School Council Constitution

Introduction

Legacy School Council (LSC) is a collaborative and co-operative advisory body whose objective, in partnership with the school’s community, is to help all Legacy Public School students reach their greatest potential by developing a love for learning and achieving high performance standards.  We believe that a nurturing and positive environment, focused on our mission and values, will lead our school’s community in the pursuit of academic & social excellence.  Legacy School Council acts in accordance with Ontario Regulation 612/00, Education Act.

Legacy School Council Mission Statement

Consistent with the mission statements of Legacy Public School and the Board, the Mission of Legacy School Council is:

• To assist in the creation of a nurturing environment conducive to learning for all;
• To help encourage students to become self-directed, critical thinkers and strong problem solvers; and
• To support, inspire and prepare students to become responsible members of our evolving community. 

Legacy School Council Values and Code of Ethics

Values  

Integrity, Honesty, Empathy, Open-mindedness, Equity 

Code of Ethics: 

A member shall:

• Be guided by Legacy School Council’s mission statement;   
• Consider and act in the best interest of All Students of Legacy Public School;
• Limit discussions at council meetings to matters that primarily concern the school community;
• Act within the limits of the roles and responsibilities of Legacy School Council, as identified by the Sections herein, the School’s operating guidelines, the Board and the Ministry of Education, Ontario;
• Become familiar with council’s Sections and Ontario Regulation 612/00, and act in accordance with them (http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_000612_e.htm);
• Maintain the highest standard of personal integrity and ethics, and recognize and respect the integrity& ethics of each member of the school community;
• Conduct oneself in accordance with the Board’s Equity and Inclusive Education policy;
• Treat all persons attending the meetings with respect, embracing diversity and allowing a positive working environment where varying ideas/opinions can be shared without interruption;
• Acknowledge the need for democratic principles and accept the final decision(s) of Council;
• Act in accordance with relevant laws, including Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), and relevant Board policies and procedures;
• Abide by applicable laws and policies with respect to access, use or disclosure of Board data and information;
• Advise the principal immediately if any member believes there may have been a data privacy breach;
• Respect the confidential nature of school matters, and the limitations this may place on the operation of Legacy School Council;
• Declare any conflict of interest;
• No member can directly benefit financially as a result of the decisions of this council nor accept any form of payment for participation on Legacy School Council;
• Read this document in its entirety.

Section 1: Name

Legacy School Council (LSC)

Section 2: Legacy School Council Goals and Objectives

York Region District School Board Policy 262.0

The purpose of Legacy School Council, through active participation of parents/guardians, is to improve ALL student achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents/guardians.  Legacy School Council's primary means of achieving its purpose is by making recommendations, in accordance with the Regulation 612/00, to the Principal of the school and the board that established School Council. 

Legacy School Council will operate and conduct itself within school and board policies, including Reg. 612/00, advising the school Principal and the board on matters including, but not limited to the following:

1. The establishment or amendment of board policies and guidelines that relate to pupil achievement or to the accountability of the education system to parent(s)/guardian(s), including:
   1. Conduct of persons in schools within the board’s jurisdiction (subsection 302(1) of the Act);
   2. Appropriate dress for pupils in schools within the board’s jurisdiction (subsection 302(5) of the Act);
   3. Allocation of funding by the board to school councils;
   4. Fundraising activities of school councils;
   5. Conflict resolution processes for internal school council disputes; and
   6. Reimbursement by the board of expenses incurred by members and officers of school councils.
   7. Supporting and promoting family and community engagement in advancing student achievement and well-being;
   8. Participating in the development and implementation of the school improvement plan;
   9. Communicating with and providing ongoing advice to the principal on school-related matters;
   10. Collaborating with the principal to coordinate community resources that support student learning, achievement and well-being; and
   11. Understanding and communicating with members of the community about the roles and responsibilities of school councils as outlined in the School Councils policy and procedure and appropriate guidelines and legislation, as required.
2. The development of implementation plans of policies and guidelines for new education initiatives that relate to pupil achievement or to the accountability of the education system to parent(s)/guardian(s), including:
   1. Conduct of persons in schools within the board’s jurisdiction (subsection 302 (1) of the Act)
   2. Appropriate dress for pupils in schools within the board’s jurisdiction (subsection 302 (5) of the Act)
3. Board action plans for improvement, based on the Education Quality and Accountability Office’s reports on the results of tests of pupils, and the communication of those plans to the public.
4. The process and criteria applicable to the selection and placement of principals and vice-principals. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 19 (1).

