Parkview P.S. School Council Constitution | York Region District School Board

February 9, 2016

Article 1: Name and Address

The organization will be known as Parkview Public School Council (herein referred to as School Council).

Parkview Public School

22 Fonthill Boulevard

Unionville, Ontario

L3R 1V6

(905) 477-2172

Article 2: Mission Statement

The Parkview Public School Council will work together with students, parents, staff, community and the Board to continue to improve the educational experience and well-being of students by enhancing resources and providing support.

Article 3: Purpose and Objectives

Assist in the creation and maintenance of a collaborative environment which works to improve student learning and school effectiveness at Parkview Public School.
Enhance the communication amongst members of the school community (parents/ guardians, administrators, teachers, students) and provide a forum for their input (concerns, comments, suggestions) into educational matters.
Provide a vehicle for transmitting parental ideas, recommendations and concerns to the school board committees, officials or to the board itself.
To be accountable for allocating monies raised by parents during parent fundraising drives.
Provide opportunities for parents to come together, to engage in activities that support the family well-being, to become familiar with the education system and to keep up to date on educational matters and changes (i.e. curriculum).
Sponsor additional programs that would otherwise not be provided.
Identify problems and concerns of a school-wide nature and discuss appropriate action for change and/or improvements when applicable, develop strategies and solutions which will involve a collaborative effort by teaching staff, parents, students and administration.
May make recommendations to the principal of the school or to the board that established the council on any matter (Ont Regulation 612/00, s.20.)

Article 4: Procedures and Operating Guidelines

School Councils are advisory bodies. A School Council will provide advice to the school principal and, where appropriate, to the Board on any matter that relates to student learning, which may include but is not limited to: school code of student behaviour/dress, School Plan for Continuous Improvement, review Principal profile, school-community communication strategies, extra-curricular activities in the school, school-based services and community partnerships related to social, health, recreational and nutrition programs, school use of community facilities, and review of Board policies.

Notwithstanding the above, confidential personnel matters may not be addressed by School Councils. Nor are School Councils to discuss confidential information on individual students.

If confidential information is divulged at a meeting, the Chair will instruct Council members to keep the information confidential, request that members of the public keep information confidential, ensure that the minutes do not refer to the indiscretion, and determine if further action needs to be taken.

The operational procedures of this School Council comply with the procedures outlined in York Region District School Board (YRDSB) Procedure #262. All recommendations and activities of the School Council shall comply with all Ministry of Education Acts, YRDSB Policies and Procedures and Staff Collective Agreements.

Fundraising and Administration of School Generated Funds will be in accordance with YRDSB policy #676.

Article 5: Membership

There will be no remuneration paid to the members of the School Council.

5.1 Parent Members

All parents/guardians of children registered at Parkview Public School are invited to become School Council members.

Parents must form the majority of the School Council members.

The number of voting members will be defined at the beginning of the school year based on the outcome of the School Council election/acclamation process as outlined in Article 7.

There must be a minimum of six (6) voting Parent Members.

There will be no limit set on the number of Parent Members (voting or non-voting) that may attend the meetings other than the capacity limit of the meeting facility itself.

Voting Parent Members

Each parent/guardian seeking to be a voting parent member must be nominated or self-nominated in writing, must have a child registered at the school, and must declare if he or she is employed by the YRDSB.

Each voting member of the School Council will be allocated one vote. There shall be no more than one (1) voting parent member on the School Council from any one (1) household.

Voting parent members of the School Council must also commit to:

Attend all scheduled and special meetings of the School Council
Notify the Chair/Co-Chairs of any absences from School Council meetings
Participate in YRDSB forums, if requested and available
Vote on school-wide topics when required

Membership may be requested at any time during the school year, however, if voting membership is requested after the first meeting in September, voting privileges will be granted at the second meeting attended by the parent member.

Voting privileges may be revoked as outlined in Article 7.7.

Non-Voting Parent Members

All parent/guardians of students registered at Parkview Public School are encouraged to attend and participate in School Council meetings, as well as the many volunteer and committee opportunities that the work of the council presents. Non-voting parent members do not need to fill in a nomination/acclamation form or notify the Chair/Co-Chairs of absences, must abstain from participating in any votes, and may be added to the School Council distribution list.

