINUTES KEPT AND APPROVED

1.  Minutes shall be kept by the designee at each council/committee      meeting.

2.  The minutes shall reflect an accurate record of actions and votes        taken at a council meeting.  Minutes shall show the words of the      motion or suggestions of consensus, and the majority vote on      unanimous support.

3.  If the action taken was the adoption of a policy, the entire text of      the policy shall be attached to the copy of the minutes kept on file      in the office for public inspection immediately and filed in the      council’s policy manual.

4.  The minutes of the school council shall not be official until they      are reviewed and approved by the council.  The minutes shall be      open to public inspection immediately after they are approved.

5.  An approved copy of the minutes for all council meetings will be      provided to all staff and families in e-mail form within two weeks      of the adjournment of the meeting.  All council members will      receive a hard copy of the minutes.

6.  The principal will forward an official copy of the minutes to the      SBDM District Coordinator, and keep an official copy on file in      the school.

B.  OPEN RECORDS—REQUEST FOR RECORDS

The procedure for requesting council records shall be as follows:

1.  The request to inspect records shall be made to the school        principal.

2.  A written request may be required by the principal for copies of        records.

3.  The principal must respond within three days with a decision.

4.  The original records may not be removed from the school.

5.  If some information is exempt from inspection, these records must     be separated from those to be inspected.

6.  The principal will keep a log of all requests for inspection of      records.

7.  The fee for copying of council records shall be 10 cents per copy      unless the request is for the School Improvement Plan document.

8.  School Council records will be available for inspection during the      hours the schools office is open (7:30 am to 4:00 pm)

C.  PROTOCOL

Councils may use Robert’s Rules of Order (current edition) to conduct meetings except where such rules conflict with Board Policy, Statute, or Regulations.  The chair may invoke Robert’s Rules of Order as needed.  Otherwise, the council will conduct business by consensus.

In event of a tie vote, the issue at hand will be tabled until the next meeting and another vote will be taken.

ARTICLE VII APPEAL OF DECISIONS

Appeals from decisions of the council may be made by any resident, parent, student, or employee of the District.  Appealing a decision made by a school council shall include the following procedure:

1.  An appeal on a decision made by a school council must first be      reviewed by the school council, which shall make a timely         response to the appealing party.

2.  If the matter is not satisfactorily resolved by the council, the appeal      may then be submitted in writing to the Superintendent.

3.  If, within ten (10) days, the matter is not satisfactorily resolved by      the Superintendent, the appealing party may, within twenty (20)      days, appeal to the Board.  The Board shall afford the affected      parties a hearing within thirty (30) days of the appeal to the Board.

4.  The Board shall issue a final written decision on the appeal with its      rationale no later than sixty (60) days from the date of the hearing.

5.  At any point in the process, the Board may direct a review and      report on the issues, but shall not extend its decision beyond sixty      (60) days from the date of the hearing without the agreement of the      affected parties.

Actions of the council will be reviewed on appeal based on whether the council action was arbitrary, violated District policy, exceeded the authority of the council or was otherwise unlawful under state of federal law.

ARTICLE VIII AMENDMENTS

A.  AMENDMENTS TO COUNCIL BY-LAWS

These by-laws may be amended after a first and second reading at two consecutive council meetings by majority vote of the school council.  Council By-Laws will be reviewed annually.

NATCHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL POLICIES

1. CURRICULUM

The school council shall adopt the curriculum of the Warren County Board of Education as the curriculum that shall be implemented at the school. It is our opinion that this curriculum is aligned with the state standards and is appropriate for our instructional needs. This school council policy shall also be consistent with applicable indicators from the Standards and Indicators for School Improvement. All issues related to the curriculum of the school shall be referred to the school principal for discussion that leads to a recommendation on the issue to the school council for consideration and possible adoption.

2. STUDENT ASSIGNMENT

It is the policy of Natcher Elementary School to assign students to classes heterogeneously. All regular classes are to be as evenly balanced as possible based on the following:

Number of boys and girls

Minority or non-minority students

Students having I. E. P.s. (Individual Education Plan)

Students for whom English is a second language

Students who require remediating or other special assistance

Students who are high, average, or low achieving

Teachers input regarding assignment of students is provided at the end of each school year. The rosters are based on the variables listed above and other pertinent information.

Students who enroll during the summer will be assigned to classes based on class size with consideration to variables listed above.

