A. 7 should be the minimum. You can have as many as they want. However, in order to attain the 5 Star Award, you will need 80% of the members to attend 80% of the meetings. This will hard to maintain with a lot of members. “Members” are considered voting members. You can have as many attendees as you would like, and we encourage that. You do not need a certain number of members or attendees in order to hold a meeting. However, you will need a quorum to vote.

A. Yes, all high schools and career centers must have a least one student SAC member.

Assurance 1: All public schools in the district, except charter schools, have a School Advisory Council. A majority of the members of each school advisory council are not employed by the school district. Except as noted below, each school advisory council is composed of the principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, education support employees, students, parents, and other business and community members who are representative of the ethnic, racial and economic community served by the school. Career center and high school SACs must include students; middle and junior high school SACs may include students. Career centers and adult education centers are not required to include parents as members. (s. 1001.452(1)(a), F.S.)

A. Yes, as long as your SAC votes to approve paying for travel, they can do so. Just be sure to put the request for funds on the agenda at least 3 days in advance of the meeting.

A. You post the fund request on the agenda at least 3 days before the vote. It must benefit a lot of students and/or the school and be tied back to your SIP. Funds cannot benefit the SAC members, i.e. food or gifts for attending. SAC funds can cover child care during the meetings.

A. Old business is recapping last month’s topics, or prior month’s topics, that need follow up. Think of it as “unfinished business”. New business would be anything new to discuss or mention during the current meeting. It could be announcements, plans, or general discussion, etc.

A. You can find the demographics for your school on our website. If you go to the home page, then click “about us”, then click on “Interactive Demographic Report” that will take you to the report where you can search by school.

A. As far as the demographics for Hispanics, they would fall under Caucasian or Black. That was changed a few years back and the Hispanic category was removed.

A. SAC members need to review the SIP and the SAC voting members approve the SIP by signing SAC SIP Approval form. Then, your SIP will be moved forward for School Board approval.

A. No, not if the attendees are included in the minutes. If you list the attendance in the minutes then you do not need to send in a sign in sheet. However, you will need to keep sign in sheets on file for compliance and in order to meet the requirements for the 5 Star Award.

A. Per the OASIS department, they have to make an appointment with HR, get fingerprinted and have a background check. Approximate cost is $42.50. They have to fill out a packet, pay online, and then go to HR. The check is valid for one year. They will not be in the online OASIS system, but will be approved once they pass the background check.

1001.452 District and school advisory councils.—

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—

(a) The district school board shall establish an advisory council for each school in the district and shall develop procedures for the election and appointment of advisory council members. Each school advisory council shall include in its name the words “school advisory council.” The school advisory council shall be the sole body responsible for final decision making at the school relating to implementation of ss. 1001.42(18) and 1008.345. A majority of the members of each school advisory council must be persons who are not employed by the school district. Each advisory council shall be composed of the principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, education support employees, students, parents, and other business and community citizens who are representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school. Career center and high school advisory councils shall include students, and middle and junior high school advisory councils may include students. School advisory councils of career centers and adult education centers are not required to include parents as members. Council members representing teachers, education support employees, students, and parents shall be elected by their respective peer groups at the school in a fair and equitable manner as follows:

1. Teachers shall be elected by teachers.

2. Education support employees shall be elected by education support employees.

3. Students shall be elected by students.

4. Parents shall be elected by parents.

The district school board shall establish procedures to be used by schools in selecting business and community members that include means of ensuring wide notice of vacancies and of taking input on possible members from local business, chambers of commerce, community and civic organizations and groups, and the public at large. The district school board shall review the membership composition of each advisory council. If the district school board determines that the membership elected by the school is not representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school, the district school board shall appoint additional members to achieve proper representation. The commissioner shall determine if schools have maximized their efforts to include on their advisory councils minority persons and persons of lower socioeconomic status. Although schools are strongly encouraged to establish school advisory councils, the district school board of any school district that has a student population of 10,000 or fewer may establish a district advisory council which includes at least one duly elected teacher from each school in the district. For the purposes of school advisory councils and district advisory councils, the term “teacher” includes classroom teachers, certified student services personnel, and media specialists. For purposes of this paragraph, “education support employee” means any person employed by a school who is not defined as instructional or administrative personnel pursuant to s. 1012.01 and whose duties require 20 or more hours in each normal working week.

(b) The district school board may establish a district advisory council representative of the district and composed of teachers, students, parents, and other citizens or a district advisory council that may be comprised of representatives of each school advisory council. Recognized school wide support groups that meet all criteria established by law or rule may function as school advisory councils.

(c) For those schools operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, district school boards may establish a district advisory council with appropriate representatives for the purpose of developing and monitoring a district school improvement plan that encompasses all such schools in the district, pursuant to s.1001.42(18)(a).

(d) Each school advisory council shall adopt bylaws establishing procedures for:

1. Requiring a quorum to be present before a vote may be taken by the school advisory council. A majority of the membership of the council constitutes a quorum.

2. Requiring at least 3 days’ advance notice in writing to all members of the advisory council of any matter that is scheduled to come before the council for a vote.

