Ask an Expert: Judy Goddess
Using California School Law To Advocate For Your Kids

I'm wondering what a School Site Council does and what role parents can play.

Any school that receives any state or federal money—beyond the usual funds they receive based on student attendance—is required to have a school site council (SSC). Almost all California schools fit this category, so I bet yours does too. Any school plan submitted without the involvement of the SSC cannot be funded, so the SSC is an important group.

State law is strict about who sits on the SSC. In elementary school, parents must fill half the seats; the principal, teachers, and other school staff hold the other half. In high school SSCs, the parents' seats are shared equally with students. SSC representatives must be chosen by the people they represent, so parents elect the parent representatives, students elect the student reps, and so on.

The SSC is legally responsible for developing the school site improvement plan. This includes a description of the school's one- and three-year goals, an evaluation of last year's improvements, a budget covering any extra funds received, an evaluation plan for measuring the effectiveness of school programs, a description of staff training programs, and a description of how the school involves parents.

Districts must provide the SSC with test results; copies of the curriculum; a copy of the school's most recent self-study findings; and the current school site plan and budget, or information on how to write a plan if this is the first plan the school is preparing.

The California Education Code outlines all this in sections 52800­52870, most specifically.

I suggest that you ask your child's school for a schedule of SSC meetings. Ask to see the school site plan as well. It's a public document that contains council members' names and contact information, in addition to all the information outlined above.

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