5.2 Other Members

Other members such as principal, teacher representatives, student representative, and community representative shall be elected or appointed in accordance with YRDSB Policy #262 and will form part of the non-voting members of School Council.

Principal and / or Vice-Principal

The Principal of the school must attend the School Council meetings or send the Vice-Principal as a designate. The Principal or Vice-Principal cannot fill the school representative position(s).

School Representatives

If available, a teacher representative from each division (Primary, Junior and Intermediate), is preferred.

Support Staff Representative

If available, a support staff representative is welcome to attend.

Student Representatives

If available, student representatives are welcome to attend.

Community Representatives

The number of community representatives will be one (1) if available.

5.3 Roles and Responsibilities of all School Council Members

Regularly attend and participate in School Council meetings.
Council members shall maintain a school-wide perspective on issues and refrain from discussing individual students, parents, and school staff.
School-wide perspective on issues is defined as anything that affects a grade, a division, or a large number of students in a given year and/or future years.
Help to achieve the goals established by the School Council.
Encourage active involvement of members of the school community.
Participate actively in the sub-committee to which they have volunteered.
Adhere to meeting norms.
All parents are invited to attend School Council meetings and speak to issues, but voting will be restricted to voting School Council members.
The members of the School Council are accountable to the parents they represent.
Ensure that current contact information is provided to the Chair or Co-Chairs and Secretary of the Council to facilitate effective communication between members.
Consider the best interests of all students.
Be guided by the school and the Board’s mission statements.
Act within the limits of the roles and responsibilities of School Council, as identified in the Education Act, its regulations, and the applicable by-laws and procedures.
Become familiar with the school’s policies and operating practices and act in accordance with them
Maintain the highest standard of integrity.
Recognize and respect the personal integrity of each member of the school community.
Conduct themselves in accordance with the Board’s Equity and Inclusive Education policy.
Treat all other members with respect and allow for diverse opinions to be shared without interruption.
Encourage a positive environment in which individual contributions are encouraged and valued
Acknowledge democratic principles and accept the consensus of the council.
Respect the confidential nature of some school business and respect limitations this may place on the operation of the School Council.
Not disclose confidential information.
Act in accordance with relevant laws, including Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), and relevant Board policies and procedures.
To advise the principal immediately if the member believes that there may have been a privacy breech.
Abide by applicable laws and policies with respect to access, use or disclosure of Board data and information.
Limit discussions at School Council meetings to matters of concern to the school community as a whole.
Use established communication channels when questions or concerns arise.
Promote high standards of ethical practice within the school community.
Declare any conflict of interest.
Not accept any payment or benefit financially through School Council involvement.
Fundraising and Administration of School Generated Funds will be in accordance with YRDSB policy #676.

Article 6: Executive Membership

6.1 Officer Positions

The School Council Executive will consist of a Chair & Vice-Chair OR/ Two (2) Co-Chairs, Secretary, and Treasurer. Officer vacancies will be filled as soon as possible according to Article 7.5. In addition, the Principal/Vice-Principal is on the Executive.

6.2 Roles and Responsibilities

The Chair/Co-Chairs of the School Council shall:

Oversee the transition of School Council from one year to the next.
Plan the schedule of meetings for School Council and call any special meetings as required.
Receive agenda items by Friday 8 AM prior to the meeting and prepare the agenda for the meeting in consultation with the Principal.
Facilitate meetings in an orderly and efficient manner that ensures adherence to the operating norms.
Ensure that the minutes and other documentation of the School Council are recorded and accurate.
Communicate with parents about significant matters under consideration by the School Council.
Ensure the agenda is distributed to School Council members 2 days prior to an upcoming meeting.
Ensure the Parkview Public School Council Constitution by-laws are reviewed every 2-3 years, or more often if needed, and are readily available to the school community.
Participate in information sessions and/or YRDSB forums, if available.
After consultation with the Executive and the principal, have the authority to approve expenditures up to $300 in total, between School Council meetings. These expenditures are to be ratified at the next School Council meeting.
Prepare the annual report for approval by the School Council prior to submission to the Director of Education prior to the end of the school year.
Update the School Principal profile annually.
The Chair shall communicate with the school principal and senior Board staff and trustees as required.
Provide advice to the school principal on behalf of the School Council.
The Chair shall ensure that fundraising is in accordance with Board policies and procedures.

