Meeting Standing Orders

Standing Orders Of School Council

 

Members

 

School Council consists of 15 members of which 5 are DoE employed and 10 non-DoE employed (parent members) – one being coopted.  Each shall have a two year term, with half the council positions being vacated each year.

 

Quorum

 

The meeting cannot commence unless not less than one half of the membership is present.  The majority of members present must be non-DoE employed members.

 

Meeting Dates and Times

 

Meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month except where the date falls within the schools holidays.  At least two meetings will be held each term.

 

Meetings will commence at 7.30pm and conclude by 9.30pm.

 

Meetings may be extended with one 10 minute extension moved and seconded.

 

Extraordinary meetings

 

The president can call an extraordinary meeting of school council if an issue of sufficient importance requires discussion or decision before the next ordinary school council meeting.  Extraordinary meetings bust be limited to the items on the agenda.

 

Office Bearers

 

The following office-bearers shall be elected at the first council meeting following the Annual General Meeting:

 

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Council may appoint a minute secretary who shall be responsible for recording the minutes of the meetings.

 

The vice President will chair council meetings in the absence of the President.

 

Agenda

 

The secretary shall draw up the agenda for the next meeting and circulate it to all members so the council at least two days prior to the meeting along with any reports and information required for the meeting.  The agenda will list the order of business and include a list of correspondence to and from council.

 

Reports

 

All reports to council are to be written and will be circulated with the agenda papers.  Wherever possible reports should include options for action or recommendations from sub-committees for councils.

 

Minutes

 

The minutes will record all decisions of the council and briefly note main points of items discussed.  An action sheet will record who is to take action regarding decisions and this will be circulated to members at the conclusion of the meeting. 

 

Sub-committees

 

This council shall appoint sub-committees and determine their terms of reference, which may include making recommendations and reporting to council,  preparing budget submissions and implementing council policy.

 

The standing sub-committees will be:

 

Policy and Planning

Facilities

Finance

Out Of School Hours Care

Marketing and Sponsorship

 

Special purpose sub-committees can be set up as required with their own terms of reference and timelines.

 

At least one member of any sub-committee must be a school council member to act as convenor.  Non-school council members can volunteer for or be co-opted onto sub-committees.  Subcommittees will determine their own meeting dates and times depending on need and to suit requirements of members.

 

Conduct of Meetings

 

·         All members shall conduct themselves in a professional manner.

 

·         All members who wish to comment are to be given reasonable opportunity to do so and are treated as equally important

 

·         All members will be given full information on issues under consideration, and jargon and initials etc. will be avoided wherever possible.

 

·         New members will be given the necessary information to enable them to participate.

 

·         Time spent discussing issues should be proportionate to the importance, relevance and extent of agreement.

 

·         Discussion should be pertinent to the issue under consideration

 

·         Only matters that are related to one of the council’s roles and responsibilities will be discussed.

 

·         Reports are to be presented in writing and members will have had the opportunity to discuss options and proposals within them.

 

·         Discussion treat would be suitably held at the relevant sub-committee will be referred to that sub-committee.

 

·         Criticism of individual teachers, families or students or confidential information related to any individual is at all times avoided.

 

·         Opportunity will be given for members of the wider community to have input into issues where appropriate.

 

·         Proposed points of agreement should be provided in writing wherever possible, to assist the minute secretary.

 

·         An action sheet will be prepared (while the meeting is in progress) and will be photocopied and distributed at the end of the meeting.

 

·         Discussion would be directed towards a decision that is generally accepted, likely to be effective, understood by those required to implement it and clear and understood by those present.

 

 

Decision Making

 

The President has both a deliberative a casting vote.  Wherever possible, however, if the council evenly divided on a matter after some discussion, the item will be deferred to the next meeting to enable further examination of the issue, rather that by the use of the President’s casting vote.

 

Decision making by consensus of all council members is the preferred option.

 

Voting, by show of hand, will take place for major items.  A written vote can be requested for items of a confidential nature or involving personnel.

 

The Executive in line with the School Policies and the School Charter will deal with urgent decisions between school council meetings.  If required, an extraordinary meeting of Council may be called.