Section 3: Non-Profit Organization

1. Legal School Council will operate as a non-profit organization.
2. All fundraising activities must be in accordance with York Region District School Board’s (YRDSB) policy #676.0 School Fundraising.
3. At the earliest possible date in the term of the new Legacy School Council, council-sponsored fundraising activities must be coordinated with school-sponsored fundraising activities to avoid over-lap or duplication of efforts, fostering a collaborative approach where activities require resolution.  Proposals for fundraising must be presented to council as early as possible.

Section 4: Membership and Structure of Council

Composition of Legacy School Council (council members, maximum per group):

• 15 parent/guardian – 1 vote per parent/guardian (the number of parent/guardian must always be the majority in council)

• 1 school Principal – no entitlement

• 1 teacher representative – 1 vote

• 1 support staff representative - 1 vote

• 1 student representative (at the discretion of council) - 1 vote

• 1 community representative – 1 vote

• 1 association representative – 1 vote

A minimum total number of 9 members shall comprise Legacy School Council.

Section 5: Election Procedures

Section 5.1:  Election of Parent/Guardian Members

1. A person is qualified to be a parent/guardian member of a school council if he or she is a parent/guardian of a pupil who is enrolled in the school. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 4 (1).
2. Despite subsection (1), a person is not qualified to be a parent/guardian member of a school council if,
   1. He or she is employed at the school; or
   2. He or she is not employed at the school but is employed elsewhere by the board that established the council, unless he or she takes reasonable steps to inform people qualified to vote in the election of parent/guardian members of that employment. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 4 (2).
3. A person is qualified to vote in an election of parent/guardian members of a school council if he or she is a parent/guardian of a pupil who is enrolled in the school. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 4 (3).
4. An election of parent/guardian members of a school council shall be held during the first 30 days of each school year, on a date that is fixed by the previous year chair or co-chairs of the school council after consulting with the principal of the school. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 4 (4). This date should be agreed by the School Council at or before the final meeting in the previous school year.
5. Despite subsection (4), if a new school is established, the first election of parent/guardian members to the school council shall be held during the first 30 days of the school year, on a date that is fixed by the board that established the school council. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 4 (5).
6. The principal of a school shall, at least 14 days before the date of the election of parent/guardian members, on behalf of the school council, give written notice of the date, time and location of the election to every parent/guardian of a pupil who, on the date the notice is given, is enrolled in the school. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 4 (6).  The date of the election will be held before the first Legacy School Council meeting of the new school year.
7. The notice required by subsection (6) may be given by,
   1. Giving the notice to the parent/guardian’s child for delivery to his or her parent/guardian;
   2. Posting the notice in the school in a location that is accessible to parent/guardian. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 4 (7); and
   3. Communication to parents/guardians via email or similar electronic communication (e.g. EBulletins)
8. Any parent/guardian that would like to be a candidate for the Parent/Guardian members of School Council must submit their Candidate Form to the Principal/Vice-Principal by 9 am on the fifth business day prior to Election Day.  Each candidate may provide a provide a written biography about him or herself of 1 page or less to further assist parents/guardians with their voting decision (see APPENDIX A for a sample of the Nomination Form).
9. By the end of next business day after the due date for Candidate Forms, the Principal or Vice-Principal will send a “Receipt of School Council Nomination Form” via email to all Nominees.    The purpose of this form is for Nominees to re-confirm their acceptance of the nomination and to be placed on the election ballot.  Nominees will also be required to indicate if they are seeking an Officer Position of the School Council.  The “Receipt of Nomination Form” will due by 9 am on the business day before the first school council meeting to allow for ballots to be prepared for the election (see APPENDIX B for a sample of the Receipt of School Council Nomination Form.
10. The election of parent/guardian members shall be by secret ballot. O. Reg. 612/00, s. 4 (8).  Each parent of a student has one vote by secret ballot and may vote for up to as many parent candidates as there are parent positions on council.
11. The results of the election will be emailed to all candidates immediately following the conclusion of the election and tabulation of results.
12. An Election Committee will be responsible for tabulating the election results.  This Committee should be made up of the Principal or Vice-Principal, teacher representative, and 2 parents/guardians who are not candidates for Parent/Guardian Members.
13. Only the names of the successful candidates shall be made public.  A list of candidates, ballots, and the vote results will be kept on file at the school on behalf of the Legacy School Council, in case a re-count or re-confirmation is required.