The Vice-Chair of the School Council shall:

Assist the Chair of the School Council in carrying out his/her responsibilities.
Act on behalf of the Chair in the event of his/her absence.
Perform duties of Secretary and Treasurer in their absence.

If the Chair & Vice-Chair or Two (2) Co-Chairs are unable to attend a meeting, another member of the Executive may act as Chair, and their duties are temporarily taken over by another officer or voting parent member.

The Secretary of the School Council shall:

Record minutes of all School Council meetings.
Record attendance in minutes of all School Council meetings.
Clearly state all motions made during School Council meetings and include the name of the person making the motion, name of the person seconding the motion, noting a vote was taken, if it was carried and if anyone abstained from the vote.
Provide an initial draft of the minutes to the Executive for review and approval within 7 to 10 days following each meeting.
Edit as required and provide a revised draft of the minutes to the entire School Council a minimum of seven (7) days prior to the next meeting to facilitate acceptance.
Provide a copy of the approved minutes for distribution to the school community after each meeting.
Receive membership applications, establish and maintain the membership list for School Council members for voting and non-voting parent members.
Maintain a listing of action items to be included on subsequent agendas and provide these to the Chair/Co-Chair.
Determine who is eligible to vote at the outset of each meeting.
Confirm that a quorum is present at a School Council meeting if a formal vote is required.
Document the election of the Executive and include the names of all candidates for the various positions and all vote results.

The Treasurer of the School Council shall:

Review the record of all receipts and disbursements of School Council, and the reconciliation of the School Council funds for the current fiscal year.
Request the school prepare financial updates for the Treasurer to submit at each School Council meeting to facilitate acceptance.
Take responsibility for the receipt and disbursement of all funds to the appropriate school administration staff.
Collect all monies in the name and credit Parkview Public School Council and provide these funds to the principal or their delegate to deposit in a bank or trust company on behalf of the School Council.
When monies are transferred to the principal or their delegate, both parties must authorize by signature the total amount to be deposited to ensure the funds collected are reconciled with the funds deposited.
Cheques shall be signed by the Principal and the Elementary Office Administrative Assistant (EOAA) as per the direction from the YRDSB.
Approve the disbursements of funds as voted by the School Council after reasonable consultation with the principal. In the event of an emergency, disbursements may be approved by the Executive in consultation with the principal.
School administration is responsible for providing a copy of the financial statements for current fiscal year (July – June) for School Council’s review.

The Principal / Vice Principal shall:

Support and promote the School Council’s operations and activities.
Seek input from the School Council in areas of priority and be prepared to provide information necessary to make informed decisions.
Advise the School Council when they are not in compliance with Board policies and procedures immediately or in a timely fashion. This can be done between meetings via email if necessary.
Provide updates on school-wide endeavours and accomplishments.
Provide or gather resources on laws, regulations, Board Policies, Collective Agreements to enable informed decisions
Ensure that copies of the minutes of School Council are kept at the school for a four year period as per YRDSB policy.
Ensure that copies of the financial records of School Council are kept at the school for seven years.
Ensure that the Constitution and Bylaws are readily available to the school community.
Assist the School Council in communicating with the school community.
Lend support to school community organizations which operate separately from the Council, and provide for an effective liaison between Council and the organization.
Seek opportunities for additional funding which will allow enhanced education and leadership opportunities for students.
Consider each School Council recommendation and advise the School Council of decisions reached or actions taken in response to each recommendation, along with a rationale for these actions or decisions (YRDSB #262)
Solicit the views of the school council with respect to the establishment and amendment of Board policies and procedures that relate to student achievement and well-being and to the accountability of the education system to parents (YRDSB #262).
Solicit the views of the School Council with respect to the establishment, implementation, review and communication of the school improvement plan and the school profile (YRDSB #262).

