WalkerMiddle School

The purpose of the 2019-20 School Advisory Council (SAC) Guide is to serve as a resource for the school principal and SAC Chair. This document is a compilation of local and state resources.

The SAC’s primary role is to assist in the preparation and evaluation of the school improvement plan for the current year (Fla. Stat. § 1001.452(2), 2019). The SAC also gives assistance to the principal in the planning of the upcoming year’s budget (Fla. Stat. § 1001.452(2), 2019).

Bylaws are the ground rules that SAC members agree to follow. They give structure to the meeting process, which should be focused on the school improvement plan, student achievement, and budget items. Section 1001.452(1)(d) of Florida Statutes (2019) states each school advisory council shall adopt bylaws establishing procedures for:

1. Requiring a quorum to be present before a vote may be taken by the school advisory council. A majority of the membership of the council constitutes a quorum.
2. Requiring at least 3 days advance notice in writing to all members of the school advisory council of any matter that is scheduled to come before the council for a vote.
3. Scheduling meetings when parents, students, teachers, businesspersons, and members of the community can attend.
4. Replacing any member who has two unexcused consecutive absences from a school advisory council meeting that is noticed according to the procedures in the bylaws.
5. Recording minutes of meetings (see Appendix B for Template - School Advisory Council Minutes).

The school district is required to review and maintain copies of all SAC bylaws (Fla. Stat. § 1001.452(1)(d), 2019). The district has a collaboration site that allows school administrators to upload approved SAC minutes and bylaws (see Appendix C for Template - School Advisory Council Bylaws). School administrators are also able to view all previously submitted documents. Instructions for using the site are available on the IMS School Improvement page.

The school is responsible for setting up election and appointment procedures, which should be accurately reflected in the school’s SAC bylaws. The school should give reasonable written notice (at least three days) for the election of SAC members. Information about the SAC and any identified vacancies should be shared with all parents, school employees, and community members. Any candidates interested in serving on SAC should notify the principal or previous year’s SAC chair and may be asked to prepare a brief information statement.

The school board must review the final composition and racial balance of all SACs in the district in order to comply with state law (Fla. Stat. § 1001.452(1)(a), 2019). Balance in the SAC’s

composition is critical and cannot be overemphasized. Section 1001.452(1)(a) of the Florida Statutes (2019) outlines the following key elements:

• The SAC membership must be representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school.
• The majority (at least 51 percent) of SAC members must be non-school district employees.
• Each advisory council is required to be composed of the principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, education support employees, students (only required for career centers and high schools), parents, and other business and community citizens.

According to section 1001.452(1)(a) of the Florida Statutes (2019), council members representing teachers, education support employees, students, and parents shall be elected by their respective peer groups in a fair and equitable manner as follows:

1. Teachers shall be elected by teachers.
2. Education support employees shall be elected by education support employees.
3. Students shall be elected by students (career centers and high school SACs shall have student members; middle school SACs may have student members).
4. Parents shall be elected by parents (school advisory councils of career centers and adult education centers are not required to include parents as members).

Business and community leaders shall be appointed by the principal. Additional Information on SAC Membership
• Assistant principals cannot be voting members of SACs, since they are in administrative roles
• Only the school principal is authorized to be a voting member as an administrator
• According to section 24.121(5)(d) of the Florida Statutes (2019), no funds shall be released for any purpose from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund to any school district in which one or more schools do not have an approved school improvement plan or do not comply with school advisory council membership composition requirements.

• If, after elections of SAC members, it is determined that either a majority of members are school employees or that the membership is not racially or ethnically balanced, the district school board shall appoint additional members to bring the membership into compliance (Fla. Stat. § 1001.452(1)(a), 2019).

• Once elections have taken place, schools should make updates to the SAC membership roster as appropriate. SAC Rosters are collected by the district in the fall using the SAC Roster entry tool (sac.ocps.net). Changes to SAC membership after the rosters have been approved by the School Board shall be reflected in the SAC minutes.

Keeping accurate minutes of SAC meetings is important, not simply because they are required according to section 1001.452(1)(d) of the Florida Statutes (2019), but also because previous meeting minutes give continuity to upcoming business, as well as record the history of the work of the SAC (see Appendix B for Template - School Advisory Council Minutes).