Section 5.2:  Election of Officers

1. Nominees for School Council will inform the Principal / Vice-Principal, via the process set out in Section 5.1.9 above, if they wish to be a candidate for one of the Officer positions, as noted in Section 8.
2. If two or more School Council Members are contesting one of the Officer positions, an election by School Council members will be held for those specific positions at that first meeting.
3. Each candidate must provide up to 2 minutes of commentary about him or herself, as a candidate, to assist School Council members to vote in making an informed decision.  The candidate may also provide a written biography about him or herself of 1 page or less to further assist School Council Members.
4. After the commentaries are completed, School Council Members will vote by secret ballot for the contested Officer Positions.  The votes will be tabulated by the Election Committee.
5. After the tabulation is complete, the Principal/Vice-Principal will announce the successful candidates of the Officer Positions.
6. The Legacy School Council shall help the Principal ensure that the names and roles of the members of the new council and Officers are publicized to the school community within 30 days of the election.

Section 5.3:  Parent/Guardian Candidate LSC Nomination Form & Receipt of Nomination Form

See Appendix A & B

Section 5.4:  Example of Election Procedure Timelines

See Appendix C

Section 6: Term of Office

1. The term of office as a member of Legacy School Council is 1 year.
2. A current member of Legacy School Council may be re-elected.
3. No member can participate as a member of School Council for more than 3 consecutive years, unless:
   1. no other new members have been nominated and
   2. Legacy School Council members agree to have 3 year member included in subsequent LSC.

Section 7: Vacancies

If a vacancy or vacancies in the membership of School Council arise during the school year, School Council is required to communicate the vacancy(ies) to the parents and school community through reasonable means (e.g. eBulletins) and requesting candidates to come forward to fill those vacant positions, provided they meet the criteria for qualification in Section 5.  In the subsequent School Council meeting, the current Voting Members of the School Council will vote on these candidate(s).  Alternatively, School Council may decide to leave the specific membership vacant for the rest of the school year if practical to do so (for example, the vacancy may arise near the end of the school year and it’s not practical to fill the position for the remainder of the year). 

Section 8: Officers of School Council

1. Legacy School Council shall have one Chair or two Co-Chairs.  Candidates who wish to seek for the position of Co-Chairs will declare themselves as joint-candidates (e.g. If Candidate A wishes to be Chair, and Candidates B and C wish to be Co-Chairs, there will be an election by School Council to either select Candidate A or the joint candidacy of Candidate B and C).
2. The Chair, or Co-Chairs of Legacy School Council must be parent/guardian members of council and shall be elected during the first 30 days of each school year by the members of Council.
3. A person who is employed by the board cannot be a Legacy School Council Chair or Co-Chair.
4. Legacy School Council may have other officers, such as the Secretary and Treasurer.
5. A person who wishes to declare their candidacy for LSC Chair or Co-Chair must have been a member of LSC for a 1year term at some point prior to seeking the office of the Chair or Co-Chair.

Section 9: Roles and Responsibilities

1. Discussions at Legacy School Council meetings shall be limited to matters that concern school community as a whole and incorporate a school wide perspective on topics and issues.
2. Members shall encourage the participation of all parents/guardians and other members of the school community.
3. Members shall respect the personal opinion and input of each member of the school community, and foster an openness where individual contributions are encouraged and valued.
4. Members are expected to be present at every scheduled meeting of Legacy School Council. A review of council membership will be done in the event of chronic absenteeism. A member could be asked to resign for excessive absenteeism.
5. Members are accountable to the members of the school community they represent and act as a communication link between school council and community. 

Section 9.1: Chair /Co-Chairs

1. Call a minimum of four school council meetings per year in consultation with the principal;

2. Ensure that parents/guardians are consulted about matters under consideration by the council;

3. Communicate with Principal, school’s community, Board, Trustees and other school councils as required.
4. In collaboration with the principal, undertake fundraising and decisions about the management and expenditure of such school-generated funds in accordance with School Fundraising and Administration of School Generated Funds and other relevant Board policies and procedures;
5. Consult with the Principal and Legacy School Council members regarding topics for the agenda.  Prepare and publish/distribute the agenda no less than 3 business days prior to the scheduled council meeting.

