LDPCAC BYLAWS

ARTICLE I
NAME OF THE COUNCIL

The name of this council shall be the Local District K Parent Community Advisory Council (LDPCAC).

ARTICLE II
ROLE OF THE COUNCIL

The Council serves as the formalized arena for supporting the Local District Superintendent by:

  • Providing feedback on the development of Local District educational goals and plans as well as the review of performance toward those goals within the Local District.
  • Having input into the performance review of the Local District Superintendent.
  • Serving as a communication link between the school communities and the Local District Superintendent as well as the Board of Education.
  • Providing advice to the Local District Superintendent and staff and providing input to the Board regarding contract and initial proposals.
  • Assisting with future Board of Education requests for input from the LDPCAC.
  • Reviewing and providing to the Board of Education public input regarding contract initial proposals and negotiations per the Sunshine process for AALA and UTLA per Board Bulletin AJ-1 revised 6/15/00.

ARTICLE III

SECTION A. – Size and Composition

The Council shall be composed of the following:

  • A total of fifteen (15) parent and community/business members and one (1) high school student.
  • No fewer than ten (10) parents of students currently enrolled in a District K school, two (2) each from each high school complex, four (4) community and/or business leaders, and one (1) high school student.
  • The high school student is a junior class president elect selected from among the high school junior class presidents. Upon completion of their one-year term, the student representative may serve an additional year as an ex-officio member during their high school senior year if the student desires.
  • Appointment of up to six (6) ex-officio members to the Council to include two (2) teachers, two (2) classified employees, and two (2) administrators.
  • Two (2) high school alternates will be selected in the same manner and will attend as ex-officio members, and one will vote in the absence of the student representative, as long as that student has attended four (4) out of six (6) consecutive meetings.

SECTION B. – Election Process

Election Procedures for Parent Representatives. Each January, applications for open positions will be distributed to parent representatives on each Council of Councils interested in serving as that community’s representative to the District K Local Parent Community Advisory Council (LDPCAC).

Each March, those applications will be due to the Council of Councils Meeting.

Each May, open seats for parent representatives will be filled by an election from among those applicants by the parent members of each Council of Councils of a parent representative and one alternate for each open seat.

Each June, the newly elected representatives will be installed at the LDPCAB Meeting.

An LAUSD employee who is also a parent may be elected as a parent representative to the PCAC so long as there is full disclosure to the voting parents of the Council of Councils of the employee status prior to the election.

Parent representative elected when not an LAUSD employee, but who subsequently become employed by LAUSD, must disclose that change in status to the next meeting of their Council of Councils and to the next meeting of PCAC.

Election Procedure for Student Representative. Each June, a meeting shall be convened of the newly elected junior class presidents and vice-presidents for the following academic year from each of the five District K high schools, at which staff and representatives from the PCAC will discuss the PCAC and facilitate the election by the students present of a student representative, and two alternates, to serve as a voting member of the PCAC from among those junior class presidents and vice-presidents willing to serve as the PCAC student representative. This election process may be held alternatively in September if the junior class presidents and vice-presidents for the following school year are not available to meet in June.

Each June, or as soon thereafter as possible, the newly elected representatives will be installed at the LDPCAB Meeting.

SECTION C. – Terms of Membership

Parent Representatives. The term of office for parent representatives on the Council will be determined by a random selection process, “drawing straws”. Half of the parent representatives from each of the complexes (or 50% plus one in case there is an uneven number of parent representatives) would serve a three-year term through September 2003.

The remaining parent representatives would serve a two-year term through September 2002.

Following the conclusion of the initial terms of the founding parent representatives, all future parent representatives’ terms of office shall be for two years, so that one of the two seats from each family of schools shall be open for election each year.

Community and/or Business Representatives. The term of office for community/business representatives on the Council will be determined by a random selection process, “drawing straws”. Half of the representatives (or 50% plus one in case there is an uneven number) would serve a three-year term through September 2003. The remaining representatives would serve a two-year term through September 2002.