There is not a set number of required meetings per school year. These shall be held based on the needs of the school. However, to meet Five Star School requirements, SACs should meet a minimum of eight times per year and have membership attendance averages of at least 80 percent. Meetings should include a discussion of the progress made towards school goals outlined in the school improvement plan and the connection to the district’s Strategic Plan, including the vision, mission, and goals. For additional information, please contact Pam Carson, Assistant Director, District Foundation and Community Outreach, 407-317-3261, extension 200- 2990.

Section 286.011(1) of the Florida Statutes (2019) indicates that there must be reasonable notice of meetings. The statute has not exactly defined reasonable notice, but a seven-day notice is generally considered reasonable. The district recommends that a seven-day notice be given before meetings. Ways in which you can give notice include (a) sending home a schedule of meetings for the year, (b) posting the next meeting on the school’s marquee, (c) using a bulletin board (located either in the administration office or the media center) and/or a stand dedicated to SAC business in a visible place in the school, or (d) advertising the meeting on the school’s website or in a school newsletter.

In addition to the requirements of reasonable notice outlined in section 286.011(1) of Florida Statutes (2019), Section 1001.452(1)(d)2 of Florida Statutes (2019) requires at least three days advance notice in writing to all members of the advisory council of any matter that is scheduled to come before the council for a vote. This requirement can be met by publishing the agenda at least three days prior to the meeting. Publishing the agenda may include (a) posting the agenda on the SAC bulletin board, (b) publishing the agenda on the school’s website, or (c) distributing the agenda to SAC members three days prior to the meeting.

Emergency meetings shall be called only if jointly agreed upon by the SAC chair and the principal, and shall abide by all the guidelines of a regular meeting.

These meetings shall be afforded the most appropriate and effective notice under the circumstances and shall have at least 24 hours of reasonable notice to the public.

Subcommittees should be formed and chaired by SAC members. Often subcommittees are formed to address concerns that arise in SAC meetings. The general public with particular interest or expertise may serve on subcommittees even if they are not SAC members. Subcommittee meetings must also meet the requirements of section 286.011 of the Florida Statutes (2019). Notice should be given in the same manner as indicated above for SAC meetings.

The Government in the Sunshine Law provides a right of access to governmental proceedings of public boards and applies to any gathering, formal or informal, of two or more members of the SAC to discuss some matter which will foreseeably come before the SAC, at some future point, for action or consideration. The purpose of the Sunshine Law is to ensure that decisions by public

bodies are made in an open forum accessible to members of the public. Issues that may foreseeably come before the SAC for discussion, deliberation, consideration, or recommendation should not be discussed by members of the SAC outside of a properly noticed public meeting (Fla. Stat. § 286.011, 2019). The purpose of this provision is to keep officials from meeting privately behind closed doors, agreeing to a decision, and then formally making the decision in a meeting. All members of the SAC, including parents and school employees, should not discuss SAC business with other SAC members outside of a meeting.

This can become a difficult distinction to make when faculty members who are SAC members have discussions in meetings. Principals then have to decide if a topic in a faculty meeting or team meeting is something that may be discussed at an upcoming SAC meeting. In theory, anything regarding school improvement could possibly come before the SAC. The following practices are encouraged to assist with compliance with the Sunshine law:

• State in a SAC meeting and record in the meeting minutes that members should not discuss SAC issues with other SAC members outside of the meeting.
• At a faculty meeting, distinguish between school business and foreseeable SAC issues.
• When issues that may come before the SAC are discussed, excuse faculty who are members of the SAC from the meeting.
• If SAC issues will be discussed at a faculty or team meeting, post a notice of the faculty meeting regarding SAC matters. The notice should apply only to the SAC topics on the agenda. The rest of the meeting that does not apply to SAC does not need to be posted. Post a notice of this meeting according to the reasonable notice guidelines.

Section 286.011(1) of the Florida Statutes (2019) requires that all meetings of any board or commission of any state agency shall be open to the public at all times and no resolution, rule, or formal action shall be considered binding except as taken or made at such meeting.

In the spirit of public access and involvement, meetings must be held where there is access for all potential participants and guests. School facilities or other locations where meetings are held must be accessible for people with mobility or physical disability.

