Burnaby DPAC

Representing Families in Burnaby School District 41

Constitution & Bylaws

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Note: The Burnaby DPAC Constitution and Bylaws are currently under review. Until new documents are prepared, presented, and approved the April 18, 2011 version provided here is binding.

Revised April 18, 2011

Table of Contents

Section I: Name / Interpretation of Terms

The name of the Association shall be the “District Parent Advisory Council of Burnaby School District” (further referred to as DPAC).

Words referring to the singular include the plural and vice versa; and words referring to a male person include a female person and a corporation.

Section II: Purpose of the DPAC

The School Act (Province of British Columbia) defines the responsibilities and authority of the DPAC as an advisory and advocacy council. It may make recommendations to the School Board through the School Board’s officials or by representation and provide the School Board with information to assist in decision-making. The DPAC shall be afforded involvement, as are the School Board’s employee groups, in regard to School Board policy and procedures.

Objectives:

  1. To serve as an advisory group to the School Board.
  2. To assist in decision-making with regard to school district programs, policies, and practices through information, input, and recommendations.
  3. To provide a formal process for the Superintendent and district staff to receive input and feedback regarding district programs and operations.
  4. To act as a liaison between the School Board and the community.
  5. To provide parent representatives with information on educational programs, operations, and issues.
  6. To provide a mechanism for local parent/school groups to share and discuss educational issues and communicate with other parent groups.

The DPAC Representative:

  1. Responsible to act as a liaison between the representative’s school and DPAC and to represent the views of the school, not any individual or group within a school.
  2. To bring questions and concerns from the representative’s school to DPAC and to take information or requests for information in a timely manner back to the school.
  3. The DPAC representative will have the responsibility and ability to vote for their school.

Section III: Dissolution

In the event of the dissolution of the organization and following payment of all outstanding debts, the remaining assets shall be distributed to a charitable organization or organizations having a similar charitable purpose. The receiving organization or organizations shall be selected by the membership at the final general meeting. All records of the group shall be placed under the jurisdiction of Burnaby School District.

Section IV: Membership in a DPAC

A. DPAC Representative Selection

  1. Each school with 500 or fewer students enrolled is responsible for providing one DPAC representative and one alternate DPAC representative. Preferably the representative shall be an executive of the school Parent Advisory Council or, in the case of the district’s designated community schools, the school’s Community Council. Schools with more than 500 students are entitled to two alternate district representatives.
  2. To select representation at the school level shall be through an established process of the school’s Parent Advisory Council or Community Council.

B. DPAC Zones

DPAC zones will be identified as designated by Burnaby School District 41.

Section V: Meetings

A. General Meetings

  1. A minimum of five meetings will be held between September and June of each school year.
  2. Meetings shall be for all officially recognized DPAC representatives and official guests of DPAC (senior administration, trustees, and guest speakers).
  3. Agendas will be sent out in advance of the meetings, and a summary of proceedings will be distributed following the meetings.
  4. The summary of each meeting will be forwarded to the School Board through the Superintendent of Schools as an information item.
  5. General meetings are open to members of the public provided they sign our guest book, notify the Chair that they are present, and shall not participate during the meeting but are there in the role of observers.
  6. At any given general meeting, representatives of the media shall be allowed to attend the meeting at the discretion of the general membership by a simple majority vote.
  7. Meetings will be conducted efficiently and with fairness to the members present. If procedural problems should arise, the DPAC constitution shall be used to resolve the situation, followed by “Robert’s Rules of Order”.
  8. A DPAC meeting shall not be a forum for the discussion of individual school personnel, students, parents, or other individual members of the school community.

B. Executive Meetings

Executive meetings as required will be called by the Chairperson to set agendas and discuss matters necessary to the ongoing function of DPAC.

C. Quorum

  1. At general meetings, the members present shall constitute a quorum.
  2. At Executive meetings, a quorum is 5 members present. If a quorum is not present, the meeting may proceed but no business requiring a vote shall be conducted.

