Community Council
Welcome to our school Community Council page!
The purpose of the Community Council is to involve parents in decision making at the school level. Elected parents represent the parents of the school and participate in developing plans for improving the school, make decisions on how to best expend School LAND Trust Program monies, and increase public awareness of school trust lands and related policies
- Meeting Schedule
- Community Council Members
- Agendas and Minutes
- School Improvement and LAND Trust Plans
- Become Involved
- Rules of Order
- Bylaws
Meeting Schedule
Community Council Members
Members
Chair, Chris Mikell
Vice Chair, Karen Garner
Principal, Buck Ekstrom
Asst. Principal, Courtney Ward
Parent, Kat Crockett
Parent, Annika Wiggins
Parent, LaCee Anderson
Parent, Julie Checketts
Parent, Samantha Harris
Parent, Lacey Maxfield
Parent, Lindsey Vowels
Teacher, Catherine Swinyard
lacee_anderson@hotmail.com
woodscrosselementary@americorpsuwnu.org
lindsey.vowels1@gmail.com
cswinyard@dsdmail.net
Agendas and Minutes
Oct. 25, 2023
Pledge:
Attendance: Chis Mikell, Annikka Wiggins, Catherine Swinyard, Karen Garner, Courtney Ward, Buck Ekstrom, Kat Crockett, Absent - LaCee Anderson
Elections:
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Chris Mikell as Chair Interim
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Karen Garner as Vice Chair
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Kat Crockett as Secretary
Recruitment:
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Kat is creating a Microsoft FORM to send out to teachers to solicit parent names from teachers. Buck will call them to see if they would like to join the Community Council. Lacey Maxfield, Julie Checkett, and Lindsey Vowels agreed to join the council. We will also check on Sam Harris.
Budget:
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We discussed how the budget works. Kat will get Chris a new budget printout so, he will have the actual numbers and the breakdown for our next meeting. We have a few changes to vote on. For instance, we will not have Vex robotics this year.
Next Month's Agenda Items:
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Budget- more details on what we are and aren't spending money on and making the adjustments
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Looking at Growth as a school last year
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PLC's focus this year
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Reason for tremendous growth - Tutor, LTRS, More Consistency , TEACHERS are great, and overall faculty
Other Discussion Items:
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This is the last year we should see the effect by COVID. Our 4th graders seem to have recovered by their scores. Excellent job everyone.
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We are changing our meeting time to 4:30 pm instead of 4 pm.
Next Meeting November 15, 2023!
2022-2023 Agendas
2022-2023 Minutes
School Improvement and LAND Trust Plans
Link to the School Improvement Page on the Assessment Department.
Assessment's School Improvement Page
District |
School |
Actual Funding 2015-2016 |
Actual Funding 2016-2017 |
Actual Funding 2017-2018 |
Actual Funding 2018-2019 |
Current Actual Funding 2019-2020 |
Upcoming Estimated Funding 2020-2021 |
Davis |
Woods Cross EL |
$45,124.00 |
$43,499.00 |
$55,832.00 |
$60,170.00 |
$66,805.00 |
$0.00 |
Become Involved
Serving on the School's Community Council
Want to help us spend $65,000? Come join the Community Council.
Serving on our School Community Council is a wonderful way for parents and teachers to contribute and help improve academic performance at our school. The school receives an annual dividend from the school trust lands. Our council decides how these funds will be used.
This year our school received approximately $66,000 from the School LAND Trust Program! The council reviews and prepares other academic plans for our students each year. All plans are reviewed for final approval by our school board. Councils also act in an advisory capacity to school and school district administrations.
Watch for information on Community Council elections to be posted here in late spring or early summer. Elections are held at the beginning of the school year. Additionally, there may be occasional vacancies during the year that are filled by appointment by the remaining members of the Council. If a vacancy occurs, notice of the vacancy and an application form for those interested in serving will be posted here.
Watch for information on School Community Council elections to be posted here.
Rules of Order
Rules of Order and Procedure – School Community Council
To promote ethical behavior and civil discourse each council member shall:
- Attend council meetings on time and prepared
- Make decisions with the needs of students as the main objective
- Listen to and value diverse opinions
- Be sure the opinions of those you represent are included in discussions
- Expect accountability and be prepared to be accountable
- Act with integrity
CONDUCTING A MEETING
All meetings are open to the public and the public is welcome to attend.
The agenda of each upcoming meeting with draft minutes of the prior meeting will be made available to all council members at least one week in advance, will be posted on the school website and made available in the main office. The agenda will include the date, time and location of the meeting.
Minutes will be kept of all meetings, prepared in draft format for approval at the next scheduled meeting.