Any reports, minutes, plans, or any other records created by or presented to the SAC must be available for public inspection (Fla. Stat. §119.01(1), 2019). It is a good idea to maintain these records electronically, as well as in a designated place such as the media center or the administration office. Examples of materials that must be made available for public inspection include the bylaws, school improvement plan (SIP), the school advisory council (SAC) membership roster, reports to the SAC, and meeting minutes. For the 2019-20 school year, school administrators will upload approved SAC minutes and bylaws to the collaboration site. The site allows school administrators to view all previously submitted documents. The address is http://sacfiles.ocps.net. Instructions for using the site are available on the IMS School Improvement page. The files should be sent with the complete name of the school followed by the date of the meeting in the subject line.

Records should be maintained at the school for at least the school year for which they apply. Thereafter (i.e., after one year), they should be shipped to the OCPS Records Management for archival (see the District Records Archival Handbook for information regarding the labeling and barcode process). For more information, contact the OCPS Records Management department at (407) 317-3961.

School Advisory Councils fall under the requirements of section 286.011 of the Florida Statutes (2019). The SAC may adopt bylaws that ensure the orderly conduct of a meeting and require orderly behavior on the part of those attending. The public has the right to attend and use non-disruptive recording devices at SAC meetings, including video recordings.

Robert’s Rules of Order also grants the authority and responsibility of running an orderly meeting to the chairperson (http://www.rulesonline.com/). The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) and the district recommend that SACs use Robert’s Rules of Order as a resource in establishing procedures for conducting meetings. A SAC may adopt additional rules of procedure for conducting an orderly meeting.

• The agenda should include items scheduled to come before the SAC for a vote. The agenda should be posted no less than three days prior to the scheduled SAC meeting.
• Votes may only be taken if a quorum is present. A quorum requires at least 51 percent of the total SAC membership.
• There shall be no voting by proxy
• There shall be no secret ballots
• All voting shall take place at an open meeting (not by phone, email, or any other non-public way) in compliance with section 286.011 of the Florida Statutes (2019)

Minutes are the written record of a meeting and the actions taken by the SAC.

The SAC is required to keep minutes of all meetings (Fla. Stat. § 1001.452(1)(d), 2019). Minutes should be a concise reporting of what took place in each meeting. It is not necessary to record every detail of the meeting or the discussion about an item under consideration. It is only necessary to record actions taken and specifics about the date, time, and location of the meeting. Be sure to include in the minutes the name of your school, that it is a SAC meeting, and state that it is a document of the minutes.

Section 1001.452(1)(d) of the Florida Statutes (2019) requires the district office to maintain a record of SAC minutes. A collaboration site has been created allowing school administrators to upload approved SAC minutes and bylaws. The site allows school administrators to view all previously submitted documents. The address is http://sacfiles.ocps.net. Instructions for using the site are available on the IMS School Improvement page.

A person should be designated as responsible for recording minutes (e.g., the secretary of the SAC). Duties of officers, including the secretary, should also be stated in the bylaws.

For consistency and in the event of a records request, please use the SAC template (see Appendix B for Template - School Advisory Council Minutes).

Below are the sections included on the template:

• School name, date, time, and location
• Attendance (This information should be collected from your sign-in sheet)
• Call to order
• Approval of previous minutes
• Principal’s report
• School Improvement Plan Goals
• Budget Item-Fund 145 (School Improvement Fund)
• Budget Item-Fund 211 (School Recognition Fund)
• Old business
• New business
• Open agenda (Public comments)
• Meeting adjournment
• Next meeting date, time, and location
• Submitted by (name and position)

1. Provide overall direction to schools regarding the SAC process.
2. Maintain all SAC resources located on the OCPS Internet and Intranet websites.
3. Collect and maintain copies of all SAC bylaws.
4. Collect and maintain SAC minutes.
5. Coordinate the approval of SAC membership rosters and school improvement plans (SIP) by the School Board.
6. Maintain a district copy of SAC membership rosters, summaries of representation, and school improvement plans.
7. Maintain direct contact with the FDOE to facilitate communication between the FDOE and the district.
8. Transmit information received from the FDOE to schools and learning communities/area offices.
9. Give general guidance to learning communities/area offices and schools in all aspects of the school improvement plan process.

1. Maintain access to SAC membership rosters and summaries of representation.
2. Review and approve SAC membership rosters for representation of all school populations.
3. Review and provide feedback to school principals and leadership teams regarding the school improvement plan.
4. Provide support to principals and SAC chairs regarding any items of concern pertaining to SAC.