6. Chair Legacy School Council meetings according to the agenda.

7. Ensure that information related to Legacy School Council business is shared with all members.
8. Prepare an article related to Legacy School Council business to be included in the school’s newsletter for distribution to the school’s community only after all members have approved the content of the article to be published.
9. Distribute the agenda, minutes and other Legacy School Council-related or official council correspondence/communication to all appropriate recipients.
10. Ensure that the school council constitution and by-laws are reviewed annually.

Section 9.2:  Secretary

1. Process and maintain accurate meeting minutes of each Legacy School Council meeting and review minutes with Principal, Chair and Co-Chair prior to distribution. Meeting minutes will be published within 2 weeks of being approved in subsequent council meeting.
2. Maintain accurate attendance records.
3. Ensure information related to Legacy School Council business is shared with all its members;
4. Ensure meeting dates are posted in conjunction with Principal involvement.
5. In conjunction with the Principal involvement, ensure that updated copies of School Council minutes, By-Laws and Reg. 612/00 are available.

Section 9.3:  Treasurer

1. Provide at regular meetings of Legacy School Council or whenever requested and required, an account of all financial transactions of the council and the financial position of the same and perform such other duties as may be requested from time-to-time by the council.
2. Facilitate the counting of all monies received by Legacy School Council and prepares the deposit, which will be to the credit of the council.  The actual deposit is made by the Secondary Office Administrative Assistant (SOAA) in the School Generated Funds (SGF) bank account administered by Legacy Public School (as per the guidelines set out in Section 3.3 of the School Council Handbook).
3. Keep full and accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements of Legacy School Council in proper books of account.
4. Authorize and facilitate payment of all bills authorized by the Council. 

Section 9.4:  Principal

1. Facilitate and support Legacy School Council and its operational responsibilities.
2. The Principal of the school shall, on behalf of Legacy School Council, give written notice of the dates, times and locations of the meetings of LSC to every parent/guardian of a pupil who, on the date the notice is given, is enrolled in the school.  Such notice may be given by:
   1. Giving the notice to the parent/guardian's child for delivery to his or her parent/guardian.
   2. Posting the notice in the school in a location that is accessible to parents//guardian(s); and
   3. Communication to parents/guardians via email or similar electronic communication (e.g. EBulletins)
3. Seek input from Legacy School Council where appropriate and provide Legacy School Council with regular updates on school business.
4. Act as information source on regulations, board policies and collective agreements.
5. Communicate with Chair/Co-Chairs and LSC members as required.
6. Assist Legacy School Council in communicating with the school community.
7. Support and promote Legacy School Council activities that are consistent with board policy statement dealing with school councils.
8. Consult with Chairs/Co-Chairs regarding topics for agenda where required; consider each recommendation the school council makes and provide the council with a rationale for any decisions reached or actions taken in response.
9. Review meeting minutes prepared by Secretary to ensure documentation is accurate; provide additional information and/or documentation supporting meeting agenda topics, if applicable;
10. Responsible for attending Legacy School Council meetings and maintaining updated copies of LSC minutes, By-Laws and Reg. 612/00 ensuring they are available in a central binder at the School.
11. Not be entitled to vote on matters under consideration by the school council or a committee of the school council;
12. The principal of a school may delegate any of his or her powers or duties as a member of the legacy school council, including any powers or duties under this Regulation, to a vice-principal of the school.
13. In addition to his or her duties under this Regulation, the principal of a school shall perform the duties relating to school councils that are imposed on the principal by Regulation 298 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 (Operation of Schools — General). 

Section 9.5:  Teacher Representatives 

1. Assist the Principal in communicating the activities of the Legacy School Council to teachers.
2. Act as a liaison between Legacy School Council and teachers.
3. Address teacher concerns to Legacy School Council where relevant and applicable for council consideration.
4. Attend Legacy School Council meetings. 

Section 9.6:  Non-teaching Staff Representative

1. Assist the Principal in communicating Legacy School Council activities to non-teaching staff.

2. Act as a liaison between Legacy School Council and non-teaching staff.

3. Address non-teaching staff issues to Legacy School Council where relevant and applicable for council consideration.

Section 9.7:  Community & Association Representative

1. Liaison between local Community, Associations and Legacy School Council.

Section 9.8:  Council Members

1. Support and promote the mission of Legacy School Council promoting character education and adopting a love for learning culture.

