Wednesday, March 21, 2001
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Wednesday, March 21, 2001 |
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Board adopts school council plan By DAVE
HAMRICK
Plans are in place to put local advisory councils in at least three Fayette County schools. The Board of Education Monday unanimously adopted a time line for establishing the councils under education reform legislation passed last year. Under the approved time line, the councils will be chosen by May and begin meeting in August. A policy to govern them will be adopted in April. School Superintendent John DeCotis said the plan is to pilot the school council concept in three or four schools this coming school year, with plans to expand the program to all county schools in 2002-2003. The councils will advise the school board and administration on matters pertaining to each school. In requiring them, state lawmakers are calling for more parental and community involvement in the running of local school systems. New state law requires school systems to have councils operating in one elementary, one middle and one high school by October, if they want to keep receiving state funding. Under the proposal, the pilot schools would be Starr's Mill High School, Whitewater Middle and Braelinn Elementary, with tentative plans to also include Peeples Elementary. Bylaws and codes of ethics for the councils have been adapted from those developed for Marietta schools, and DeCotis is recommending that the councils use those bylaws for four or five months, then amend them as necessary, after sending suggested amendments to him for review. Principals are to notify the public of meetings in April, and the school board would consider appointment of business representatives for the councils. Under the law, principals would appoint one business partner and the board would appoint another. Councils are required to have two business representatives, two parents and three teachers. Election of council members would be set for May, with training of the councils to take place during June and July and meetings to begin in August.
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