Next meeting scheduled is October 11, 2024 in room H311 at 1:30pm.

District and Campus Site-Based Committees Notices, Agendas and Minutes

Site-based decision making implementation has been mandated for all Texas school districts since 1992. TEA defines site-based decision making as follows: Site-based decision making is a process for decentralizing decisions to improve the educational outcomes at every school campus through a collaborative effort by which principals, teachers, campus staff, district staff, parents, and community representatives assess educational outcomes of all students, determine goals and strategies, and ensure that strategies are implemented and adjusted to improve student achievement.

District, campus site-based committees

District and campus site-based decision making committees were designed to ensure that teachers, parents and other community members have an active voice in local education matters. The committees may develop an appraisal process and performance criteria for district teachers, and must be consulted if the district adopts a local process and criteria for appraisal instead of using the process recommended by the Texas Commissioner of Education. In addition, a district seeking a waiver from rule or law must submit to the commissioner an application and written comments from either the campus- or district-level committee. The superintendent must regularly consult with the district-level committee, and the principal must regularly consult with the campus-level committee.

At least every two years, the school district must evaluate its district- and campus-level site-based planning policies, procedures, staff development and decision-making activities to ensure that they are effectively structured to positively impact student performance. If a campus is low-performing, the commissioner can order the preparation of a report regarding the effectiveness of the district- and campus-level planning and decision making committees and a plan describing strategies for improving the effectiveness of those committees.

COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

General guidelines regarding the structure and composition of the campus- and district-level decision making committees are found in Section 11.251 of the Texas Education Code. The statute requires the involvement of several classes of people:

• district professional staff,

• parents of students enrolled in the district,

• community members, and

• representatives from the business community with no consideration for whether the person or the business resides in the district.

The statute prohibits members from sitting in dual roles on the committees; for example, a person cannot sit as both a parent and a community member nor can a person who is an employee of the district sit on the committee as a parent representative.

The statute does not delineate a specific limitation on the size of the committee. However, it does provide several prerequisites for the local school board to address in its policies regarding the decision making committees.

First, the school board is required to adopt procedures that specify the method by which professional staff may be nominated and elected by their colleagues to serve on the SBDM committee and to meet with the school board in that capacity. The statute requires that two-thirds of the professional staff representatives be classroom teachers. Board policy must also provide the procedures for the selection of parents to both committees as well as the selection of community members and business representatives to serve on the district-level committee.

DISTRICT-LEVEL COMMITTEES

District-level SBDM committees assist the superintendent in developing, evaluating and annually revising the district's improvement plan, in accordance with district policy. The plan must include provisions for a comprehensive needs assessment addressing student performance, measurable district performance objectives and strategies for improving student performance. These committees also advise the district in the adoption of a student code of conduct, which must specify the conditions that authorize or require an administrator to transfer a student to a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP).

CAMPUS-LEVEL COMMITTEES

Campus-level SBDM committees assist the principal of each campus in developing, reviewing and revising the campus improvement plan. The committee is to be involved in decisions in the areas of planning, budgeting, curriculum, staffing patterns and school organization. Staff development must be primarily campus-based and developed and approved by the campus-level committees. Districtwide staff development may be used only if it is developed and approved through the district-level SBDM process.

Policy BQA — Planning and Decision-Making Process: District-Level

District/Campus Committee

In compliance with Education Code 11.251, the District/Campus Committee shall advise the Board or its designee in establishing and reviewing the District's educational goals, objectives, and major District-wide classroom instructional programs identified by the Board or its designee. The committee shall serve exclusively in an advisory role except that the committee shall approve staff development.

Chairperson

As the only certified professional employee at the District level, the Superintendent shall be the Board's designee, serve as the District-level representative, and be chairperson of the committee.

Meetings

The chairperson of the committee shall set its agenda and shall schedule at least two meetings per year; additional meetings may be held at the call of the chairperson.

Communications

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the committee obtains broad-based community, parent, and staff input and provides information to those persons on a systematic basis. Methods of communication may include, but are not limited to, articles regarding the work of the committee in District publications and on the District website.

Composition

The committee shall be composed of members who shall represent professional staff, parents, businesses, and the community. At least two-thirds of the professional staff representatives shall be classroom teachers. The remaining employee representatives shall be professional nonteaching staff.

Professional Staff

The committee shall include classroom teachers and nonteaching professional employees.

Each representative shall be nominated by and elected from the representative grouping.

Parents

The committee shall include at least two parents of students currently enrolled in the District, selected in accordance with administrative procedures. The Superintendent shall, through various channels, inform all parents of District students about the committee's duties and composition and shall solicit volunteers. [See BQA(LEGAL)]

Community Members

The committee shall include at least two community members selected by a process that provides for adequate representation of the community's diversity, in accordance with administrative procedures. The Superintendent shall use several methods of communication to ensure that community residents are informed of the committee and are provided the opportunity to participate and shall solicit volunteers. Community representatives must reside in the District.

Business Representatives

The committee shall include at least two business representatives selected by a process that provides for adequate representation of the community's diversity, in accordance with administrative procedures. The Superintendent shall use several methods of communication to ensure that area businesses are informed of the committee and are provided the opportunity to participate and shall solicit volunteers. Business representatives need not reside in nor operate businesses in the District.

Elections

An employee's affiliation or lack of affiliation with any organization or association shall not be a factor in either the nomination or election of the employee to the committee. [See DGA]

The consent of each nominee shall be obtained before the person's name may appear on the ballot. Election of the committee shall be held in the fall of each school year at a time determined by the Board or its designee. Nomination and election shall be conducted in accordance with this policy and administrative regulations.

Terms

Representatives shall be elected or selected annually and shall not be limited as to the number of consecutive terms they may serve on the committee.

Vacancy

If a vacancy occurs among the representatives, nominations shall be solicited and an election held or selection made for the unexpired term in the same manner as for the annual election.

Other Advisory Groups

The existence of the committee shall not affect the authority of the Board or its designee to appoint or establish other advisory groups or task forces to assist it in matters pertaining to District instruction.

Performance Objectives

Performance objectives shall be formulated annually in accordance with a schedule established by the District, shall support the District's educational goals and objectives, and shall be specific to the academic achievement of students served. The Board shall review and approve performance objectives.

Waivers

District leadership shall ensure that no campus-initiated decision violates rule, law, or policy, unless a waiver has been obtained by the committee. [See BQA(LEGAL) and BF]

Except as prohibited by law [see BF], the Board may grant a waiver of a local policy. An application for a waiver must state the achievement objectives and the reasons for requesting the waiver.