William Penn

School Community Council Rules of Order and Procedure

Printed October 11, 2026

Code and Rule References

These Rules of Order and 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.
Collaborate with PTA on shared goals and priorities.

Council Member Expectations

To promote ethical behavior and respectful discussion, each council member shall:

Attend council meetings on time and come prepared.
Make decisions with the best interests of students as the primary focus.
Listen to and value diverse opinions.
Ensure that the perspectives of those the council represents are considered in discussions (in particular, families in the DLI program and families in the traditional program at William Penn).
Be accountable for their actions and expect accountability from others.
Act with integrity.

Training

Council members will receive annual training to understand their responsibilities. Training is the responsibility of the local school board. Council members receive training before preparing and taking action on School LAND Trust plans and reports. Training occurred on 9/22/26 and each member received a copy of the Community Council Handbook.

Open Meetings

All meetings are open to the public, and the public is welcome to attend. If a non-elected person attends a meeting and wishes to speak or comment at the meeting, they need to contact the Community Council Chair for prior consideration.

Meeting Agendas and Minutes

The agenda for each upcoming meeting, along with draft minutes from the previous meeting, will be provided to all council members at least one week in advance on a Google Doc as a rolling agenda.
The agenda will be posted on the school website and will include the date, time, and location of the meeting, as well as any proposed action items.
Written minutes will be taken at all meetings. These minutes will be prepared in draft form for approval at the next scheduled meeting.
Once approved, minutes will be retained for three years.

Annual Timeline

The council will create a timeline for the school year. This timeline will include due dates for all required reports and other activities or tasks that the council agrees to undertake or participate in. The timeline will be used to help prepare meeting agendas and ensure the council completes its work efficiently.

Process for Electing the School Community Council

Our council will announce openings in March, 2027 alongside publication of our Land Trust Plan for 2027-2028.
Candidates will need to declare their candidacy by the end of April, 2027.
Our election will be conducted in May, 2027 via online form.

Membership

The council’s composition ensures a two parent majority and includes the following members:

The principal, an ex officio voting member.
2 school employee members.
6 parent members.

Membership is consistent with Utah Code § 53G-7-1202 and matches the council’s Council Membership Form.

Staggered Terms

Council members are elected to two year terms. Terms are staggered so that half of the seats are open each year:

1 school employee position(s) and 3 parent position(s) are elected in even-numbered years.
1 school employee position(s) and 3 parent position(s) are elected in odd-numbered years.

Filling Vacancies

If a full council is not elected, or if a seat becomes vacant during the year, parent members of the council will appoint individuals to fill vacant parent positions, and school faculty will appoint individuals during a faculty meeting to fill vacant school employee positions.

Member Removal

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 2 consecutive regular council meetings without an acceptable reason, such as prior notification to and approval by the council chair and/or principal.

The process for removal is as follows: email notification. The procedure for filling the resulting vacancy is outlined in the Filling Vacancies section.

Resignation of Members

A council member may resign from their position by providing written notification to the council chair or principal. The procedure for filling the resulting vacancy is outlined in the Filling Vacancies section.

Election of Officers

At the first meeting of each year after the council is seated, the council will elect a chair from the parent members and a vice-chair from either the parent or school employee members. The principal is not eligible to hold an office. The chair will conduct meetings, make assignments to council members, and request reports on those assignments. In the chair’s absence, the vice-chair will conduct the meetings. The chair may delegate responsibilities to other council members as needed.

Quorum

A quorum, which is a majority of the council members, is necessary to conduct official business and vote. This quorum requirement does not necessitate a two parent majority.

Parliamentary Order and Procedure, Ethical Behavior, and Civil Discourse

Meetings will be conducted and actions taken according to simplified rules of parliamentary procedure as required by Utah Code § 53G-7-1203. Council actions will be decided by motions and voting, with all votes and motions recorded in the meeting minutes. The council conducts its business in an organized and respectful manner that promotes ethical behavior and civil discourse. The simplified rules of parliamentary procedure the council follows can also be found in the district community council handbook.

Simplified Motions of Parliamentary Procedure

Motion	Does it require a second?	Is it debatable?	Can it be amended?	Is a vote required?
			no	majority
Amend a motion	yes	yes	yes	majority

Main motion	yes	yes	yes	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.
Voting: After discussion, the chair will call for a vote on the motion. The outcome depends on the type of motion and the required majority.
Main motion: 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.