The OCPS Internet and intranet websites, http://www.ocps.net and http://intranet.ocps.net, respectively, are critical for keeping informed about the progress of Orange County Public Schools. Additionally, the SAC IMS page has communications, resources, and roster deadlines at https://www.myfloridalegal.com/

The FDOE website offers information pertinent to school improvement and other helpful data at http://www.fldoe.org.

Government in the Sunshine Law information may be found at http://myfloridalegal.com/sunshine.

Consult http://www.robertsrules.com for information on parliamentary procedure publications that will help in conducting successful SAC meetings.

Details regarding records management can be found on the OCPS Records Archiving website at https://intranet.ocps.net/departments/records_management/records_archiving/.

SACs are governed by Florida Statutes. These links will take you to the necessary websites: Search Florida Statutes at http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes
Download a (PDF) version of the 2019 Government in the Sunshine Manual at https://www.myfloridalegal.com/

District and School Advisory Councils
Section 1001.452 of the Florida Statutes (2019)

1001.452 District and school advisory councils.–

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.–
(a) The district school board shall establish an advisory council for each school in the district and shall develop procedures for the election and appointment of advisory council members. Each school advisory council shall include in its name the words “school advisory council.” The school advisory council shall be the sole body responsible for final decision making at the school relating to the implementation of ss. 1001.42(18) and 1008.345. A majority of the members of each school advisory council must be persons who are not employed by the school district. Each advisory council shall be composed of the principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, education support employees, students, parents, and other business and community citizens who are representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school. Career center and high school advisory councils shall include students, and middle and junior high school advisory councils may include students. School advisory councils of career centers and adult education centers are not required to include parents as members. Council members representing teachers, education support employees, students, and parents shall be elected by their respective peer groups at the school in a fair and equitable manner as follows:
1. Teachers shall be elected by teachers.
2. Education support employees shall be elected by education support employees.
3. Students shall be elected by students.
4. Parents shall be elected by parents.
The district school board shall establish procedures to be used by schools in selecting business and community members that include means of ensuring wide notice of vacancies and of taking input on possible members from local business, chambers of commerce, community, and civic organizations and groups, and the public at large. The district school board shall review the membership composition of each advisory council. If the district school board determines that the membership elected by the school is not representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school, the district school board shall appoint additional members to achieve proper representation. The commissioner shall determine if schools have maximized their efforts to include on their advisory councils' minority persons and persons of lower socioeconomic status. Although schools are strongly encouraged to establish school advisory councils, the district school board of any school district that has a student population of 10,000 or fewer may establish a district advisory council that includes at least one duly elected teacher from each school in the district. For the purposes of school advisory councils and district advisory councils, the term “teacher” includes classroom teachers, certified student services personnel, and media specialists. For purposes of this paragraph, “education support employee” means any person employed by a school who is not defined as instructional or administrative personnel pursuant to s. 1012.01 and whose duties require 20 or more hours in each normal working week.

(b) The district school board may establish a district advisory council representative of the district and composed of teachers, students, parents, and other citizens or a district advisory council that may be comprised of representatives of each school advisory council. Recognized school-wide support groups that meet all criteria established by law or rule may function as school advisory councils.
(c) For those schools operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, district school boards may establish a district advisory council with appropriate representatives for the purpose of developing and monitoring a district school improvement plan that encompasses all such schools in the district, pursuant to s. 1001.42(18)(a).
(d) Each school advisory council shall adopt bylaws establishing procedures for:
1. Requiring a quorum to be present before a vote may be taken by the school advisory council. A majority of the membership of the council constitutes a quorum.
2. Requiring at least 3 days advance notice in writing to all members of the advisory council of any matter that is scheduled to come before the council for a vote.
3. Scheduling meetings when parents, students, teachers, businesspersons, and members of the community can attend.
4. Replacing any member who has two unexcused consecutive absences from a school advisory council meeting that is noticed according to the procedures in the bylaws.
5. Recording minutes of meetings.
The district school board may review all proposed bylaws of a school advisory council and shall maintain a record of minutes of council meetings.