Following the conclusion of the initial terms of the founding community and/or business representatives, all future community and/or business representatives’ terms of office shall be for two years, so that one of the two seats shall be open for election each year.

High School Student Representative. Each student representative’s term shall be for one year, through June of each year.

Ex-Officio Members. Each ex-officio member’s term shall be for one year, through June of each year.

There should be no term limits for members of this Council.

SECTION D. – Termination of Membership

A member’s or alternate’s membership on the Council shall terminate upon the end of his or her term, inability to function, or resignation. A member’s or alternate’s membership shall also terminate when a member ceases to qualify under the category in which the member or alternate was elected. Membership shall automatically terminate for any member who is absent for three (3) consecutive regular meetings without approval of the Council.

SECTION E. – Resignation

Any member may resign by filing a written resignation with the Council and a copy to the Local District Parent Community Advisory Council body by which the member was selected.

SECTION F. – Vacancy

Vacancies of membership positions shall be filled by the alternate for the remainder of the school year. Elections should be called as determined by this Advisory Council if no alternate for a parent representative is available. The Council will select new business/ community representatives(s) and ex-officio positions as needed. Nominations will be taken from Council members and from District K staff and an election shall be held at a meeting of the Council in June of each year to elect or re-elect representatives to each business/community position for which the two-year term expires that year. The high school junior class presidents will elect a new representative when necessary to fill vacancies.

SECTION G. – Role of Members

In addition to the roles described in Article II, Council members are expected to:

  • Attend meetings of the Council.
  • Represent and report back to constituencies and subcommittee.
  • Publicize the activities of the Council.
  • Serve as a member of at least one Standing Committee of the Council.

ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS

SECTION A. – Officers
The officers of the Council shall be a chairperson, vice-chairperson, a timekeeper, and other officers as the Council may deem desirable.

SECTION B. – Selection and Term of Office
The officers of the Council shall be selected annually by consensus of the Council and shall serve for one year or until each successor has been selected and approved by the Council. This annual selection shall be done at the regularly scheduled meeting no later than October each year, to be specifically scheduled by consensus during the last June meeting that year.

SECTION C. – Removal
Any officer may be removed by the Council whenever, in the judgment of the Council, the best interests of the Council would be served thereby, and with ten (10) days’ advance written notice to all Council members of the vote planned at the next regularly scheduled meeting of this PCAC.

Two-thirds majority vote of the members present will be required. The decision of the Council is final, with no appeal.

SECTION D. – Vacancy
A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal or otherwise, shall be filled by the Council for the unexpired portion of the term by consensus.

SECTION E. – Chairperson(s)
The chairperson(s) shall be a member(s) of the Council. The chairperson(s) duties shall consist of the following:

  • Preside at all meetings of the Council.
  • Plan agendas for meetings with input from the members.
  • Promote consensus whenever possible.
  • Be fair and impartial.
  • Form necessary committees and solicit members to all committees.
  • Act as spokesperson(s) for the Council at Board of Education meetings (scheduled every three months).
  • Approve, sign and transmit all pertinent documents requiring Council action.
  • Communicate the meeting dates to the community and members.
  • Perform other duties as determined by the Council.
  • Notify any members who are in danger of being terminated for lack of attendance.

ARTICLE V
COMMITTEES

SECTION A. – Standing and Special Committees
The Council may establish and abolish such standing or special committees as it may desire. No standing or special committee may exercise the authority of the Council.

SECTION B. – Standing Committees
Standing committees of the Council shall include, but are not limited to:

  • Math Task Force
  • Reading
  • Facilities
  • Professional Development
  • Appeals
  • Safety
  • Communication with Schools Committees
  • Student Advisory Involvement
  • Parent Collaborative Representative/Sunshine Process

SECTION C. – Committee Functions
Standing committees will define goals for the year at the meeting of the Council when the committee is established.

Standing and special committees shall hold meetings as necessary throughout the year. Each committee will report to the Council with it recommendations.

