Rules of Order and Procedure

Reviewed and ratified on September 29, 2025 for the 2025-2026 School Year

To promote ethical behavior and civil discourse each council member shall:

• Attend council meetings on time and prepared
• Make decisions with the needs of students as the main objective
• Listen to and value diverse opinions
• Be sure the opinions of those you represent are included in discussions
• Expect accountability and be prepared to be accountable
• Act with integrity

Rules of Procedure:

Council members will receive training to understand the responsibilities of the council. Council members receive training before preparing and taking action on School LAND Trust Plans and Reports.

All meetings are open to the public. Members of the school community are welcome to attend SCC meetings. The schedule will be posted for all upcoming dates for the entirety of the school year on the school website by September 1st. Members are welcome to attend, listen, ask questions and give input, but they are not allowed to vote on a point of order.

The agenda of each upcoming meeting with draft minutes of the prior meeting will be made available to all council members at least one week in advance, will be posted on the school website and made available in the main office.  The agenda will include the date, time and location of the meeting.

Minutes will be kept of all meetings, prepared in draft format for approval at the next scheduled meeting. Approved minutes will be retained for three years.

The council will prepare a timeline for the school year that includes due dates for all required reporting and other activities/tasks that the council agrees to assume or participate in.  The timeline will assist in preparation of agendas to be sure the council accomplishes their work in a timely manner.

• The SCC timeline is as follows:
  • August 1st - Council members will let the principal know if they cannot serve for the upcoming school year.
  • First Day of School - The community will be notified of the process to volunteer/be elected for a position on the SCC for the upcoming school year. They will have until September 1st to submit their name for consideration.
  • September 1st - Nominees will be posted on the school website and through the school messenger system. A Google Form will be sent to the school community for the voting process. Votes for nominees will be taken up until September 14th. If there are not enough nominees for a vote, those that volunteered to be on the SCC will be accepted onto the team. IF there are not enough volunteers, the current SCC member will reach out to community and school members to participate. (If September 1st falls on a weekend, the final date for votes to be counted will be on the following school day.)
  • The council consists of the principal, school employee(s) who is/are elected in even years, school employee(s) who is/are elected in odd years, and parent members, half of whom are elected in even years and half in odd years.  In the event there is a tie vote in an election, the principal shall flip a coin to determine the outcome. An elementary school must have at least six members (4 parent members and 2 school employee members, including the principal) OR the size of the SCC must be consistent with 53G-7-1202. (Councils may have a 2-parent majority and elections are required to be staggered with half of the council elected each year.)
  • When a full council is not seated in the election or a seat is vacated, the parent members of the council shall appoint members to fill unfilled parent positions and school employee members will appoint school employee members. There is also the option to drop a school employee or parent in order to meet the state guidelines if a volunteer cannot be found.
  • The council shall elect a chair from the parent members and a vice-chair from the parent or school employee members at the first meeting of the year after council is seated each year. A principal cannot hold office.
  • The SCC will meet monthly on the last Monday of each month at 3:50 unless otherwise posted.
  • The agenda for upcoming council meetings will be posted on the school website a week prior to the meeting.

The chair conducts the meetings, makes assignments and requests reports on assignments.  In the absence of the chair the vice-chair shall conduct meetings.

The council must have a quorum to vote.  A quorum is equal to a majority of council members.

 If a parent member is absent from two consecutive meetings, the chair will notify the member that if the member does not attend the next meeting, the council will consider the seat vacant and the remaining parent members will appoint a parent to fill the unexpired term.

If a council member needs to disclose a conflict of interest, they will contact our local school board member representative that is assigned to the River Heights Elementary SCC or the current chair.

Meetings shall be conducted and action taken according to very simplified rules of parliamentary procedure as required in 53G-7-1203(10).  Council actions will be taken by motions and voting with votes and motions recorded in the minutes. Those rules are as follows:

Simple Motions of Parliamentary Procedure 

 

A motion (or an action to be taken by the council) is stated as a motion.  Someone else on the council “seconds” the motion indicating that at least one other person on the council feels the motion is worthy of discussion.  Then the council members may provide input and discussion as called upon by the chair.  When discussion seems complete the chair may call for a vote on the motion.  Or when a member of the council “calls the previous question” (a motion to end discussion of the first motion), a second is required.  Without discussion the chair calls for a vote that must pass by 2/3.  If the vote on the previous question fails, the council goes back to discussing the first motion.  If the motion to call the previous question passes, the chair directly calls for a vote on the first motion.  A vote to call the previous question is usually used to move business along.

• A tie vote is a lost vote.
• Most motions are main motions.  A main motion may be amended.
• A point of order is offered when there is some question if procedure had been followed correctly.
• To stop debate or discussion on a motion and force the vote a member would say, “I move the previous
  question.”  This requires a second and a 2/3 vote.
• Hasty action may be corrected by use of the motion to reconsider. This motion may be made only
  by one who voted on the prevailing side.
• A person who made the motion may withdraw the same motion.