(2) DUTIES.–Each advisory council shall perform functions prescribed by regulations of the district school board; however, no advisory council shall have any of the powers and duties now reserved by law to the district school board. Each school advisory council shall assist in the preparation and evaluation of the school improvement plan required pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). With technical assistance from the Department of Education, each school advisory council shall assist in the preparation of the school’s annual budget and plan as required by s. 1008.385(1). A portion of funds provided in the annual General Appropriations Act for use by school advisory councils must be used for implementing the school improvement plan.

«School Name»
School Advisory Council (SAC) Meeting Minutes
«Date and Time» «Location»

Attendance:

Call to Order:
A meeting of the <<School Name>> School Advisory Council was held in the <<location>> on <<date>>. Chair <<SAC Chair Name>> called the meeting to order at <<time>>. <<Recorder Name>> will record minutes for this meeting.

Approval of Previous Minutes: Principal’s Report (Announcements):
Budget Updates – Fund 145 (School Improvement Fund), Fund 211 (School Recognition Fund) School Improvement Plan (Goal Updates):
Old Business: New Business:
Open Agenda (Public comments):

Meeting Adjournment:
Motion: <<Name of person who motioned to adjourn>> motioned to adjourn the meeting at <<time>>. Motion carried unanimously.

Next Meeting Date, Time, and Location:

Submitted by: <<Name of Recorder and Position on SAC Board>>

Approval date: <<Date of Approval>>

For the 2019-20 school year, school administrators will upload approved SAC minutes and bylaws to the collaboration site. The site allows school administrators to view all previously submitted documents. The address is http://sacfiles.ocps.net. Instructions for using the site are available on the IMS School Improvement page.

According to Florida State Statute 1001.452 (2), SAC members shall:

1. Perform functions prescribed by regulations of the district school board, however; no advisory council shall have any of the powers and duties now reserved by law to the district school board
2. Assist in the preparation and evaluation of the school improvement plan
3. Assist in the preparation of the school’s annual budget and plan
4. A portion of funds provided in the annual General Appropriations Act for use by school advisory councils must be used for implementing the school improvement plan. (If funds are available from the Florida Department of Education)

«School Name»
School Advisory Council Bylaws

Ratification

These bylaws were ratified by the «School Name» School Advisory Council on «Date».

Article I: «School Name»

The name of the organization shall be the «School Name» School Advisory Council, hereinafter referred to as the “SAC.”

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of the SAC is to assist in the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of the school improvement plan required pursuant to section 1001.452 of the Florida Statutes (2019). It shall perform such functions as are prescribed by the regulations of the school board; however, it shall not have any of the powers and duties reserved by law to the school board.

Article III: Duties

According to section 1001.452(2) of the Florida Statutes (2019),

Each advisory council shall perform functions prescribed by regulations of the district school board; however, no advisory council shall have any of the powers and duties now reserved by law to the district school board. Each school advisory council shall assist in the preparation and evaluation of the school improvement plan required pursuant to section 1001.42(18) of the Florida Statutes (2019). With technical assistance from the Department of Education, each school advisory council shall assist in the preparation of the school’s annual budget and plan as required by section 1008.385(1) of the Florida Statutes (2019). A portion of funds provided in the annual General Appropriations Act for use by school advisory councils must be used for implementing the school improvement plan.

Article IV: Representation and Elections

Representation:

1. Each SAC shall be composed of the principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, education support employees, students, parents, and other business and community citizens who are representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school.
2. There shall be members elected to the council from each of the following constituent groups. A majority (51%) of the members of this school advisory council must be persons who are not employees of the school district.
a. Teachers shall be elected by teachers.
b. Education support employees shall be elected by education support employees.
c. Students shall be elected by students (Career center and high school advisory councils shall include students, and middle and junior high school advisory councils may include students).
d. Parents shall be elected by parents.
e. Business and community leaders shall be appointed by the principal.

Elections:

Elections of members shall take place after the school year begins in August and prior to the September SAC meeting. SAC members representing teachers, education support employees, and parents shall be elected by their representative peer groups. Proper notice of the election of council members shall be given according to section 1001.452(1)(a) of the Florida Statutes (2019).

