Article I. Name
The name of this advisory council shall be the “Safe Schools Advisory Council.”
Article II. Purpose
The purposes of the Safe Schools Advisory Council, as set forth by the Prince William County Public School Board are:
- Support the safety and security of students, staff, and schools through the review and discussion of general, division-wide or level-wide policy questions, issues, and concepts raised by parents, council members, the Administration, the School Board, or the community at large.
- Assist the school division in the development of recommendations for improvements or policy changes on topics including premises and physical security, threat assessment, crisis management, emergency communications and parental notification, security technology, Internet safety, bullying, violence prevention, and security implementation.
- Further enhance the working relationship between Prince William County Public Schools, other governmental agencies, and the community on topics that relate to the safety of students, staff, and schools, within the scope of existing School Board policies and Division regulations.
- Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, serve as the local School Safety Audit Committee within the meaning of Virginia Code Section 22.1-279.8, as directed by the School Board through the Division Superintendent’s designee, the Director of Risk Management. The Council shall review the findings and reports of all school safety audits, subject to the exclusion of such security plans and vulnerability assessment components as the School Board deems necessary and such reviews shall not include information pertaining to specific students. Direction for the sharing of findings will be provided by the Director of Risk Management to the Safe Schools Advisory Council.
- At least quarterly, provide written reports to the Superintendent’s staff and the School Board via copies of meeting minutes and agendas. Members of the Advisory Council are also encouraged to appear before the School Board during Citizen’s Comment time to present brief updates on the ongoing work of the Advisory Council.
- Provide reports detailing new recommendations or findings and the status of previously accepted recommendations to the Superintendent twice annually, in May and October, and to the school board annually in May.
- Carry out such other duties as may be assigned to the Council by the School Board from time to time.
Article III. Membership
Section 3.1
(a)The Council shall be composed of voting members and non-voting advisory members along with one non-voting facilitator. Legal Counsel for the School Board shall also attend as appropriate. Members of the Council shall not participate in any decisions in which there is a conflict or the appearance of a conflict between their duty in the public interest and their private interests.
(b) Membership shall include:
(i) Eight voting members shall be recommended by the Prince William County School Board representing the seven Prince William County districts and one representative at-large. Members of this group shall include persons who have demonstrated an on-going commitment to the betterment of the community and school system.
(ii) Four voting members shall be recommended at the discretion of the PWCS Superintendent to serve as school representatives. These members shall include a representative from each of the main levels of education, including high school middle school, and elementary school.
(iii) The PWCS Director of Risk Management and Security Services shall be a voting member of the Council.
(iv) The Prince William County Police Department shall, at its discretion, appoint a liaison officer who shall be a non-voting member of the Council.
(v) The Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue shall, at its discretion, appoint a liaison officer who shall be a non-voting member of the Council.
(vi) The Office of Risk Management and Security Services may, at its discretion, appoint a School Safety Officer (SSO) to attend each meeting in a non-voting capacity. This appointment shall rotate monthly among SSOs from the different schools in the school division.
(vii) The Prince William County Police Department may, at its discretion, appoint a School Resource Officer (SRO) to attend each meeting in a non-voting capacity. This appointment shall rotate monthly among SROs from the different schools in the school division.
(viii) The School Board may, at its discretion, designate individual members of the School Board to attend meetings of the Council or serve as liaisons between the Council and the School Board.
Section 3.2
(a)The School Board shall appoint members for one or two year terms to the Council and fill vacancies as needed.
(b) A term of a Council member may be renewed by a School Board member at the end of the Council member’s term.
(c) The terms of the Council members should be staggered so that no more than four members will be renewed each year.
Section 3.3
(a) The PWCS Superintendent shall appoint a PWCS Associate Superintendent to facilitate the proceedings of the Council.
(b) The facilitating Associate Superintendent may provide supporting personnel such as consultants or staff in the School Division, as requested by the Council. A written and complete request for such support shall be provided at a Council meeting or by facsimile transmission or email with good and sufficient notice. The Superintendent’s staff retains the right to not approve a request but shall provide an explanation back to the Council.
(c) The facilitating Associate Superintendent shall provide materials which he or she deems necessary for the Council to carry out its duties as requested by the Council. A written and complete request shall be provided at a Council meeting or by facsimile transmission or email with good and sufficient notice. The Superintendent’s staff retains the right to not approve a request for materials but shall provide an explanation back to the Council.
Section 3.4
All members of the Council will be identified in the meeting minutes annually in the fall.
Section 3.5
The responsibility of the appointed members shall be to serve the purposes of the Council, as set forth in Article II.
Section 3.6
It shall be the duty of the Council to prescribe and implement attendance policies for the membership.
Article IV: Governance
Section 4.1
The Council shall appoint a chair, vice chair and, if so desired, a secretary from the membership who shall serve annual terms from October 1st to September 30th of the following year.