2. Maintain a school-wide perspective on issues and council matters.

3. Participate in council meetings and ensure that all meetings are open to the public and in an accessible location. 

4. Participate in information and training sessions.

5. Act as a liaison between council and the school’s parent/guardian community.

6. Encourage participation of parent(s)/guardian(s) from all groups within the community.

7. Each parent/guardian member must directly or indirectly participate in at least one sub-committee as a Legacy School Council member.

8. Provide input to Chair/Co-Chairs for suggested agenda items.

Section 10: School Council Meetings

1. School Council shall meet at least 4 times during the school year.
2. School Council shall meet within the first 35 days of the school year, after the elections are held under Section 5, on a date fixed by the Principal of the school.
3. An official Legacy School Council meeting cannot be held unless a majority of the current members of School Council are present at the meeting and a majority of the members of School Council who are present at the meeting are parent/guardian members.
4. If a Legacy School Council member is absent for more than 2 meetings and that member has not notified the Chairs / Co-Chairs prior to the meeting, that member may be removed from Council via vote by the other members of School Council; thereafter, council may elect another member to join LSC.
5. All official meetings of Legacy School Council shall be no more than 90 minutes in length.
6. All meetings of Legacy School Council shall be open to the public and held in a location that is accessible to the public. LSC is entitled to hold meeting at the school.
7. Legacy School Council may permit guest speakers up to 15 minutes, during a meeting, to provide a pertinent presentation at or near the start of the LSC meeting with pre-approval given to present at council meeting.
8. Council may permit a parent/guardian or community member up to 5 minutes, during a meeting, to provide a pertinent ‘new business’ presentation near the end of the Council meeting provided that the parent/guardian or community member submits a request to be added to the agenda prior to the council meeting.
9. School Council will accept a majority vote by council members (only) on all decisions concerning issues/presentations that are addressed at Legacy School Council meetings.
10. As a courtesy to new LSC members, proposals or presentations pertaining to prior year LSC initiatives (eg. Long-term projects such as Outdoor Classroom) should be accompanied by 1-2 explanatory paragraphs, such that all LSC members can participate and vote on said matters.
11. Evaluate existing policies and procedures and make recommendations where necessary.
12. Perform other duties determined by Legal School Council from time to time, e.g. membership on other council committees.

Section 11: Committees

1. Legacy School Council may establish committees to make recommendations to council.
2. Every committee of Legacy School Council must include at least 1 parent/guardian member of council.
3. A committee of Legacy School Council may include persons who are not members of council.

Section 12: Voting

1. Each member of Legacy School Council is entitled to 1 vote. Note: only one family member can have voting rights if multiple parent/guardians attend council.
2. Voting by proxy is acceptable provided:
3. Member giving the proxy has been absent for no more than 2 meetings;
4. Member giving the proxy notified one of the Co-Chairs and at least 2 other members by documentation prior to the meeting being held;
5. Members in attendance shall accept only one proxy per attending member.
6. In the absence of an official meeting, if necessary, Legacy School Council may communicate by email correspondence to secure a vote.
7. The Principal of the school is not entitled to vote.
8. The preferred method of decision-making is by consensus.  Consensus is a collective opinion or general agreement by all Council members present, assuming a quorum is met.  In cases where a decision cannot be reached by consensus, the Chair may use one of the following approaches:
9. To have a vote by way of a show of hands or silent vote by those present in which a 51% majority shall carry the vote;
10. To defer the issue to the next meeting;
11. To defer the issue to a special meeting; or
12. To defer the issue to a sub-committee.

Section 13: Administration of Funds

1. Funds raised by Legacy School Council shall be used for school related activities and equipment and to pay for the general expenses of carrying out the business of council. 

