Educational Excellence School Advisory Council

4031 Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center

The bylaws for this school were last modified on Aug. 17, 2024.

The bylaws are as follows:

GATEWAY ENVIRONMENTAL K-8 LEARNING CENTER
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL EESAC BYLAWS


I. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center’s Educational Excellence School Advisory Council (EESAC) is to work to ensure improved student achievement. One of the ways the EESAC will do this is by developing, monitoring and evaluating the School Improvement Plan as required by Blueprint 2000. The group may also address issues that include curriculum, student discipline, staffing, safety, technology, student support services, textbook adoptions, professional development, and budget, as they apply to the School Improvement Plan and the District’s strategic planning goals. Recommendations adopted by the EESAC shall be presented to the principal for presentation to the school staff.


II. EESAC MEMBERS

A. Composition

1. Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center’s seventeen member EESAC shall be made up of 6 parents, 5 teachers, 2 students, 1 education support employee, 1 business/ community representatives, the Designated UTD Steward and the Principal. With the exception of the Principal, the business/community representatives and the Designated UTD Steward, all other members shall be elected by their constituent groups.

2. In the event that the Principal is unable to attend, an Assistant Principal, who has been designated by the Principal may act in his/her behalf.

3. Teachers, parents, students, and education support employees shall also elect an alternate representative.

4. The EESAC will be representative of the ethnic, racial, linguistic, and economic community served by Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center.

5. The EESAC may vote to increase the number composing the group. They must then submit the request to the Family and Community Involvement Advisory Committee for consideration.

B. Eligibility

1. All teachers, student services personnel, and media specialists employed by the school are eligible to be elected teacher representatives to the EESAC.

2. All other persons employed by the school, including paraprofessionals and those who are not defined as instructional or administrative personnel and whose duties require 20 or more hours in each normal working week, are eligible to be elected as the education support employee representative.

3. All parents or guardians responsible for a child enrolled in Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center are eligible to be elected as parent representatives.

4. The students shall be representatives are those enrolled in fifth through eighth grade.

C. Terms

1. Teachers and education support employee shall serve for three years and will be eligible for re-election.

2. The Designated UTD Steward shall serve for the term that he/she holds the UTD position.

3. The students, parents, and business/community representative shall serve for a one-year period and will be eligible for re-election. The principal appoints the business/community representative.

4. The chairperson and secretary shall be elected by the EESAC members at the first meeting following the elections and shall serve for a one-year period in those positions and shall be eligible for re-election.

5. All alternates shall serve for the same length of term as the group that they are representing, and shall be eligible for re-election.

6. Any member who has two consecutive unexcused absences from Council meetings shall be considered to have resigned. The member shall be replaced following election/selection procedures as stated in these bylaws. Members must contact the school secretary or EESAC Chairperson in the event they are unable to attend a scheduled meeting. If contact has not been made, the absence will be unexcused.

D. Responsibilities

1. EESAC members shall:

a. Attend all regular and special meetings;

b. Communicate with constituents to collect data and opinions for
decision making;

c. Consider the needs of all students when making decisions;

d. Develop, monitor and evaluate the annual School Improvement Plan (SIP);

e. Develop recommendations for the expenditure of EESAC funds that support the School Improvement Plan and the district’s strategic planning goals;

f. Develop recommendations for the expenditure of school budgeted funds that support the School Improvement Plan and the district’s strategic planning goals;

g. Report to constituents the actions taken by the EESAC.

h. The EESAC committee will be involved in the planning, implementing, and review of educational programs (Gifted, SPED, etc.), as they apply to the School Improvement Plan and the district’s strategic planning goals.

2. The EESAC chairperson shall:

a. Meet with the principal to prepare the agenda;

b. Post the agenda three (3) working days prior to the meeting;

c. Arrange for notices of meetings to be posted in public areas for general EESAC meetings and committee meetings that are required to operate in the “Sunshine”;

d. Arrange for notices of meetings to be distributed to all EESAC members and alternates the same day of posting;

e. Facilitate meetings;

f. Assist in the preparation of the School Improvement Plan and other issues relating to it;

g. Attend necessary seminars, workshops, and meetings.

3. The EESAC secretary shall:

a. Write brief minutes of each meeting to include:

(1) A list of those in attendance;

(2) A summary of proceedings and actions taken;

(3) The signature of the person recording the minutes.

b. Distribute complete minutes within five (5) working days of each meeting.

c. Post the minutes on the designated Internet site.

d. Post the approved/amended minutes on the designated Internet site.

4. Alternates shall serve in the same capacity as the person whom they are replacing.


III. ELECTION PROCESS

A. The Sunshine Law prohibits the use of secret ballots.

B. Teachers shall be nominated and elected by teachers at the first faculty meeting in May, effective June 1 or the last day of school, whichever comes first, to replace members whose terms are expiring. If and when a teacher cannot carry out the entire term, an election shall be held at the first faculty meeting after the resignation date. Elections must be conducted by the Designated UTD Steward. Any teacher whose term expires during the year will be replaced at the faculty meeting prior to the expiration of their term.

C. Education Support Employees shall be nominated and elected by Education Support Employees in May, effective June 1 or the last day of school, whichever comes first, to replace members whose terms are expiring. If and when the Education Support Employee cannot carry out the entire term, an election shall be held at the first faculty meeting after the resignation date.

