Rules of Order and Procedure

Cache County School District, River Heights Elementary
Adopted by the Council on September 29, 2025 for the 2025-2026 School Year

Code & Rule References

The Rules of Order & Procedure adhere to all relevant legal requirements for School Community Councils and the School LAND Trust Program, as outlined in Utah Code §§ 53G-7-1202, 53G-7-1203, 53G-7-1206, and 53G-7-13, as well as Utah Administrative Rules R277-477 and R277-491.

Council Duties:

In accordance with Utah Code § 53G-7-1202, the responsibilities of the council include:
● Creating (all components of) the School LAND Trust Plan, to include:
        - The Goal Statement, Academic Area, Measurement, Action Plan Steps, and
Expenditures
● Advising and making recommendations to school and school district administrators and
the local school board regarding:
          - The school and its programs
          - school district programs
          - a child access routing plan
          - safe technology utilization and digital citizenship
          - other issues relating to the community environment for students
● Partnering with the school's principal and other administrators to ensure that adequate
on and off campus Internet filtering is installed and consistently configured to prevent
viewing of harmful content by students and school personnel
● In accordance with state board rule regarding school community council expenditures
and funding limits: working with students, families, and educators to develop and
incorporate safety principles at the school; and holding at least an annual discussion with
the school's principal and district administrators regarding safety principles
● Providing input to the school's principal on a positive behaviors plan

Council Member Expectations:

To promote ethical behavior and respectful discussion, each 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:

1. Training: 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.

2. Open Meetings: 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.

3. Meeting Agendas and Minutes:

• 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.

4. Meeting Minutes: 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.

5. Annual Timeline: 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.

6. Election Procedures:

• 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 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.

7. Council Composition: 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 (7 parent members and 3 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.)

8. Filling Vacancies: 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.

9. Removing Members: A council member may be removed from office under the following circumstances:

• Member Relocation: Council membership may be discontinued when a member's relocation prevents them from serving on the council.
• Attendance: The member fails to attend three consecutive regular council meetings without notification.

The process for removal is as follows: 1. Council member will be warned when they have missed two meetings without notice, that if they are gone again without notice they may be removed form the team. 2. If the member misses again without notice, the SCC will vote to remove the member as per the council rules. The procedure for filling the resulting vacancy is outlined in section 8, 'Filling Vacancies'.

10. Resignation of Members: A council member may resign from their position by providing written notification to the Council Chair or Secretary. The procedure for filling the resulting vacancy is outlined in section 8, 'Filling Vacancies'.

11. Council Officers: At the first meeting of each year after the council is seated, the council will elect a chair form the parent members and a vice-chair from either the parent or school employee members. The principal is not eligible to hold an office.

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

13. Quorum: 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.

14. Reporting Conflicts of Interest: Council members must adhere to the conflict of interest policy established by Cache County School District. Please refer to the district's Code of Ethics, Board Policy 2.15 for detailed guidelines.

15. Parliamentary Procedure: 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 

Motion	Does it require a 2nd?	Is it debatable?	Can it be amended?	Is a vote required?
Adjourn	Yes	No	No	Majority
Amend a Motion	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority
Close Nominations	Yes	No	Yes	2/3
Main Motion	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority
Point of Order	No	No	No	Ruled on by Chair
Previous Question	Yes	No	No	Majority
Reconsider	Yes	Yes	No	Majority
Withdrawal of Motion	No	No	No	Majority

 

Understanding the Motions:

 

• Motion: A formal proposal for the council to take a specific action. A motion must be stated clearly.
• Second: Another council member must indicate their support for the motion to allow it to be discussed and voted upon.
• Discussion: Once a motion is seconded, council members can offer their input and opinions when recognized by the chair.
• Voting: After discussion, the chair will call for a vote to the motion. The outcome depends on the type of motion and the required majority.
• Calling the Previous Question: A member can make a motion to end the discussion on the current motion by saying, "I move the previous question." This requires a second and a two-thirds (2/3) vote to pass. If it passes, the council immediately votes on the original motion without further discussion. If it fails, the council continues discussing the original motion. This motion is typically used to expedite the meeting.
• Tie Vote: A vote that results in an equal number of votes for and agains the motion is considered a lost vote.
• Main Motion: This is the primary type of motion used to introduce new business or ideas. Main motions can be debated and amended.
• Amend a Motion: A motion to change the wording or details of the main motion. Amendments require a second, are debatable, and require a majority vote.
• Point of Order: A member raises a "point of order" if they believe a procedural error has occurred during the meeting. The chair will rule on whether the point is valid.
• Reconsider: A motion to bring back a previously decided motion for further discussion and another vote. This motion can only be made by a member who voted on the winning side of the original motion and requires a second and a majority vote.
• Withdrawal of Motion: The person who originally made a motion can ask to withdraw it before a vote is taken. This does not require a second or debate and is usually granted by the chair.
• Close Nominations: A motion to end the process of nominating candidates for an office. It requires a second and a two-thirds (2/3) vote.