Regulation 612/00 15 (1-3) of the Education Act indicates that a School Council may make By-Laws governing the conduct of its affairs and that every School Council shall make the following By-Laws:
- By-Laws that govern election procedures and the filling of vacancies in the membership of the School Council;
- By-Laws that establish rules respecting participation in School Council proceedings in cases of conflict of interest;
- By-Laws that, in accordance with any applicable policies established by the Board that established the School Council, establishes a conflict;
- Resolution process for internal School Council disputes.
To support this process, TDSB has updated the School Council By-Laws’ Template. The update includes:
- Mandatory articles that must be inserted into all TDSB School Council By-Laws;
- Optional articles that School Councils may or may not choose to insert;
- A template system that will enable School Councils to input their information and to have the By-Laws returned within 1-2 business days.
No later than May, 2022, School Councils must:
- Adopt the new By-Laws' template OR insert the mandatory articles into their existing By-Laws;
- Complete and submit the By-Laws’ template form. The Parent and Community Engagement Office (PCEO), the Principal and the Community Support Worker (if applicable) will be automatically copied;
- Share final By-Laws with the School Council and parents/caregivers;
- Store the By-Laws at the School in a place that is accessible to parents/caregivers upon request.
Adoption of the template will be as follows:
Step 1
School Councils are required to share and to discuss the revised By-Laws’ template in full with the parents/caregivers and the community to solicit feedback and input. This review will enable parents/caregivers and School Council members to identify the optional articles and to choose what is best for the School Council, while developing an understanding of all areas of the By-Laws' template.
Step 2
School Councils with expired (older than 3 years) or no By-Laws, will adopt the By-Laws by resolution (vote) at an official meeting of the School Council, no later than May 2022. Following School Council’s adoption, the Chair/Co-Chair/Vice Chair will complete the online By-Law template on behalf of the School Council for submission to the TDSB’s Parent and Community Engagement Office (PCEO). The final By-Laws will be sent back to the Chair/Co-Chair/Vice Chair, copying the Principal and the Community Support Worker (CSW), where applicable, within 1 – 2 business days by the PCEO for distribution to School Council members and parents/caregivers.
School Councils with By-Laws will revise the By-Laws by resolution (vote) at an official meeting of the School Council to ensure that all mandated articles of the new template are inserted into the By-Laws. Following School Council’s adoption of the revisions, the Chair/Co-Chair/Vice Chair will complete the online By-Law template on behalf of the School Council for submission to the TDSB’s PCEO. The final By-Laws will be sent back to the Chair/Co-Chair/Vice Chair, copying the Principal and the Community Support Worker (CSW, where applicable, within 1 – 2 business days by the PCEO for distribution to School Council members and parents/caregivers.
The template will be reviewed in two years time. We would love to hear your recommendations for future revisions. Please complete this quick survey to let us know any suggested School Council By-Laws’ template revisions that you have.
For further information and to have your School Council By-Laws questions answered, please contact Nancy Angevine-Sands .