The PA School Councils include the NK council, the Lower School council, the Middle School council, and the High School council. Each of the councils sponsors regular events, appropriate to their particular school. Members of the Councils generally volunteer and or find volunteers to provide food and refreshments at Open House, provide chaperones where needed, and work with Grade Level Chairpersons to arrange grade-level social or cultural events.

Nursery/Kindergarten council

Lower School council

Middle School council

High School council

School Councils Structure and Governance

Council Chairs:  Three co-chairs
·   elected by each schools parents in May general election
·   two-year term beginning July 1 (staggered terms)
 
Grade Level Chairs:   Up to three co-chairs per grade
·   appointed by Council Chairs, using Special Process(Y)
      if more than three parents express interest in the role.
·   NK + LS appointments made in Sept; MS + HS in July
·   one-year term begins and ends on the annual appointment date
 
 
Room / Advisory Parents: One Contact Parent per homeroom / advisory
·        ( NK, LS, MS ) Contact parent appointed by teachers in Sept, otherwise by Special Process(Y)
         if more than one parent is interested in serving as Contact Parent.
·        all volunteers for the room / advisory parent role will be involved and will share the
        responsibilities of this role together.
 
Standing Committees: One chair, and one vice-chair
·        vice chair appointed by Council Chairs in July using Special Process(Y) if more than one
        parent expresses interest in the role.
        two-year term: first year as vice-chair, second year as chair
 
NK                                                 LS                                          MS                                        HS              
Communications            Communications             Communications            Communications
New Parents                        New Parents                       New Parents                     New Parents
Volunteers                         Volunteers                              Volunteers                           Volunteers   
Room Parents                     Room Parents                     Student Life                    Student Life
Programs / Events          Programs / Events               Programs / Events          Programs / Events
Finance                                    Finance                                   Finance                           Finance
Fundraising                            Fundraising                        Fundraising                        Fundraising
Nominating                              Nominating                       Nominating                       Nominating

Special Process (Y)
         When more parents volunteer for a position than the structure allows, a special process is used to decide who will serve in that position.  The Council Chairs will consider everyone interested in the position, giving highest priority to those who have never served as a Grade Level Chair or Council Chair, and lowest priority to those who served as a Grade Level Chair or Council Chair the preceding year.  If the position is still contested with top priority candidates, the Council Chairs will decide.
         The Council Chairs will be responsible for personally contacting and explaining the decision and process to each individual who was not selected.  The Council Chairs will also be responsible for helping them choose another role within the Lab PA.
Other Constituents
 
NK                                      LS                                      MS                               HS  
Principal                        Principal                         Principal                        Principal
Grade Level Chair         Teachers                        Dean                              Dean
Teachers from:               1 per grade                    Teachers                        Teachers
Woodlawn                     1-2 per grade                 1-2 per grade
Blaine N                        Students                         Students
Blaine K                        1boy&girl/grade             2 per grade
 
 
Voting Members of each School Council
·        Standing Committee Chairs
·        The three Council Chairs of each School Council are also voting members of the Lab PA Board
 
Philosophy
 
Consistent with the Lab PA philosophy of engaging as many parents as possible in meaningful roles, the School Councils will give preference to new parents interested in getting involved.
 
To encourage this:
1. Terms of office for Council Chairs may not be consecutive
 
2. Terms of office for Grade Level Chairs and Standing Committee Chairs may only be consecutive when the position in question is uncontested and a good faith effort by the Volunteer Committee to identify other candidates has failed
 
3. School Council Chairs and Grade Level Chairs may not serve simultaneously in any other leading role within the Lab PA or any of its School Councils (includes Standing Committees of the Lab PA and the School Councils).  The only exception will be when the position in question is uncontested and a good faith effort by the Volunteer Committee to identify other candidates has failed.
 
4. Within each School Council, anyone serving in a chair or co-chair role for a Standing Committee may not serve in any other chair or co-chair position.  The only exception will be when the position in question is uncontested, and a good faith effort by the Volunteer Committee to identify other candidates has failed.
 
5. Where more than one parent expresses interest in an appointed position, preference will always be given to those parents with little or no previous involvement in the Lab PA