School Site Council (SSC)

 

 

The members of the SSC represent the composition of school’s pupil population and notwithstanding the size of the school, the composition of the SSC shall ensure parity between the groups (EC Section 65000[a]).

 

The SSC in an elementary school shall be composed of the both of the following two groups (EC 65000[c][1]):

 

School Group Members (Elementary Schools):

• The principal of the school or his or her designee;
• school personnel employed at the school who are not teachers, selected by school personnel employed at the school who are not teachers, and
• classroom teachers employed at the school, selected by classroom teachers employed at the school; The classroom teachers selected shall constitute a majority of the school members selected (EC Section 65000[c][1][A]); and

 

Parent and/or Community Group Members (Elementary Schools):

• Parents of pupils attending the school, or other members of the school community, selected by parents of pupils attending the school. The number of parent and/or community members selected shall equal the number of school members selected (EC Section 65000[c][1][B]).

 

In other words, the minimum number of SSC members at an elementary school is a total of ten (10) (e.g. 1 principal or his or her designee, 1 other school personnel, 3 classroom teachers, and 5 parent/community members).

 

The SSC in a secondary school shall be composed of the following two groups (EC 65000[c][2]):

 

School Group Members (Secondary Schools):

• The principal of the school or his or her designee;
• school personnel employed at the school who are not teachers, selected by school personnel employed at the school who are not teachers, and
• classroom teachers employed at the school, selected by classroom teachers employed at the school; The classroom teachers selected shall constitute a majority of the school members selected (EC Section 65000[c][2][A]); and

 

Parent and/or Community and Pupil Group Members (Secondary Schools):

• Parents of pupils attending the school, or other members of the school community, selected by parents of pupils attending the school; and pupils attending the school, selected by pupils who are attending the school. The number of parent and/or community members and pupil members selected shall equal the number of school members selected (EC Section 65000[c][2][B]).

 

In other words, the minimum number of SSC members at a secondary school is a total of ten (10) (e.g. 1 principal or his or her designee, 1 other school personnel, 3 classroom teachers, and 5 parent/community and pupils members).

 

An employee of a school who is also a parent or guardian of a pupil who attends a school other than the school of the parent’s or guardian’s employment is not disqualified by this employment from serving as a parent representative on the SSC established for the school that his or her child or ward attends (EC Section 65000[d]). Therefore, the parent or guardian is allowed to serve as a parent representative on the SSC for the school that his or her child or ward attends, if selected.

 

Meeting Requirements

Any meeting held by the SSC shall be open to the public, and any member of the public shall be able to address the council or committee during the meeting on any item within the subject matter jurisdiction of the council or committee (EC Section 35147[c][1]).

 

Notice of the meeting shall be posted at the meeting at the schoolsite, or other appropriate place accessible to the public, at least 72 hours before the time set for the meeting. The notice shall specify the date, time, and location of the meeting and contain an agenda describing each item of business to be discussed or acted upon (EC Section 35147[c][1]).

 

The SSC may not take any action on any item of business unless that item appeared on the posted agenda or unless the SSC members present, by unanimous vote, find that there is a need to take immediate action and that the need for action came to the attention of the SSC subsequent to the posting of the agenda (EC Section 35147[c][1]).

 

Questions or brief statements made at a meeting by members of the SSC or public that do not have a significant effect on pupils or employees in the school or school district, or that can be resolved solely by the provision of information, need not be described on an agenda as items of business. If a SSC violates the procedural meeting requirements of this section, upon demand of any person, the SSC shall reconsider the item at its next meeting, after allowing for public input on the item (EC Section 35147[c][2]).

 

Any materials provided to a SSC shall be made available to any member of the public who requests the materials pursuant to the California Public Records Act (EC Section 35147[d]).

     

SSC records, materials, and supporting documents must be retained for a period of three years (2 Code of Federal Regulations 200.333[a]). The only exceptions are if any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records must be retained until all litigation, claims, or audit findings involving the records have been resolved and final action taken.