2. All Legacy School Council funds shall be held in a school generated funds bank account by the school.

3. LSC shall ensure that all cheques have two signatures, one of which is the Principal’s.
4. LSC shall provide input to the Principal on fundraising activities, early in the school year, based on the school improvement plan.
5. LSC shall provide a financial report at each council meeting and record receipt of the report in the minutes.
6. LSC shall work with the Principal to ensure that processes are in place to adequately control the funds.
7. LSC shall ensure that all funds collected are provided to the school as they are received to be deposited into the school generated funds bank account; and LSC shall not deposit school-generated funds into their own personal bank accounts.
8. LSC shall maintain financial transactions for all school generated funds for a seven-year period at the school.
9. Expenditures for events wholly or partially funded by LSC are to be presented in budget form for approval by council.     
10. Receipts must be furnished for all expenditures.
11. LSC expenditures of up to One Hundred dollars ($100.00) may be authorized by the Principal and Chair/one of Co-Chairs or Treasurer without first having been approved by the council.
12. All expenditures in excess of One Hundred dollars ($100.00) shall be made only with the advance approval of LSC.
13. General count of money must be done by two people at the same time.
14. LSC shall not operate in a deficit.

Section 14: Minutes and Financial Records

1. Legacy School Council shall keep minutes of all of its meetings and records of all of its financial transactions for up to 4 years.
2. The minutes and records shall be available at the school for examination without charge by any person for up to 4 years.

Section 15: Incorporation

School Council shall not be incorporated.

Section 16: Advisory Authority of School Councils

1. Legacy School Council may make recommendations to the principal of the school or to the board that established the council on any matter.
2. The board that established a school council shall consider each recommendation made to the board by the council and shall advise the council of the action taken in response to the recommendation.

Section 17: Annual Report

1. Every school council shall annually submit a written report on its activities to the principal of the school and to the board that established the council.
2. If the school council engages in fundraising activities, the annual report shall include a report on those activities.
3. The principal shall, on behalf of the school council, give a copy of the report to every parent/guardian of a pupil who, on the date the copy is given, is enrolled in the school.
4. The Principal shall, on behalf of School Council, give a copy of the report to every parent/guardian of a pupil who, on the date the copy is given, is enrolled in the school.  This may be complied by;
   1. Giving the report to the parent/guardian's child for delivery to his or her parent/guardian; and
   2. Posting the report in the school in a location that is accessible to parent(s)/guardian(s).

Section 18: Amendments to School Council By-Laws

A request for amendments to the By-Laws can be proposed at Legacy School Council meeting by a member and thereafter, voted upon by council.  If necessary and prior to voting, LSC can set dates and times to, or by email correspondence, discuss these proposed amendments.  If LSC passes any amendment, record is shown in the minutes and the By-Laws shall be immediately amended accordingly and noted with the revision date.

Section 19: Conflict of Interest

1. A conflict of interest may be actual, perceived, or potential:
   1. Actual:  When any school council member has a private interest that is sufficiently connected to his/her duties and responsibilities as a council member that it influences the exercise of these duties and responsibilities.
   2. Perceived:  When reasonably well-informed persons could reasonably believe that a school council member has a conflict of interest, even where, in fact, there is no real conflict of interest.
   3. Potential:  When a school council member has a private interest that could affect his or her decision about matters proposed for discussion.
2. Every Legacy School Council member shall avoid situations that could result in any inconsistency between the overall goals and mission of Legacy School Council and a personal or vested interest that would arise in connection with his or her duties as a LSC member.
3. Any time Legacy School Council does business with the potential for monetary gain/loss with any person, agency, or company in which a member of LSC has any personal or vested interest, that member shall declare a conflict of interest and shall not discuss or vote on any such resolutions relating to the matter.
4. Should an issue or agenda item arise during a LSC meeting where a council member is in a conflict of interest, that member shall declare a conflict of interest immediately and withdraw from discussion or resolution relating to the matter.
5. Members of LSC shall declare a conflict of interest in matters that they (except school staff and students), members of their families (except school staff and students), or business entities in which the member may have an interest, stand to benefit either directly or indirectly by decisions of Legacy School Council.
6. A member shall not accept favors or economic benefits from any individual, organization or entity known to be seeking business contracts with the school.
7. A member shall exclude him or herself from discussion in which:
   1. A conflict of interest is likely to result;
   2. The member’s ability to carry our his or her duties and responsibilities as a member of Legacy School Council may be jeopardized;
   3. The LSC member, his or her relatives, or a business entity in which the member may have an interest, may gain or benefit either directly or indirectly as a result of actions that may be taken by the Principal or Board in response to advice that the LSC provides to the Principal or to the Board.