If the Principal and Vice-Principal are unable to attend a meeting, the Principal may appoint a designate.

6.3 Guidelines for Executive

The Executive members have the responsibility of facilitating the operation of the School Council.
In addition to the specific responsibilities of each position, roles and responsibilities are as outlined for all School Council members (see Article 5.3).
The Executive defers to the School Council as a whole for all decisions made on behalf of the School Council.
An employee of the YRDSB cannot be the Chair/Co-Chair.
Term of office is October of the current year through September of the following year.
In consultation with the principal, the outgoing Executive, if available, are required to facilitate the first meeting in September.
Executive members must inform the Chair/Co-Chair if they are going to be absent from a School Council meeting.

Article 7: Elections & Terms of Office

7.1 Election Timetable

Elections must be held during the first thirty (30) calendar days of each school year, as outlined in YRDSB Procedure #262.

May / June

By the last School Council meeting of the school year, the date, time and location of the tentative election are determined for the following school year, as well as how the election/acclamation will be advertised in the fall.
A nomination form is developed and reviewed.

Early September

In the welcome-back-to-school mailing, the Principal includes: a School Council Membership/Nomination form, information about the date by which nominations must be received at the school, who is eligible to stand for election/acclamation, the date of the election/acclamation, and other information about the election. This package must be in parent’s hands a minimum of least 10 days prior to the election, but more notice is preferred.
Each parent/guardian seeking election/acclamation must be nominated or self-nominated in writing, must have a child registered at the school, and must declare if he or she is employed by the York Region District School Board.
The Principal posts School Council election/acclamation information in an area of the school that is easily accessible to parents. Suitable venues would be the bulletin board and the school website. Parents return membership/nomination forms to the school.

Mid to Late September

The first meeting of the new School Council takes place, and meeting dates, time and locations for the upcoming year are determined.
The names of the new School Council members are publicized to the school community within thirty days of the election, as are the dates, times and locations of future meetings.

7.2 Election Procedures for Parent Members

Parent member elections shall be by acclamation. A vote is not held as there is not a limit on parent voting members.

Each parent/guardian seeking election/acclamation must be nominated or self-nominated in writing, must have a child registered at the school, and must declare if he or she is employed by the YRDSB. Application forms are requested at, or prior to, the first School Council meeting in September. See Article 5.1 regarding voting and non-voting parent members. The outgoing members of the Executive shall administer the membership process as outlined above. The names and numbers of parent members forming the School Council shall be determined and communicated at the first School Council meeting in September.

7.3 Election Procedures for Executive Members

At the first meeting in September, the first order of business is the acclamation of parent members. Then, the assembled School Council will entertain nominations for the Executive positions. Nominations will be made on a volunteer basis, and Executive appointments shall be by acclamation when the number of candidates is not more than one (1) for each position.

Each parent/guardian seeking election for an Executive position must be nominated or self-nominated in writing, must have a child registered at the school, and must declare if he or she is employed by the YRDSB. An employee of the YRDSB cannot seek election as the Chair/Co-Chair. It is preferred if Council Members seeking election to an Executive position are present at the meeting, but it is not required. However, the election proceeds at the designated meeting and results are declared at that meeting.

If more than one (1) member seeks nomination for a particular Executive position, election procedures will be as follows:

Each School Council member shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each vacant Executive position on the School Council.
The outgoing members of the Executive shall form the election committee, however, no one standing for election, or the spouse of anyone standing for election, shall be a member of the election committee.
Where at least two (2) of the outgoing Executives cannot be available for the election committee, an ad hoc committee will be formed by a minimum of two (2) School Council members.
The election committee shall:
1. Conduct the elections by secret ballot.
2. Count the ballots.
3. Shall notify all individuals standing for election and all School Council members of the results

7.4 Terms of Office

Term of office for parent members is one (1) year, September through June.
Acclaimed parent members of School Council may seek additional terms of office.
Elected and appointed members may seek additional terms of office.
Term of office for Executive members is one year, October through September.
If a Chair/Co-Chair is not elected, the outgoing Chair would be invited or requested by Council to take on the position on a temporary basis until the position is filled.