Election of Members:

1. Information about SAC and identified vacancies are sent to all parents, school-based employees, and Partners in Education.
2. Candidates notify the principal or previous year’s SAC chair of their interest in serving on SAC and complete a brief information statement.
3. Statements are compiled and sent to all respective groups with ballots. Ballots for parent members shall be distributed one ballot per family.
4. Ballots are returned to the school office or other designated location.
5. The SAC chair, principal, and other SAC members shall open and count ballots at an advertised place and time.

Article V: Voting Procedures

1. A quorum shall be 51% of the total SAC membership. Votes may only be taken if a quorum is present.
2. Decisions shall be made by consensus whenever possible. In the event a vote is taken, the passage will require a simple majority (51%) of quorum.
3. There shall be no voting by proxy.
4. There shall be no secret ballots.
5. All voting shall take place at an open meeting (not by phone, email, or any other non-public way) in compliance with section 286.011 of the Florida Statutes (2019).

Article VI: Tenure

1. Elected SAC members may assume their duties upon election.
2. Appointed SAC members shall serve for a period of one year or until the next election, whichever comes first.
3. There shall be no limit on the number of terms a member may serve. SAC members may serve until they choose to resign, their children no longer attend «School Name», or they are removed due to absences.
4. SAC membership is limited to one member per family.
5. Absences may be excused by a majority vote of the quorum.
6. Members who have two consecutive unexcused absences, or any three unexcused absences from regularly scheduled meetings, will be removed from the council with a majority vote from the quorum and replaced according to the election procedures stated in these bylaws.
7. Parent members must have a child enrolled at «School Name». If the child leaves «School Name» during the parent’s term of office, then the parent shall vacate his or her seat and a vacancy shall exist.
8. Vacancies of members shall be filled from those who unsuccessfully ran for office, meet the composition requirements of the vacancy, and had the highest number of votes. If there are no candidates who meet these criteria, the SAC shall fill the vacancy by a simple majority vote.

Article VII: Meetings

1. Meetings shall be held beginning in «Date». Dates and meeting times shall be determined at the «Date» meeting. All meetings will be scheduled when parents, students, teachers, business, and community members can attend.
2. Emergency meetings shall only be called if jointly agreed upon by the SAC chair and the principal, and shall abide by all the guidelines of a regular meeting.
3. Meetings of the SAC or its subcommittees shall be held in accordance with section
286.011 of the Florida Statutes (2019).
4. Meetings shall be open to the public, accessible to the handicapped, and scheduled so that all members can attend.
a. A specific time will be set aside on the agenda for input by the general public.
b. Time limits will be set on any presentation to the SAC.
5. Meetings shall be noticed as follows:
a. Requiring at least three days advance notice in writing to all members of the SAC of any matter that is scheduled to come before the council for a vote.
b. The notice shall contain the time and place of the meeting and an agenda. The agenda will include items scheduled to come before the SAC for a vote. The agenda will be sent no less than three days prior to the scheduled SAC meeting.
c. The notice and agenda shall be prominently displayed in the area of the school set aside for that purpose.
d. Emergency and cancellation of meetings shall be afforded the most appropriate and effective notice under the circumstances and shall have at least 24 hours reasonable notice to the public.

Article VIII: Duties of Officers

1. The SAC shall have three officers: the Chair, the Vice-Chair, and the Secretary. They shall be elected at the September meeting by a simple majority vote. At least one of the officers shall be a non-school employee.
2. The duties of the Chair shall include:
a. Preside at meetings
b. Develop last-minute or emergency agenda items with the principal
c. Appoint subcommittee chairs
d. Notify all members of upcoming meeting dates
e. Inform SAC of relevant training
f. Assist principal with the presentation of the school improvement plan to the community
3. The duties of Vice-Chair shall include:
a. Assumes the duties of the Chair if the Chair is absent or vacates the position
b. Assist principal with annual surveys
4. The duties of Secretary shall include:
a. Record minutes of meetings
b. Keep annual attendance records
c. Track expenditures from school improvement funds and maintain SAC financial records
d. SAC correspondence
e. Send minutes to members with the next month’s agenda
f. Provide public notice of all SAC meetings
5. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Vice-Chair or Secretary, the SAC shall fill the vacancy by a simple majority vote.
6. An officer may be removed from office by a two-thirds majority vote of the full SAC.

Article IX: Parliamentary Procedures

The SAC Chair will refer to “Robert’s Rules of Order Revised” when conducting the SAC meetings (http://www.rulesonline.com/).