3. Scheduling meetings when parents, students, teachers, businesspersons, and members of the community can attend.

4. Replacing any member who has two unexcused consecutive absences from a school advisory council meeting that is noticed according to the procedures in the bylaws.

5. Recording minutes of meetings.

The district school board may review all proposed bylaws of a school advisory council and shall maintain a record of minutes of council meetings.

(2) DUTIES.—Each advisory council shall perform functions prescribed by regulations of the district school board; however, no advisory council shall have any of the powers and duties now reserved by law to the district school board. Each school advisory council shall assist in the preparation and evaluation of the school improvement plan required pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). With technical assistance from the Department of Education, each school advisory council shall assist in the preparation of the school’s annual budget and plan as required by s. 1008.385(1). A portion of funds provided in the annual General Appropriations Act for use by school advisory councils must be used for implementing the school improvement plan.

History.—s. 1, ch. 2002-49; s. 59, ch. 2002-387; s. 73, ch. 2004-357; s. 10, ch. 2008-108; s. 5, ch. 2008-235.

286.011 Public meetings and records; public inspection; criminal and civil penalties.—

(1) All meetings of any board or commission of any state agency or authority or of any agency or authority of any county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision, except as otherwise provided in the Constitution, including meetings with or attended by any person elected to such board or commission, but who has not yet taken office, at which official acts are to be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times, and no resolution, rule, or formal action shall be considered binding except as taken or made at such meeting. The board or commission must provide reasonable notice of all such meetings.

(2) The minutes of a meeting of any such board or commission of any such state agency or authority shall be promptly recorded, and such records shall be open to public inspection. The circuit courts of this state shall have jurisdiction to issue injunctions to enforce the purposes of this section upon application by any citizen of this state.

(3)(a) Any public officer who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a noncriminal infraction, punishable by fine not exceeding $500.

(b) Any person who is a member of a board or commission or of any state agency or authority of any county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision who knowingly violates the provisions of this section by attending a meeting not held in accordance with the provisions hereof is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(c) Conduct which occurs outside the state which would constitute a knowing violation of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(4) Whenever an action has been filed against any board or commission of any state agency or authority or any agency or authority of any county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision to enforce the provisions of this section or to invalidate the actions of any such board, commission, agency, or authority, which action was taken in violation of this section, and the court determines that the defendant or defendants to such action acted in violation of this section, the court shall assess a reasonable attorney’s fee against such agency, and may assess a reasonable attorney’s fee against the individual filing such an action if the court finds it was filed in bad faith or was frivolous. Any fees so assessed may be assessed against the individual member or members of such board or commission; provided, that in any case where the board or commission seeks the advice of its attorney and such advice is followed, no such fees shall be assessed against the individual member or members of the board or commission. However, this subsection shall not apply to a state attorney or his or her duly authorized assistants or any officer charged with enforcing the provisions of this section.

(5) Whenever any board or commission of any state agency or authority or any agency or authority of any county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision appeals any court order which has found said board, commission, agency, or authority to have violated this section, and such order is affirmed, the court shall assess a reasonable attorney’s fee for the appeal against such board, commission, agency, or authority. Any fees so assessed may be assessed against the individual member or members of such board or commission; provided, that in any case where the board or commission seeks the advice of its attorney and such advice is followed, no such fees shall be assessed against the individual member or members of the board or commission.

(6) All persons subject to subsection (1) are prohibited from holding meetings at 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 public access to such a facility.

(7) Whenever any member of any board or commission of any state agency or authority or any agency or authority of any county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision is charged with a violation of this section and is subsequently acquitted, the board or commission is authorized to reimburse said member for any portion of his or her reasonable attorney’s fees.

(8) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), any board or commission of any state agency or authority or any agency or authority of any county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision, and the chief administrative or executive officer of the governmental entity, may meet in private with the entity’s attorney to discuss pending litigation to which the entity is presently a party before a court or administrative agency, provided that the following conditions are met:

(a) The entity’s attorney shall advise the entity at a public meeting that he or she desires advice concerning the litigation.

(b) The subject matter of the meeting shall be confined to settlement negotiations or strategy sessions related to litigation expenditures.

(c) The entire session shall be recorded by a certified court reporter. The reporter shall record the times of commencement and termination of the session, all discussion and proceedings, the names of all persons present at any time, and the names of all persons speaking. No portion of the session shall be off the record. The court reporter’s notes shall be fully transcribed and filed with the entity’s clerk within a reasonable time after the meeting.

(d) The entity shall give reasonable public notice of the time and date of the attorney-client session and the names of persons who will be attending the session. The session shall commence at an open meeting at which the persons chairing the meeting shall announce the commencement and estimated length of the attorney-client session and the names of the persons attending. At the conclusion of the attorney-client session, the meeting shall be reopened, and the person chairing the meeting shall announce the termination of the session.

(e) The transcript shall be made part of the public record upon conclusion of the litigation.

History.—s. 1, ch. 67-356; s. 159, ch. 71-136; s. 1, ch. 78-365; s. 6, ch. 85-301; s. 33, ch. 91-224; s. 1, ch. 93-232; s. 210, ch. 95-148; s. 1, ch. 95-353; s. 2, ch. 2012-25.