3. SCHOOL SPACE USE

By May 1, the principal shall prepare a school space use plan and present the plan to the school council for approval. The school council may amend the plan prior to approval. The principal shall implement the plan subsequent to the approval of the school council. The principal can alter the plan if a need arises due to enrollment and hiring of teachers.

4. DISCIPLINE AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

A school wide discipline plan will be developed, implemented, reviewed and modified as needed subject to school council approval.

•Classroom procedures, along with rewards and consequences, should be posted in each classroom.

•Discipline and classroom management procedures will address the following areas: Student behavior in classroom, on playground, in halls, lunchroom, restrooms, gym, assemblies, and any other areas outside the classroom.

•Students will be encouraged to develop self-discipline.

•Staff will enforce procedures with consistency and fairness.

•Classroom teachers will discuss with their students the reasons for each of the procedures.

5. ALIGNMENT WITH STATE STANDARDS, TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION AND PROGRAM APPRAISAL

The school shall organize all instructional and other activity to be aligned with standards established in state laws and regulations, and in a manner that is consistent with local school board policy. The school shall utilize technology in a manner consistent with local school board policy and state laws and regulations. The school shall appraise all programs in a manner that is consistent with local school board policy. Programs shall be appraised upon request of the school council by assigning the program appraisal to the appropriate committee for completion and recommendation to the council. This school council policy shall also be consistent with the applicable indicators from the Standards and Indicators for School Improvement. Technology evidence will be seen in impact checks.

6. COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION

Committees will be formed under the 3 major components of the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP): Curriculum/Instruction, School Culture (Discipline) and Technology.  Committees will rotate so all members of the staff are involved and parents will be invited to join committees.

7. STAFF TIME ASSIGNMENT (INSTRUCTIONAL AND NON-INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF TIME)

The Principal shall assign each staff member’s time in a manner that supports implementation of our CSIP.  Achievement of school council goals and effective management shall be the basis for assignments of staff time.  All staff time assignments shall be published annually by June 1 of each year.

8. SCHOOL SCHEDULE

Based on recommendations from the principal and teacher input the council will approve a schedule, which allows time to meet goals and requirements of curriculum.  The schedule will utilize the time of school day and calendar year as established by the Warren County Board of Education to meet needs and interests of students, curriculum, extracurricular activities and school programs.

9. INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES

Faculty, in collaboration with the principal, shall select the appropriate instructional practices to be utilized in their classroom, to ensure that the school’s curriculum is fully implemented. Best practice instructional strategies that are selected by teachers must be included in lesson plans and monitored by the principal. This school council policy shall also be consistent with the applicable indicators from the Standards and Indicators for School Improvement.

10. HOMEWORK POLICY

Teaching teams at each level shall coordinate to ensure that homework does not exceed 10 minutes per grade level, per night.  For example, 3rd grade = 30 minutes.

Homework is an extension of classroom instruction and will consist of additional practice of skills taught during classroom instruction, parent-child activities that contribute to classroom units, and daily reading logs that record the time students spend reading at home. Teachers will monitor homework completion and habits of individual students. Team leaders should follow up with any parent or student request for assistance with homework assignments.  Students in Primary will not be given a letter grade for homework. Intermediate students may be given a letter grade for homework. Students who consistently turn in completed homework may be rewarded.

Class work will only become homework if class time is not used efficiently. It is the responsibility of the student to record in their agenda: instruction time, class work assignments, and homework.

It is the policy of Natcher Elementary that there will be no homework or additional classroom testing during the CATS testing window for the students participating in the assessment.  There will be no homework on nights that school programs are scheduled.

11. EXTRA CURRICULAR PROGRAMS

The Principal shall ensure that all students have a wide range of opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities, including athletics, musical and dramatic performances and service opportunities.   Each activity shall have a faculty sponsor or coach, who will be present throughout the activities.

12. CONSULTATION POLICY

The school council shall be consulted by the principal on all certified and classified vacancies that occur at the school. The principal will review available applications and present the screened applications to the council. The administration will do reference checks. The chosen applicants will be interviewed by the principal, appropriate team members and council members will be invited.

The school council shall consider the principal’s recommendations and shall provide its advice to the principal on who to select to fill the vacancy in a closed meeting of the council.

If a quorum of the members of the school council is not available to attend a meeting for the purpose of consulting for the vacancy, the principal shall call a special meeting and conduct consultation with the council members who can attend.