7.5 Vacancies

A vacancy in the membership of the School Council does not prevent the School Council from exercising its authority.

A vacancy on the Executive does not prevent the School Council from exercising its authority.

Executive positions that become vacant due to resignation or removal shall be filled as soon as possible by offering the person with the next highest number of votes, the opportunity to accept the position. When there are no more candidates available, council may appoint parent members

7.6 Resignations

Any School Council member, except the principal, may resign his/her position by submitting a letter of resignation to the Chair/Co-Chairs. The position vacated will be filled according to Article 7.5 Vacancies.

7.7 Removal

If any voting member of the Parkview Council misses two meetings throughout their term of office, without notifying the Chair/Co-Chairs in advance and providing a valid reason, at the third meeting missed, the member will be removed from voting membership and considered a non-voting member for the remainder of the school year. Voting privileges will NOT be re-instated for the remainder of that school year.

Any member of the Parkview Council who fails to perform his/her duties or who fails to adhere to Parkview Council norms may forfeit membership upon discussion and agreement of the Administration and Chair/Co-Chairs of the Council.

Membership on School Council will terminate when a member ceases to hold the criteria for representing a constituency (e.g. a parent representative must have a child enrolled in the school; a teacher or support staff must be an employee of the school; a community representative must live or work in the community).

Membership will be terminated if the member is proven to have mismanaged or misappropriated funds controlled by School Council.

Membership will be terminated if the member is proven to have committed an illegal act or if the member has conducted him/herself in a manner that is immoral.

Article 8: Sub-Committees

8.1 Establishment

Sub-committees will be formed throughout the year to:

Conduct more detailed or in-depth work than is possible during School Council meetings.
Make recommendations to the School Council.
Set out timelines to achieve their established goals.
Keep the School Council informed of issues and developments in its’ particular area of focus.
Execute planned activities.

Sub-committees of Parkview Public School Council are not limited to, but may include:

Constitution: responsible for reviewing and updating the Parkview School Council Constitution as needed.
Environment: to promote environmental stewardship of Parkview property and organize Earth Day activities.
Family School Partnerships: responsible for establishing and maintaining healthy relationship between the school and the community, for families and schools to work collaboratively toward achieving common goals for children. Healthy Family School Partnerships include but not limit to the following key features: collaboration on student focused goals, shared responsibility and decision making, inclusion of all pertinent parties, building strength and promoting skills, and emphasizing continuity across systems
Fundraising: accountable for all parent fundraising activities conducted at Parkview Public School and co-ordinate volunteers.
Grade Eight (8): assists with co-ordinating activities for the Grade 8 graduating students, including but not limited to fundraising, graduation trip and graduation dance.
Healthy Living: to promote healthy eating and active living for all Parkview students.
BBQ: responsible for organizing Parkview’s Annual Fun Fair BBQ and co-ordinating volunteers for the event.
Hot Lunch: responsible for organizing Parkview’s Hot Lunch program and co-ordinating volunteers.

School Council shall form and disband sub-committees as deemed necessary.

8.2 Sub-Committee Membership

Sub-Committees must include at least one parent member of School Council and may include persons who are not members of the School Council.

8.3 Chairs of Sub-Committees

Each sub-committee will nominate its own Chair/Co-Chairs and can appoint a designate who reports to School Council.

Article 9: Meetings

9.1 Timetable of Meetings

The School Council will meet at 7:00 pm on the second Tuesday (14 days/2 weeks) after school starts in September and then the second Tuesday of each month from October through June.
A copy of these dates and times will be included in communication(s) to the families of the school.
It is recognized that the timetable may change at any time.
All meetings are open to the school community.
Any meeting outside the regularly scheduled meetings of the School Council shall be considered a special meeting. Special meetings may be called by the Chair/Co-Chairs of the School Council. The topic and timing of the special meeting will be communicated to the School Council members via telephone or e-mail a minimum of 2 days in advance. When appropriate, this communication will also be made to the school community as a whole.

