91proÊÓƵ

At HCDSB, we are proud of the vibrant partnership that exists between home and school. We know that children do best at school when their parents are engaged in their education, and so we encourage parents and guardians to explore the various ways they can become more involved in their child’s learning and in the life of the school. 

One of the best ways to get involved is by joining your Catholic School Council.

Catholic School Councils – What are they?

Catholic school councils are legally constituted bodies of elected and appointed representatives of the local school community established for the purposes of developing, encouraging and promoting activities which will enhance the quality of school programs and improve the levels of student achievement.

Benefits of a Catholic School Council?

• Catholic school councils increase local involvement in the education process and subsequently improve teaching  and learning within our schools.
• Catholic school councils ensure the shared responsibility and collaborative undertaking of the Catholic Education of our children by parents, schools, parish and community.
• Catholic school councils enable all of our partners to work with education professionals to set the future direction of the school, identify education priorities and determine strategies for achieving goals.
• Catholic school councils serve as a vital link between all of our partners and the School 91proÊÓƵ.
• Catholic school councils, through commitment and creativity, will generate a strong community spirit.  Community spirit makes a school more than just a building – it creates a learning environment where students feel the commitment of fellow students, principal and staff, clergy, community and families.  This shared commitment will make the common goal a reality.

Requirements

All (Catholic) School Councils shall establish by-laws for their (Catholic) School Council and comply with Regulation 612/00; specifically, they must include election procedures and the filling of vacancies in the membership of the (Catholic) School Council, rules respecting participation in (Catholic) School Council proceedings in cases of conflict of interest, and a conflict resolution process for internal (Catholic) School Council disputes.  O. Reg. 612/00, s. 15 (2). 

• Catholic School Council By-Laws should be provided to each member of Catholic School Council at the first school council meeting of the school year. 
• The (Catholic) School Council shall be the official advisory group to the school Principal and/or the 91proÊÓƵ. 
• The Principal and/or the 91proÊÓƵ shall respond to all advice advanced by the local Catholic School Council, under Ontario Regulation 612/00, and be reflected in meeting minutes. 

Membership

Membership on the Catholic School Council must include the following: 

• Parents/guardians (who must constitute a majority of the members of the (Catholic) School Council) 
• School Principal 
• Teacher representative (selected by teaching staff of the school) 
• Non-teaching staff representative (selected by non-teaching staff of the school) 
• Parish representative (selected by the Parish) 
• Secondary school student representative (secondary schools only) 
• Community representative 

Membership on the Catholic School Council may include the following: 

• An elementary pupil (appointed by the Principal after consultation with the (Catholic) School Council), as per Ontario Regulation 612/00. 
• An association member, as per Ontario Regulation 612/00. 
• Notwithstanding the above, in addition to the membership requirements of Ontario Regulation 612/00,  the majority of members of the Catholic School Council must be Catholic. 
• The Chair and/or Co-Chair of the Catholic School Council must be Catholic(s).The Chair and/or Co-chair of a Catholic School Council cannot be employed by the 91proÊÓƵ. 

The term of office for all Catholic School Council members shall be for one (1) year, in accordance with Ontario Regulation 612/00. 

Meetings

• All meetings of a Catholic School Council shall be open to the public. 
• A Catholic School Council is to hold its meetings at a 91proÊÓƵ site with notice provided to the community. 

Consultation 

• Catholic School Councils shall consult with their parent/guardian community. The issue before the council will determine when it is appropriate to do so.  
• Catholic School Councils may establish a framework that will guide its decisions and strategies about consultation. 
• The 91proÊÓƵ shall solicit the views of the all the Catholic School Councils of the 91proÊÓƵ with respect to the matters outlined in Regulation 612/00, s. 19. 

Remuneration/Reimbursement

• In accordance with Ontario Regulation 612/00, no remuneration shall be paid to School Council members, or Catholic Parent Involvement Committee members. 
• In accordance with Ontario Regulation 612/00, the 91proÊÓƵ shall reimburse Catholic School Council members and Catholic Parent Involvement Committee members for expenses incurred as members, provided that the expense is pre-approved and is following Policy I-34(B) Reimbursement of 91proÊÓƵ Business Expenses for Trustees and External Members of 91proÊÓƵ Committees. 

Record Retention

• All Catholic School Council meeting minutes must be retained for 4 years and be available to any person upon request. 
• All Catholic School Council financial records must be retained for 4 years and be available to any person upon request. 

CPIC Committee

The Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (CPIC) is a group of parents, trustees and 91proÊÓƵ staff who support parent engagement and serve as a vital link in Catholic education amongst the home, school, parish community.