SECTION D. – Membership
Membership on committees shall be open to any member of the Council, District K staff, and other persons approved by the committee. Only Council members (as defined in Article III) shall be chairperson(s) of the committees. District K senior staff members will be assigned by the superintendent to facilitate each committee.

SECTION E. – Term of Office
Each member of a committee shall continue as such for the term of his or her appointment and until a successor is appointed, unless the committee is terminated or abolished, or unless such member ceases to qualify as a member.

ARTICLE VI
MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL

SECTION A. – Regular Meetings
Meetings shall be held monthly on the first and third Thursday of each month of the year or such other day as the Council may determine. The Council shall meet at times in the District K office unless a change is approved at a prior meeting, alternating between 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., meeting for approximately two hours, unless otherwise approved at a prior meeting.

SECTION B. – Schedule of Meetings
The schedule for the year’s meetings shall be determined by the Council at the first or second meeting of each school year.

SECTION C. – Special Meetings
A special meeting may be called by the chairperson(s) of the Council by providing written notice forty-eight hours in advance of the meeting personally and by mail to all Council members. The notice shall state the time, place, and business to be transacted at the meeting, and no other business shall be considered at the special meeting.

SECTION D. –Quorum
A majority of the members of the Council, no less than eight (8) shall constitute a quorum. The act of a majority of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Council.

SECTION E. – Consensus

  • The attainment of consensus (general agreement) among all members of the Council shall be a primary goal.
  • Ex-officio members and non-members attending Council or committee meetings may participate in all discussions but consensus decisions do not require the agreement of these persons.
  • Representatives receive input from their constituents and present that information to be used in deliberations.
  • The ideas and opinions of each Council member are equally important in arriving at decisions.
  • Each Council member shares equally in accepting responsibility and accountability for implementing the decisions made by the Council.

SECTION F. – Voting
When consensus cannot be met and a quorum is present decisions will be made by 50% plus one vote of the regular members (not to include ex-officio members) present.

Non-members or ex-officio members speaking or attending meetings of the Council, or any standing or special committee, are not to be permitted to vote or participate in reaching a consensus.

With respect to procedures governing voting matters, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be applicable to issues not addressed herein. Records will be kept of all agenda items that come to a vote.

SECTION G. – Meetings Open To The Public
Members of the public attending the Council meetings will sit at a table apart from the main meeting tables.

The public will be able to have input in the following ways:

  • Appearing at a meeting and signing up to speak. Time will be set aside before any vote for the public who have signed up to speak on the topic of the vote.
  • Time will also be set aside at the end of each meeting for the members of the public who have signed up to speak on general topics not on the agenda for that meeting.
  • Each speaker will be limited to three (3) minutes per topic.

SECTION H. – Minutes
Minutes shall be recorded by District K staff and retained for each meeting of the regular Council and all standing and special committee meetings. The minutes for the regular Council meetings will be presented for approval at each meeting. The minutes/meeting summary shall list those in attendance at each meeting.

ARTICLE VII
AGENDA

SECTION A. – Preparation
An agenda shall be prepared for each Council meeting by the chair and vice-chair with input from members of the Council, and it shall be distributed a least five (5) days prior to the meeting.

SECTION B. – Agenda Items

  • At each meeting the chair and vice-chair of the Council shall solicit from the Council agenda items for subsequent meetings.
  • The chairperson and the vice-chairperson of the Council will decide which items are to be placed on the agenda with input from the Council and the superintendent.
  • Time limits and the order for consideration for agenda items will be determined at the start of each meeting.

ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS

The bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Council at any regular meeting provided notice has been given at the previous meeting or a thirty-day written notice has been mailed to all Council members. Proposed amendments must be read into the minutes of the meeting prior to the meeting in which the vote is to be conducted, if notice is given at a meeting.

ARTICLE IX
RATIFICATION

The bylaws shall be declared adopted when passed by consensus or a majority vote of 50% plus one vote of the members of the Council present, at which bylaws approval has been noticed as an agenda item.