9.2 Quorum

A meeting will have quorum if the majority (51%) of the voting School Council members are present.

Quorum will be established at the beginning of each meeting. A meeting of School Council can be held if there is not quorum but all voting will be deferred.

On-line Survey Tools/Electronic Voting/Email

If quorum is at risk and a vote is required, the use of an on-line survey tool, electronic voting method or email may be used if the matter requiring a vote meets the following criteria:

The matter has been discussed previously at School Council meetings, and
If deferred, Parkview students would miss out on an opportunity that would have enriched their education that year.

9.3 Decision Making

The preferred method to resolve issues on School Council is by consensus. Consensus is a collective opinion or general agreement by all the School Council members.

In the case where a decision cannot be reached through consensus, the Chair/Co-Chairs may decide on one of the following:

To have a vote by way of a show of hands or silent vote by those present in which a 51% majority shall carry the vote.
To defer the issue to the next meeting.
To defer the issue to a special meeting.
To defer the issue to a sub-committee.

Matters that cannot wait until the next scheduled meeting can be dealt with by email, on-line survey tool or electronic voting if proper quorum cannot be achieved.

Decisions are made with motions. The basic steps of this process include: motion presented, questions/comments/concerns discussed, first motion, second motion, vote taken, passed (or not. Majority plus one is needed to pass a motion. A motion is lost if tied. For more details, see Appendix A.

9.4 Conflict of Interest

School Council members cannot receive any remuneration for their work as a member of School Council. School Council members may not receive personal or professional gain.

If individual School Council members perceive themselves to be in conflict of interest of an agenda item intended for discussion (i.e. benefit financially from School Council involvement), they are honour bound to declare their conflict at the earliest possible opportunity and at the time of the meeting, so the minutes may reflect this declaration.

The School Council member will be expected to remain out of the discussion and out of any motions or voting as pertains to the conflict. If necessary, they may be excused during discussion and voting.

9.5 Conflict Resolution

The School Council will undertake to resolve all internal conflicts within its’ mandate in a timely manner and will abide by any conflict resolution policy issued by the YRDSB.

9.6 Meeting Norms / Procedures

Meetings of Parkview School Council will be facilitated according to the following norms:

Start and stop on time, adhering to the timelines and timekeeper.
Be respectful by listening and not participating in side conversations, and by speaking to fellow members as you would like to be spoken to.
Be open-minded and objective, respecting all speakers and opinions.
Work collaboratively, support fellow School Council members and decisions within the community.
Read minutes and all information presented to have a clear understanding prior to the meeting.
After a discussion is completed, the outcome will be clearly stated so that the action and/or date of completion is understood by all.
Confidential information obtained during School Council meetings must be kept private and confidential.
Individual students, parents and staff members shall not be discussed at School Council meetings.

Roberts Rules of Order can be followed for matters not covered by the Constitution.

Article 10: Financial Records

Financial records will be presented monthly with opening and closing account balances and be accepted by motion and vote of School Council.

Financial records will be kept for a period of seven years on school property.

10.1 Disbursement and Allocation of Money

All money must be collected by the end of the school year.

Funds should be dispersed or allocated to a specific purpose by the end of the school year.

School Council funds must be used solely for the benefit of Parkview students.

In the event of Capital Asset Fundraising, funds may be allocated and carried forward to future years. A Tangible Capital Asset (TCA) is an item that has a useful life of at least five years and a cost of greater than $5,000 per item (e.g., Gymnasium/stage curtain systems) before taxes or playgrounds with a cost of greater than $10,000 before taxes.

Article 11: Agendas and Minutes

11.1 Agendas

Agenda items to be discussed should be submitted to the Chair / Co-Chairs and the Principal / Vice Principal by Friday 8 AM prior to the School Council’s next meeting.
The Chair / Co-Chairs will set the agenda in consultation with the Principal prior to the meeting.
ALL agenda items will be added to the itinerary with an estimated time allocated for discussion.
Sub-Committees are included on the agenda.
The agenda will be made available to members and posted prior to the School Council meeting.
The agenda will be distributed to the members at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
Last minute items may be added to the agenda if members agree by voting.