The council will prepare a timeline for the school year that includes due dates for all required reporting and other activities/tasks that the council agrees to assume or participate in. The timeline will assist in preparation of agendas to be sure the council accomplishes their work in a timely manner.
The chair conducts the meetings, makes assignments and requests reports on assignments. In the absence of the chair the vice-chair shall conduct meetings.
Meetings shall be conducted and action taken according to very simplified rules of parliamentary procedure as required in 53A-1a-108.1(10). Items on the agenda take priority over other discussions coming before the council. Council action will be taken by motions and voting with votes and motions recorded in the minutes.
A motion (or an action to be taken by the council) is stated as a motion. Someone else on the council “seconds” the motion indicating that at least one other person on the council feels the motion is worthy of discussion. Then the council members may provide input and discussion as called upon by the chair. When discussion seems complete the chair may call for a vote on the motion. Or when a member of the council “calls the previous question” (a motion to end discussion of the first motion), a second is required and then, without discussion the chair calls for a vote that must pass by 2/3. If the vote on the previous question fails the council goes back to discussing the first motion. If the motion to call the previous question passes, the chair directly calls for a vote on the first motion. A vote to call the previous question is usually used to move business along.
Attached is a chart that could be used if the council feels they would like to use additional motions of Parliamentary Procedure in their meetings.
- A tie vote is a lost vote.
- A main motion may be amended.
- Nominations can be closed by saying, “I move to close nominations.”
- Most motions are main motions.
- A point of order is offered when there is some question if procedure had been followed correctly.
- To stop debate or discussion on a motion and force the vote a member would say, “I move the previous question.” This requires a second and a 2/3 vote.
- Hasty action may be corrected by use of the motion to reconsider. This motion may be made only by one who voted on the prevailing side.
- A person who made the motion may withdraw the same motion.
Election of the Chair and Vice-chair
After the school community council is seated each year, the school community council shall annually elect at the council’s first meeting a chair and vice-chair. The chair shall be elected from the parent members and the vice-chair shall be elected from the parent or school employee members, excluding the principal. The principal will conduct the election for chair and vice-chair, in that order, according to the following procedure: a) Members interested in either office may use the self-nomination process. Nominations may also be made by other council members. b) Voting shall be by regular voice vote by the school community council. A nominee must receive a majority vote of the council members present. Should no nominee receive a majority vote, further nominations may be made, and subsequent elections will be conducted by secret ballot until a nominee receives a majority. When a vacancy occurs in the office of chair or vice-chair for any reason, a replacement shall be elected for the unexpired term.
Removal and Replacement
If a member of the council fails to attend three consecutive meetings without being excused in advance, or fails to perform the duties of his/her office, the members of the council shall remove him/her from office and declare the position vacant. The position shall be filled by the regularly established election procedure.
Conflict of Interest
A member who has a personal or private interest in any proposed or pending matter which presents a conflict of interest will disclose such interest and will not vote unless the member’s participation is necessary to obtain a quorum or otherwise to enable the Council to act.
Bylaws
Woods Cross Elementary Community Council Bylaws
Purpose and Intent
These Bylaws shall be the operating guidelines of the Woods Cross Elementary Community Council (WXELCC). The intent of the Bylaws is to comply with the statutes enacted by the Utah State Legislature, currently contained in the Utah Code Ann. §§53A-1a-108, 53A-1a108.1, 53A-1a-108.5, and 53A-16-101.5, and administrative rule.
To promote ethical behavior and civil discourse each council member shall:
• Attend council meetings on time and prepared
• Make decisions with the needs of students as the main objective
• Listen to and value diverse opinions
• Be sure the opinions of those you represent are included in discussions
• Expect accountability and be prepared to be accountable
• Act with integrity
Composition of Council
Parent-members may be elected to serve individually or as couples with full voting rights; however, a single position, regardless of whether held by an individual or a couple, only has one vote for any business conducted by WXElCC. The number of parent-members must be two more than staff present to have a full quorum in order to vote, otherwise voting may be done electronically via phone, email, or text. If email vote is the method to obtain a vote, please see specific instructions in the section entitled “Conducting a Meeting”.
Educator-member positions will have one vote per position and will be as follows: (1) Principal OR Vice-Principal (1-2) Full time teachers.
Parent-members are elected to two–year terms and are eligible to serve in office so long as they have a child enrolled in the school or will have a child enrolled in the school during their term in office. Parent-member elections shall be staggered so that approximately fifty percent of the parent-members stand for election in a given year. Educator-members will serve a one-year term. The Community Council secretary may serve as a voting member of the council and may be a staff or parent when available. The school secretary may attend the council, but not be a voting member of the council.