13. WELLNESS POLICY

All students shall participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity each day as follows:

Teachers shall make all reasonable efforts to avoid periods of more than forty minutes when students are physically inactive.  When possible, physical activity should be integrated into learning activities. 

Each student shall participate in physical education class for at least 160 minutes per month.

Each student shall have at least 15 minutes a day of supervised recess, preferably outdoors, during which school staff shall encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity.  

Appropriate accommodations shall be made for students with special needs.

The President’s Physical Fitness Challenge, including fitness testing for muscular strength, endurance and cardio respiratory endurance, will be given each year to the students during PE classes.

Our school shall encourage healthy choices among students using the following methods:

Our school shall implement the nutritional standards required by federal and state laws and regulations. Those rules apply to our food program and to other food and beverage available during the instructional day.

Teachers will encourage students to have water available throughout the instructional day and bring healthy snacks from home.

Students only have access to vending machines with milk, water and 100% fruit juices.

Students are offered fresh fruit and vegetables daily at lunch in the school cafeteria.

Food rewards/incentives are limited to PAWS rewards, STAR parties and holiday parties.

Our practical living curriculum shall address the full Core Content and Program of Studies including health, consumerism, and physical education.

The provisions of this policy shall be implemented to comply with provisions required by federal law, state law, or local board policy.  If any specific requirement above does not fit with those rules, the principal shall notify the council so that the policy can be amended.

The principal shall share this policy with the Kentucky Department of Education.

14. DRESS CODE

The staff, administration, and family members will deal with any situation that arises that is disruptive to the instructional process on an individual basis.

Shorts, skirts, and dresses: must be no shorter than mid thigh length.

Hats: (of any kind; i.e. ball caps, hats, scarves) may not be worn in school unless they are necessary for health, cultural or safety purposes. Hats may be worn outside during recess for sun protection, cold weather or on designated hat days.

Shoes: are required at all times. Sneakers are required for physical education class and greenway activities being conducted by the whole class. Flip flops (rubber beach type) and roller blade shoes are not allowed. Wearing of sandals and shoes with high heels are discouraged due to safety concerns.  Due to playground safety, students must wear shoes/sandals with straps on the back of the ankle in order to play on the equipment. Consequence for not following the policy: students will not be allowed on the equipment for that recess period.

Sunglasses: shall not be worn inside the school building without a medical excuse; a doctor’s note must be presented beforehand.

Hair: shall be clean and well groomed. Distracting extremes shall not be permitted.

Pants: must be worn at the waist and must remain there consistently through normal activity, without having to be held up by the hands.

Shirts: should cover the midriff with all normal movement and be an appropriate neck length. If the shirt is sleeveless, it must have wide shoulder straps and no large armholes. Thin “spaghetti” straps are not allowed for grades 3rd through 6th. Tank tops and Athletic jerseys: must be worn over a tee shirt or another shirt with sleeves.

Hooded shirts: may be worn, but inside the building hoods will not be worn.

Patches, emblems, and clothing depicting vulgarity or advertising alcoholic beverages or illegal substances shall not be permitted.

15. COUNCIL OPERATIONAL POLICY

Selection of Principal

When the council learns that the school needs to hire a principal, the council will:

1.  Obtain training in recruitment and interviewing techniques from the trainer of its choice.

2.  Hold at least one afternoon and one evening meeting to receive suggestions from parents, staff and other interested parties on what traits will make the best leader for this school.

3.  Meet in open session to agree on criteria and develop interview questions that fit those criteria.  Those criteria shall not in any way discriminate based on gender, ethnicity, religion, political affiliations, or any other illegal grounds.

4.  Meet in open session with the superintendent to discuss the criteria and other steps in the hiring process.

5.  Meet in closed session to review applications and references of candidates recommended by the superintendent and select persons to be interviewed who appear reasonably capable of fitting the council’s criteria.

6.  Schedule an interview with each selected applicant at a time when all council members can attend a special meeting.

7.  Conduct each interview in a closed session, using the interview questions.

8.  Meet in closed session to discuss how well each applicant meets the criteria.

9.  If necessary, request additional applicants from the superintendent and repeat steps 4-8 above.

10.  Meet in open session to make the final choice of principal.

11.  Notify the superintendent immediately of their choice.

After receiving notice of the council’s choice, the superintendent will complete the hiring process.

Revised October 19, 2009