D. Students shall be nominated from fifth grade (one) and upper academy (one). Fifth grade will be elected by all students in that grade in May, effective June 1 or the last day of school, whichever comes first. Upper academy will be elected through the student council elections. The president shall serve as the upper academy representative and the vice president shall serve as the alternate student. If and when the student cannot carry out the entire term, an election will be held within one month after the resignation date.

E. All parents must have an opportunity to vote for their representatives at a meeting that has been advertised at least five (5) working days in advance. Parents shall be nominated and elected by parents PRIOR to the first PTA general meeting in May, effective June 1 or the last day of school, whichever comes first, to replace members whose terms are expiring. If and when a parent cannot carry out the entire term, an election shall be held PRIOR to the first PTA general meeting after the resignation date. Elections must be conducted by the EESAC chair. The votes will be counted by members of the PTA Board. The PTA President must notify the EESAC Chairperson and Principal of the final count including names of parents and total votes by candidate. Any parent whose term expires during the year will be replaced PRIOR the PTA general meeting prior to the expiration of their term.

F. The business/community representative shall be appointed by the principal in May, effective immediately. If and when the representative cannot carry out the entire term, a replacement will be appointed within one month from the resignation date.

G. One alternate for each EESAC group shall be elected in the same manner used to elect the representatives for each group. If and when the alternate cannot carry out the entire term, an election will be held within one month from the resignation date.

H. The school shall give proper notice of the election of EESAC members in accordance with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law. The school shall also make its best effort to hold elections for each constituent group during hours that are convenient for each constituent group.


IV. MEETINGS

A. Regular Meetings

The meetings shall be held at Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings will be held at least four (4) times per year.

Any faculty or staff can submit a proposal. The staff or faculty member must attend at least three to four meetings throughout the year. In the event the faculty or staff is not able to attend, the individual can send someone to sit for them as a substitute.

B. Special Meetings

In the event a special meeting is needed, the principal, EESAC chairperson or a majority of EESAC members may call a meeting following the guidelines set forth in Section II. D. 2a-d.

C. Cancellation of Meetings

A regular EESAC meeting may be canceled by the principal, EESAC chairperson, or a majority of the EESAC members.

D. Sunshine Law

All meetings shall be open to the public and shall not be held in any facility or location which discriminates on the basis of sex, age, race, creed, color, origin, or economic status or which operates in such a manner as to unreasonably restrict access to such a facility.


V. QUORUM

A majority of the voting members of the Council (6) shall constitute a quorum. A quorum must be present before a vote may be taken.


VI. AGENDA

A. The EESAC chairperson, in consultation with the Principal shall prepare and distribute the agenda for all regular and special meetings.

B. All EESAC members must receive at least 3 working days advance notice in writing of any matter that is scheduled to come before the Council for a vote.

C. Additions to the Agenda

1. EESAC and non-EESAC members may add items to any regular meeting agenda by contacting the EESAC chairperson five (5) working days in advance of the meeting.

2. The agenda may be amended at the meeting by consensus or by majority vote prior to the start of the meeting.

D. Non-EESAC members shall be given two (2) to four (4) minutes to address any issue on the agenda.


VII. CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING

The primary method of decision making shall be by consensus. This process is not defined by a majority or a two-thirds vote. Consensus allows teachers, administrators, support personnel, parents and community members, as a group of professionals, to reach agreement on common goals and on the strategies to reach those goals. Any matter that cannot be settled by consensus requires a vote of EESAC members and this vote must be recorded in the minutes. The minutes must list all members who voted and their individual vote.


VIII. MINUTES

Minutes shall be kept for all meetings of the EESAC. Copies of the approved minutes shall be maintained by the school as a public record. In addition, a copy of the minutes of every meeting as of July 1, 2002, will be posted electronically by the school on the Internet. After the EESAC approves the minutes, the Principal approves the minutes online for public record.


IX. COMMITTEES

A. Standing Committees

1. The EESAC shall also function as the Budget Committee.

2. All standing committees shall elect their own chairperson from within the committee.

3. Additional standing committees may be formed at the discretion of the EESAC.

B. Ad Hoc Committees

1. An Ad Hoc Committee may be established by the EESAC at any time to address a particular issue. The Ad Hoc Committee will sunset when the EESAC agrees by consensus that the business of the committee is finished.

2. Composition

a. Staff members and other stakeholders will sign up on a first come, first served basis

b. Staff members and other stakeholders may serve on more than one committee

c. The chairperson of the committee shall be appointed by the EESAC chairperson.

C. Sunshine Law

If the committees are “fact-finding, information gathering” in nature, they do not have to operate in the “Sunshine.” If they are making recommendations to the EESAC, they must operate in the “Sunshine.”

D. Committee Meetings

1. The committee shall convene within two weeks of its establishment.

2. The committee chairperson must notify members forty-eight hours in advance of a meeting.

3. Committee meetings shall:

a. Be held at the discretion of the members;

b. Not exceed one hour unless agreed upon by members.


X. AMENDMENTS

A. Proposed amendments and changes to these bylaws shall be accomplished through the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee. All procedures in Section IX. B, C and D must be followed.

B. Final amendments and changes to these bylaws shall be accomplished through consensus of the EESAC.