Article X: Amendments

1. The bylaws shall be reviewed at the April and September meetings.
2. Amendment recommendations shall be advertised for 30 calendar days.
3. Approval of bylaw amendments shall require a two-thirds vote of the quorum.

Task or Activity Timeframe
1. Organize and conduct elections of new SAC members May – September
2. Principal appoints business and community leaders to the SAC May – September
3. Submit SAC Bylaws for the current school year sacfiles.ocps.net
May – December
4. Review new SAC membership for balance and representation August – October
5. Vote on the disbursement of school recognition funds May – January
6. Share AdvancED survey results with stakeholders May – September
7. Prepare to complete a draft of next year’s SIP with the SAC May – July
8. Use state assessment results, student achievement data, Early Warning Systems (EWS) data, AdvancED survey data, and other school-based data in developing SIP June – October
9. Complete final SIP according to the timeline designated by your learning community/area office (DA schools may have additional requirements) August – October
10. Enter membership names on the SAC Entry Roster tool and balance membership and representation sac.ocps.net September – October
11. Submit SAC minutes sacfiles.ocps.net
September – May
12. Review mid-year data (e.g., student achievement data, progress monitoring data, discipline data, attendance data) November – January
13. Complete SIP Mid-Year Reflection (MYR) January – February
14. Involve SAC in the preparation of the upcoming school budget January – March
15. Hold a planning and reflection session to review year-end results for the current year and identify potential SIP focus areas for the upcoming school year May – June

State Education Goals
Section 1008.31(2)(c) of the Florida Statutes (2019)

1008.31 Florida’s K-20 education performance accountability system; legislative intent; mission, goals, and system-wide measures; data quality improvements.—
(2) MISSION, GOALS, AND SYSTEMWIDE MEASURES
(c) The Department of Education shall maintain an accountability system that measures student progress toward the following goals:
1. Highest student achievement, as indicated by evidence of student learning gains at all levels.
2. Seamless articulation and maximum access, as measured by evidence of progression, readiness, and access by targeted groups of students identified by the Commissioner of Education.
3. Skilled workforce and economic development, as measured by evidence of employment and earnings.
4. Quality efficient services, as measured by evidence of return on investment.
5. Other goals as identified by law or rule.

Florida Education Priorities

School improvement plans shall be designed to achieve the State education priorities pursuant to section 1000.03(5) of the Florida Statutes (2019) and student performance in section 1001.42(18)(a) of the Florida Statutes (2019).

Section 1000.03(5) of the Florida Statutes (2019)

1000.03 Function, mission, and goals of the Florida K-20 education system.–
(5) The priorities of Florida’s K-20 education system include:
(a) Learning and completion at all levels, including increased high school graduation rate and readiness for postsecondary education without remediation.—All students demonstrate increased learning and completion at all levels, graduate from high school, and are prepared to enter postsecondary education without remediation.
(b) Student performance.—Students demonstrate that they meet the expected academic standards consistently at all levels of their education.
(c) Civic literacy.—Students are prepared to become civically engaged and knowledgeable adults who make positive contributions to their communities.
(d) Alignment of standards and resources.—Academic standards for every level of the K-20 education system are aligned, and education financial resources are aligned with student performance expectations at each level of the K-20 education system.
(e) Educational leadership.—The quality of educational leadership at all levels of K-20 education is improved.
(f) Workforce education.—Workforce education is appropriately aligned with the skills required by the new global economy.
(g) Parental, student, family, educational institution, and community involvement.—Parents, students, families, educational institutions, and communities are collaborative partners in education and each plays an important role in the success of individual students. Therefore, the State of Florida cannot be the guarantor of each individual student’s success. The goals of Florida’s K-20 education system are not guarantees that each individual student will succeed or that each individual school will perform at the level indicated in the goals.
(h) Comprehensive K-20 career and education planning.—It is essential that Florida’s K-20 education system better prepare all students at every level for the transition from school to postsecondary education or work by providing information regarding:
1. Career opportunities, educational requirements associated with each career, educational institutions that prepare students to enter each career, and student financial aid available to pursue postsecondary instruction required to enter each career.
2. How to make informed decisions about the program of study that best addresses the students’ interests and abilities while preparing them to enter postsecondary education or the workforce.
3. Recommended coursework and programs that prepare students for success in their areas of interest and ability.


