School improvement is the responsibility of everyone, from students and parent to professionals and public officials. School ommunity Councils are one way we can work together to make schools more successful. A council is an advisory body consisting of elected parents, teachers and the principal. All of its actions and plans are overseen by the local school board. The Board of Education directs each school receiving LAND Trust funds to establish and maintain a School Community Council for the purpose of promoting student achievement, subject to the provisions of this policy and State law (see Utah Code 53A-1a-108 et seq.). School Community Councils empower students to live and contribute meaningfully through knowledge, continual learning, innovative thinking, and problem solving.One primary responsibility of School Community Councils outlined in the law is to review and make a recommendation to the local school board on the five school plans – School Improvement Plan, Professional Development Plan, School LAND Trust Plan, Reading Achievement Plan and SNAP (Safe Neighborhood Access Plan).
The School LAND Trust Plan is a plan prepared by the School Community Council that identifies the school’s greatest academic need(s). Plans are submitted to a state government website. The plans are then approved by local school boards for implementation the following school year. The School Community Council receives an annual dividend from the permanent State School Fund every July to implement the school’s approved plan during the next school year.
