School Community Councils Support Centre
School Community Councils (SCCs) are school-level advisory bodies that involve parents, students, community members and school staff, working together on issues that affect student learning and community well-being.
SCCs are required in every school and develop a sense of shared responsibility for student outcomes.
SCCs bring a new appreciation for what can be accomplished collaboratively in a way that suits your own unique community.
SCCs work with parents and community members to:
- share responsibility for the success and well-being of all children and youth; and
- encourage parent, community and youth engagement in school planning and improvement.
1. Introduction
Every school in Saskatchewan has a School Community Council (SCC). SCCs include elected and appointed parents or guardians and community members. They work to advance the educational objectives of their school.
SCCs work directly with parents and the community to develop shared responsibility for the learning success and well-being of all children and youth. They encourage and facilitate the involvement of youth, parents and the community in school planning and improvement processes.
Any parent or guardian of a student who attends the school or any community member who is an elector (as defined in The Local Government Election Act) and lives within the attendance area for that school is eligible to run for an elected position on the SCC.
For information about the SCCs in your school or school division, contact your school principal or school division office, or visit your school division website and follow the links to SCCs.
2. Membership
SCCs consist of two types of members – elected and appointed. At minimum, SCCs consist of:
- five to nine elected parents and community members. The majority of these members must be parents or guardians of students that attend the school;
- appointed members that include:
- the principal;
- one teacher; and
- one or two students from grades 10-12 (if applicable), and
- First Nations representatives if students live on-reserve
SCCs can recommend that the board of education appoint other members to the council to increase the representation on the council and to encourage community engagement.
3. Roles and Responsibilities
The roles and responsibilities of SCCs include:
- encourage parent and community participation in education;
- developing a good understanding of their community including its needs, resources, supports and goals for student learning and well-being;
- cooperating with school staff to develop school-level plans;
- communicating annually with families and community members about their activities and accomplishments;
- accounting publicly for money they spend;
- participating in orientation, training, development and networking opportunities related to SCCs;
- upholding confidentiality; and,
- following legislation, regulations and board policies.
SCCs may also provide advice and recommendations to their boards of education, school staff and other organizations about the learning needs and well-being of students.