Section 4.2
The chair or, in his/her absence or incapacity, the vice-chair shall:
(a) Preside at meetings of the Council;
(b) Be responsible for the preparation of each meeting agenda in cooperation with the Council and in consultation with the supervising Associate Superintendent;
(c) Serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member on such standing or ad hoc committees or subcommittees as the Council may establish;
(d) Recognize individuals and representatives of constituent groups from whom the Council seeks to solicit information;
(e) Transmit copies of the agenda to Council Members, the facilitating Associate Superintendent, the Deputy Superintendent, the Superintendent, and designated School Board members at least seven days in advance of the next Council meeting;
(f) Transmit copies of Council-approved minutes from the previous meeting to the facilitating Associate Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, Superintendent, and designated School Board members at least seven days in advance of the next Council meeting;
(g) Provide for the preparation of quarterly summaries for the Superintendent and School Board to accompany minutes and agendas for the previous quarter and appear before the School Board as appropriate during Citizen’s time to present brief updates on the ongoing work of the Advisory Council.
(h) Provide for the preparation of recommendations and reports to the PWCS Superintendent twice annually;
(i) Provide for the preparation of an annual report of Council activities to the PWCS School Board and present information to the School Board as required or requested;
The secretary or, in his/her absence or incapacity, the vice-chair shall:
(a) Take notes at meetings of the Council;
(b) Be responsible for the preparation of minutes from each meeting in cooperation with the Council in consultation with the supervising Associate Superintendent;
(c) Transmit copies of the minutes to the chair or vice-chair at least fourteen days in advance of the next Council meeting;
(d) Carry out such other clerical duties as may be assigned by the Council from time to time.
Section 4.3
(a) The Council shall report to the School Board at least quarterly and provide written reports to the Superintendent’s staff and the School Board via copies of meeting minutes and agendas. Members of the Advisory Council are also encouraged to appear before the School Board during Citizen’s Comment time to present brief updates on the ongoing work of the Advisory Council.
(b) The Council shall report to the School Superintendent in October and in May of each school calendar year.
(c) The Council shall also make an annual report to the PWCS School Board in May which will summarize the actions of the Council.
(i) This may include any recommendations or queries arising from the Council’s work during the year.
(ii) This may also include a summary of the recommendations made during the year to the school division.
Section 4.4
(a) The chair shall appoint ad hoc committees to conduct objectives of the Council. Each committee shall make a report to the full Council on its discussion and recommendations.
(b) The chair shall also appoint annually an ad hoc committee to review procedures and policies related to the Council’s responsibilities and operation and make recommendations to the Council. The work of this committee may form a basis for the Council’s annual report to the PWCS School Board.
Article V. Meetings
Section 5.1
The Council shall meet every month as determined by the Council annually. The chair may also call additional meetings for good cause.
Section 5.2
The Council shall make decisions regarding recommendations to the PWCS School Board by a majority vote of its voting membership. The chair or vice chair has full voting power on all decisions by the Council. A record of dissenting votes and comments shall be placed in the Council minutes. In exceptional circumstances, the chair may permit members to vote in absentia under conditions he or she shall prescribe, provided that such arrangements are made in advance of the vote. The chair shall decide on requests for permission to vote in absentia consistently and shall not grant or deny permission arbitrarily.
Section 5.3
Meetings shall contain the following elements: call to order; determination of a quorum, approval of minutes of the preceding meeting, follow up on action items and updates from committees, items of information (i.e. presentations to the Council), community time, action items, discussion items, items for inclusion in future meeting agendas, and adjournment.
Section 5.4
A majority of the full voting membership of the Council constitutes a quorum.
Section 5.5
In the event of any procedural dispute arising out of the conduct of meetings, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used to resolve such dispute, except to the extent that Robert’s Rules conflict with any provisions of these bylaws.
Article VI. Expectations and Requirements for Members
Section 6.1
Council members are expected to attend all scheduled meetings. Council members are also expected to provide prior notice to the council chairperson on whether they will attend or not attend each meeting. With prior notification and for valid reasons, the chair may excuse members. Two unexcused absences from scheduled meetings within a 12-month period are grounds for removal of the member from the Council. Four total absences, excused or unexcused, within a 12-month period are grounds for removal of the member from the Council.
Section 6.2
Council members are expected to prepare thoroughly for each meeting by reading and reacting to supporting documents, as provided.
Section 6.3
Council members are expected to work in a collaborative fashion with each other and with members of the School Division. Council members are expected to express views and opinions or concerns openly and constructively.
Section 6.4
Council members are expected to communicate using the stated methods in Article IV for proposing information and/or recommendations to the School Division.
Section 6.5
Council members are required to refer discussions of safety and security issues that could impact or conflict with the overall management philosophy of the school division to the Superintendent or other appropriate body for inclusion in their deliberations.
Section 6.6
As a public entity created by the School Board to advise it on matters of school security, the Council is a public body subject to the requirements of Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act. All meetings and communications of the Council must comply with the Act and all members are required to read and become familiar with the Act.
Council members are required to seek the advice of the School Board’s attorney in maintaining the proper balance between the protection of sensitive information and the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.
Article VII. Amendments
Section 7.1
Any member of the Council may submit a proposed amendment to these bylaws. A written, full, and complete text of the proposed amendment shall be provided to the membership at least one month prior to the meeting at which the amendment is to be considered. Approval of the amendment shall be by two-thirds vote of the full voting membership. Amendments shall become effective upon approval by the PWCS Superintendent.
Article VIII. Approval of Bylaws
Section 8.1
These bylaws shall take effect upon adoption by a two-thirds vote of the voting membership and approval by the PWCS Superintendent.
Adopted by the Council: September 25, 2007 (original bylaws adopted)
Amended bylaws adopted by the Council: January 12, 2009
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