Removal and Replacement
Any parent-member who fails to attend meetings or fails to perform the duties of his/her office may be removed from office and his or her position declared vacant. This will be determined after a discussion at a council meeting and left to the discretion of the Principal and the chair and/or vice-chair. Additionally, any parent-member who no longer lives within school boundaries or no longer meets the eligibility requirements to serve on the council shall automatically be deemed to have vacated their position upon concurrence by the principal and the chair and/or vice-chair. The position will be filled in accordance with the procedures below.
Election Procedures
Elections for parent-members and educator-members, including qualifications and notice requirements, will be conducted as outlined in Utah Code Ann. § 53A-1a-108. SDCC shall determine a proposed timetable of specific dates for the annual fall elections the preceding spring at the final SDCC meeting of the school year. Should a WXElCC member vacate their position before his or her normal term of office expires, or if vacancies remain after an election, then the parent-members of SDCC shall appoint a qualified parent or guardian of a South Davis student (“community member”) to fill any parent-member vacancies and the educator-members shall appoint a qualified educator to fill any educator-member vacancies. The new member shall serve the remaining portion of the term for which they were appointed.
Election of the Chair and Vice-chair
After the school community council is seated each year, the school community council shall annually elect at the council’s first meeting a chair and vice-chair. The chair shall be elected from the parent members and the vice-chair shall be elected from the parent or school employee members, excluding the principal. The leadership shall be elected to serve a one-year term.
The principal will conduct the election for chair and vice-chair, in that order, according to the following procedure:
a) Members interested in either office may use the self-nomination process. Nominations may also be made by other council members.
b) Voting shall be by regular voice vote by the school community council. A nominee must receive a majority vote of the council members present. Should no nominee receive a majority vote, further nominations may be made, and subsequent elections will be conducted by secret ballot until a nominee receives a majority.
When a vacancy occurs in the office of chair or vice-chair for any reason, a replacement shall be elected for the remaining one-year term.
Conducting a Meeting
All WXElCC meetings will comply with the notice requirements of Utah Code Ann. § 53A-1a108.1. The first meeting of a new school year will be set at the last meeting of the prior school year. The remaining regular meetings of a school year will be set at the first meeting of the school year. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed throughout the year provided that appropriate notice is given to the public.
All meetings are open to the public and the public is welcome to attend.
The agenda of each upcoming meeting with draft minutes of the prior meeting will be made available to all council members at least one week in advance, will be posted on the school website and made available in the main office. The agenda will include the date, time and location of the meeting. Minutes will be kept of all meetings, prepared in draft format for approval at the next scheduled meeting.
The council will prepare a timeline for the school year that includes due dates for all required reporting and other activities/tasks that the council agrees to assume or participate in. The timeline will assist in preparation of agendas to be sure the council accomplishes their work in a timely manner.
The chair shall conduct the meetings, prepare the meeting agenda, makes assignments, requests reports on assignments, be familiar with and seek to help WXElCC follow the laws and rules required of community councils. In the absence of the chair the vice-chair shall conduct meetings.
Meetings shall be conducted, and action taken according to very simplified rules of parliamentary procedure as required in 53A-1a-108.1(10). Items on the agenda take priority over other discussions coming before the council. Council action will be taken by motions and voting with votes and motions recorded in the minutes.
A motion (or an action to be taken by the council) is stated as a motion. Someone else on the council “seconds” the motion indicating that at least one other person on the council feels the motion is worthy of discussion. Then the council members may provide input and discussion as called upon by the chair. When discussion seems complete the chair may call for a vote on the motion. Or when a member of the council “calls the previous question” (a motion to end discussion of the first motion), a second is required and then, without discussion the chair calls for a vote that must pass by a majority. If the vote on the previous question fails the council goes back to discussing the first motion. If the motion to call the previous question passes, the chair directly calls for a vote on the first motion. A vote to call the previous question is usually used to move business along. (Attached is a chart to be used if the council feels they would like to use additional motions of Parliamentary Procedure in their meetings.)
In the event the majority of the council is not in attendance to have a vote, the Chair can call a vote by phone (during CC Meeting), text (during CC Meeting), or email. If sending an email, the email must be sent to all council members the same day as the meeting and the council members have 48 hours to respond with their vote from when the email was sent.
Conflict of Interest
A member who has a personal or private interest in any proposed or pending matter which presents a conflict of interest will disclose such interest and will not vote on that line item, on that specific line item, unless the member’s participation is necessary to obtain a quorum or otherwise to enable the Council to act.