11.2 Minutes

Draft Minutes shall be distributed via e-mail at a minimum of one week in advance of the next School Council meeting to allow time for corrections and revisions prior to approval at the next meeting. Once approved by School Council, minutes will be made available to the school community and posted to the School Council and/or school website.

Article 12: Constitutional Amendments

12.1 Constitution

The School Council will review the Constitution a minimum of every two (2) years or as the need arises.

The Constitution committee can perform the review and bring proposed amendments to the School Council for voting.

Amendments to the Constitution must be presented to the School Council, at a regularly scheduled School Council meeting.

Constitutional amendments need a 2/3 majority to be passed.

12.2 Revision History

Original Constitution was enacted by Parkview Public School Council on April 21, 1998, revised on May 8, 2002 and approved on June 20, 2002.

Parkview Public School Council Constitution amendments were submitted and approved at the June 16, 2015 School Council Meeting. Constitution Committee (Chair – Anoosh Sharif, Principal – Lisa Dilworth, Vice-Principal – Penny Lam, Members: Lisa Brygidyr, Gary Cheng, Kimberley Kwan, AJ Lou, Linda Wang, Daniel Yu)

Amendment approved at February 9, 2016 School Council Meeting. Chair: Andrea Winarksi, Vice-Chair: Kimberley Kwan, Principal: Lisa Dilworth, Vice-Principal: Penny Lam.

Article 13: Protection of School Council Members

The York Region District School Board holds liability insurance undertaken on behalf of all School Councils and, as such, members of the Parkview Public School Council are not personally liable for decision and activities undertaken in relation to the School Council, with the exception of any wilful, destructive or dishonest act or neglect, performed by a particular School Council member for which that person will be held accountable.

Appendix A - Motions

Making a Motion

An individual must be recognized by the Chair before obtaining the floor to make a motion and formally propose a course of action.

A motion begins with the statement “I move...”
Another individual must second the motion, by saying “I second the motion.” This indicates agreement that the proposal should be discussed.
Once the motion is made and seconded, the Chair states the question so that everyone is clear on what is being proposed. All discussion now focuses on the proposal.
If no one wants to speak to the issue, the Chair conducts a vote by asking for those in favour and those opposed. The vote may be conducted by a show of hands, by standing or by ballot.
If members wish to discuss the motion, the Chair opens the debate. Once the debate is complete, the Chair states the questions and a vote is taken.
Majority plus one (51%) is needed to pass a motion. In the case of a tie, the motion is lost.

Amending a Motion

Up until the Chair states the question, the person making the motion may change it, although the seconder may withdraw and the changed motion may need another seconder. However, once the Chair has stated the question, the motion must be formally amended in order to be changed.

The person making the motion may propose to modify it. The Chair will ask if anyone objects. If they do, the question to modify is put to a vote. If the group consents to the modification, debate continues on the motion as amended.

Another person can move to amend the motion by stating “I move to amend the motion by...”. From here the process is the same as for any other motion.

An amendment to an amendment may be proposed. A third amendment is out of order. After the amendment has been dealt with, discussion returns to the motion.

Withdrawing a Motion

At any time before a vote, the person making the motion may ask to withdraw it. The motion to withdraw does not require a seconder. Once the motion is withdrawn, it is as if it never existed.

If the Chair has already stated the question and a request to withdraw the motion is made, the Chair asks if there is any objection. If there is none, the motion is withdrawn. If someone objects, the request to withdraw the motion is put to a vote.

Tabling a Motion

A motion to table a motion means to set it aside to discuss at another time so more pressing business can be discussed, or so more information about the issue can be obtained. The motion to tables takes precedence over the motion being discussed. The motion to table requires a seconder. There can be no debate on a motion to table.

Motions that are Null and Void

Any motion that contradicts provincial (statutes) and regulations or Board policies is out of order, even if the motion was voted on and passed by a majority vote.