Section 20: Conflict Resolution

1. Every Legacy School Council member will be given an opportunity to concisely express his/her concerns or opinions about the issue at dispute, how the dispute has affected that member, and to provide at least one option for resolution.
2. Speakers to an issue will maintain a calm and respectful tone at all times.
3. Speakers will be allowed to speak briefly and concisely without interruption.
4. Chair or one of the Co-Chairs will clarify, if necessary, the statements made by all speakers to identify common ground among the points of the view raised; and set out the joint interest of all members.
5. If no common ground can be identified, Chair or one of the Co-Chairs will seek to clarify preferences among all members before proceeding further.
6. If a LSC member(s) become disruptive during a meeting, Chair or one of the Co-Chairs shall ask for order.
7. If an effort to restore order fails or the disruptive behaviour continues, upon mutual agreement of Chair or Co-Chairs, they may direct the disruptive member(s) to leave the meeting, citing the reasons for the request.
8. The removal of a member for one meeting does not prevent that LSC member from participating in future meetings of Council.
9. The incident shall be recorded in the minutes.
10. When the Chair/Co-Chairs have requested the removal of a member(s) from the meeting, the Chair/Co-Chairs shall request that the disputing members of council participate in a special meeting; the purpose of which to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution to the dispute.  Such a meeting may be a private meeting and shall not be construed as a meeting of the LSC.
11. Upon mutual agreement, the Chair/Co-Chairs may request the intervention of an independent third party arbitrator to assist in achieving a resolution to the dispute.
12. Any resolution reached at the meeting to resolve the conflict shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting; and copies of the minutes circulated to LSC members and published.

Section 21: Approval to Amendments

Council was established as result of Regulation 612/00 in co-operation with local board, staff, students, parent/guardian(s)/guardian(s) and guardians of children attending this school.  The By-Laws stated herein and revisions were approved by Legacy School Council as recorded in the minutes of the Council meeting dated:

Appendix A: An Example of Nomination Form

Nomination Form for Parent Elections to School Council

Legacy Public School

Parent members of Legacy School Council are parents like you; committed to education and vision for a love of learning.  If you are interested in becoming a candidate or if you would like to nominate a candidate for election, please complete this form and forward it to the Council’s Elections Committee at Legacy Public School. 

Please complete:

☐ I (PLEASE PRINT), _______________________________________, wish to become a parent candidate on Legacy School Council.

or

☐ I wish to nominate (PLEASE PRINT) ______________________________________ as a parent candidate on Legacy School Council. 

PLEASE PRINT Candidate’s Information:

Address:   ________________________________________________________________

                   ________________________________________________________________

Home #:  _________________ Bus #:  _________________        Cell #: ________________

E Mail:      ________________________________________________________________

Child’s Name: _______________________________________________   Grade: ______________

The candidate has been contacted and agrees to this nomination.        ☐yes             ☐no

The person I have nominated is an employee of the board.            ☐yes              ☐no    ☐unknown

Name of Nominator – PLEASE PRINT  ________________________________   Signature   ________________________  Date________________________________ 

Home #:  _________________  Bus #:  _________________  Cell #: ________________

E Mail:      ________________________________________________________________

Appendix B: Example of Receipt of School Council Nomination Form

The below is for illustrative purposes only

Thank you for your nomination for a voting position on Legacy's School Council. Elections will occur at XX: 00pm on XXXXXXXX, XXX in our Library. 

There will be two stages to the election both completed by secret ballot: 

a) An election of the Voting Members by all attendees (12 voting members made up of: 9 parent/guardian members, 1 community member, 1 association member, 1 teacher member) 

b) An election of officials (Chair/co-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) by the elected Voting 
Members. Information about these positions can be found on our website (3.2.10 
of School Council Handbook).

Please complete the following questionnaire so that we may prepare the voting ballots for the election.

* Required

Top of Form

________________________________________________________________________

I would like to be considered for the following positions: *

 ☐ Voting Member - Parent/Guardian

 ☐ Voting Member Community Representative

 ☐ Voting Member - Association Representative

In addition I would like to run for the following Executive Member positions:

Please leave blank if this is not of interest to you.

☐ Chair

☐ Co-Chair

☐ Secretary

☐ Treasurer

Please share a brief biography to be shared with attendees.

(You may leave this blank if you have already submitted this with your nomination form.)

Members running for Executive positions will be given 1-2 minutes to make a brief statement before the election begins.

Your Name

________________________________________________________________________

Bottom of Form

Appendix C: Example of Election Procedure Timelines

The below is for illustrative purposes only