Section 1001.42(18)(a)(b) of the Florida Statutes (2019)

1001.42 Powers and duties of the district school board.–

(18) IMPLEMENT SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.—Maintain a state system of school improvement and education accountability as provided by statute and State Board of Education rule. This system of school improvement and education accountability shall be consistent with, and implemented through, the district’s continuing system of planning and budgeting required by this section and ss. 1008.385, 1010.01, and 1011.01. This system of school improvement and education accountability shall comply with the provisions of ss. 1008.33,1008.34, 1008.345, and 1008.385 and include the following:

(a) School improvement plans.— The district school board shall annually approve and require implementation of a new, amended, or continuation school improvement plan for each school in the district which has a school grade of “D” or “F”; has a significant gap in achievement on statewide, standardized assessments administered pursuant to
s. 1008.22 by one or more student subgroups, as defined in the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), 20 U.S.C. s. 6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II); has not significantly increased the percentage of students passing statewide, standardized assessments; has not significantly increased the percentage of students demonstrating Learning Gains, as defined in s. 1008.34 and as calculated under s. 1008.34(3)(b), who passed statewide, standardized assessments; or has significantly lower graduation rates for a subgroup when compared to the state’s graduation rate. The improvement plan of a school that meets the requirements of this paragraph shall include strategies for improving these results. The state board shall adopt rules establishing thresholds and for determining compliance with this paragraph.

(b) Early warning system.—
1. A school that serves any students in kindergarten through grade 8 shall implement an early warning system to identify students in such grades who need additional support to improve academic performance and stay engaged in school. The early warning system must include the following early warning indicators:
a. Attendance below 90 percent, regardless of whether the absence is excused or a result of out-of-school suspension.
b. One or more suspensions, whether in school or out of school.
c. Course failure in English Language Arts or mathematics during any grading period.
d. A Level 1 score on the statewide, standardized assessments in English Language Arts or mathematics or, for students in kindergarten through grade 3, a substantial reading deficiency under s. 1008.25(5)(a).

SAC Budget Items
Each School Advisory Council has a role in assisting the school with two sets of budget decisions. Though each SAC may not qualify for each of these items each year, they should be aware of critical timelines in these processes.

School Recognition Funds
If your school demonstrates improvement in its overall school grade in one of the following ways, your school will receive $100 per student from the Florida Department of Education.
(1) Receive a school grade of ‘A’
(2) Improve at least one letter grade over the previous year
(3) Improve more than one letter grade and sustain the improvement the following school year
a. An example of this would be a school that moved from a ‘D’ to a ‘B’ in one year and then sustained a grade of ‘B’ in the following year

These funds can be used for:
(1) Nonrecurring faculty and staff bonuses
(2) Nonrecurring expenditures for educational equipment and materials
(3) Temporary personnel to assist in maintaining or improving student performance

The School Advisory Council and school staff must come to a decision on the use of these funds by February 1st. If a decision is not made by February 1st, the award must be equally distributed to classroom teachers currently teaching at your school.

School Improvement Funds
When the Florida Department of Education receives more funds from the Legislature than those needed to award School Recognition Funds, they provide the School Advisory Council with additional funding. This funding is provided for the School Advisory Council to use as needed to support the goals of the School Improvement Plan.

SAC Budget Responsibilities
Each year, the SAC is responsible for:
(1) Monitoring the balances of the two funds associated with their role:
a. Fund 145 (School Improvement Fund)
b. Fund 211 (School Recognition Fund)

(2) Ensuring that decisions about the funds are made at the appropriate time of the year. The most important decision is the choice of distribution for School Recognition Funds before February 1st

(3) Ensuring that choices about the use of funds are aligned with priorities found in the School Improvement Plan

If the SAC has questions about whether or not a particular purchase is permitted, they can request that the school contact their Budget Analyst. Please note that these questions should ask whether or not this is a permitted purpose aligned with the fund. The purchase must also be aligned with the goals of the School Improvement Plan.

The School Board of Orange County, Florida, does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities, on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other reason prohibited by law. The following individuals at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center, 445 W. Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801, attend to compliance matters: Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer & Title IX Coordinator: Keshara Cowans; ADA Coordinator: Michael D. Graf; Section 504 Coordinator: Tajuana Lee-Wenze. (407.317.3200)