D. Voting

  1. Unless otherwise provided, questions arising at any meeting shall be decided upon by a simple majority vote. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to table any item to the next meeting for purposes of clarification.
  2. In the case of a tie vote, the motion will be lost.
  3. Voting of members on all matters must be given personally; voting by proxy shall not be permitted.
  4. Voting shall be done by a show of hands.
  5. When electing the Executive Committee members or where a motion is contentious in nature, the chair may deem voting be done by secret ballot. The ballots will be destroyed after the vote.
  6. The DPAC representative or their alternate will have the responsibility and ability to vote for their school. Each school will only have one vote even if more than one representative and/or alternate is present.

Section VI: Election of DPAC Executive Committee

  1. A maximum of two representatives will be elected from each zone of the school district yearly to serve on the Executive Committee. Representatives elected to the Executive Committee must have a child enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 12 in the Burnaby school system.
  2. In addition to the two representatives from each zone, one member-at-large position can be appointed at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
  3. Executive Committee shall select when required from its membership a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, and treasurer.
  4. No employee or elected official of any school district or the Ministry of Education shall be eligible to serve as an Executive Committee officer.

Section VII: Executive Committee Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the Executive Committee:

  1. To be the formal liaison between the School Board and DPAC representatives regarding parent involvement in school district operations.
  2. To identify and appoint parent representatives to represent DPAC on school district and community committees.
  3. To ensure that there is representation from Burnaby parents at appropriate educational workshops, meetings, and conferences.
  4. To take responsibility for the operations of the DPAC including chairing district meetings, recording the proceedings, and managing the financial affairs of the DPAC.
  5. To identify topics and plan meeting format and agenda for district parent meetings.
  6. To act as group leaders and recorders in group discussions at district meetings and to be the communication liaison between DPAC representatives in each of the district’s zones.
  7. To inform DPAC representatives, on an ongoing basis, of the issues and topics being discussed at Executive meetings and at the various committees where DPAC has membership.

Section VIII: Term of Executive Committee Officers

  1. The term of office for the chair and vice-chair shall be from June to May.
  2. The term of office for secretary and treasurer shall be from June to May.
  3. If any officer resigns during a term of office or if any office is not filled, the Executive Committee will inform the membership of the vacancy and at the Executive Committee’s discretion may fill the position from the Executive Committee or ask the general DPAC membership for a volunteer to fill that position. The Executive Committee may decide to leave the vacancy and fill it at a later date.
  4. No person shall hold any one Executive Committee office for more than three consecutive terms.

Section IX: Duties of Executive Committee Officers

From the Executive Committee, there will be an election for the following positions:

  1. The Chairperson:
    • Is responsible for chairing both the Executive Committee and DPAC meetings.
    • Acts as spokesperson for the DPAC.
  2. The Vice-Chairperson:
    • Is responsible for chairing both the Executive Committee and DPAC meetings in the absence of the chairperson.
    • Acts as DPAC spokesperson in absence of the chairperson.
  3. The Secretary:
    • Is responsible for recording the Executive Committee and DPAC meeting proceedings.
  4. The Treasurer:
    • Is responsible for the financial operations of the DPAC.
  5. The Past Chairperson:
    • Acts in an advisory capacity to all DPAC matters to provide continuity.
    • Assists Executive Committee members.
    • Shall be part of the Executive Committee.
    • Shall assume the role of Chair when the Chair and Vice-Chair are unable to fulfill that capacity until a new Chair is selected.

Section X: Removal of Executive Committee Member or Committee Appointee

  • An Executive Committee member or committee appointee can be removed from their responsibilities, for unexplained and continual lack of attendance or for failure to abide by the Code of Ethics, by majority vote of the Executive Committee.
  • Written notice specifying the intention to make a motion to remove the Executive Committee member or committee appointee shall be given to the individual, not less than 14 days before the Executive Committee meeting.

Section XI: Committees

1. Guidelines for Committee Appointment

A. It is the responsibility of the Executive Committee to identify, encourage, and select parent representatives on various school district and community committees. The following guidelines outline the criteria when selecting parent representatives for committees, their role, responsibilities, and reporting relationship, and the process to be used.

B. The preferred candidate will:

  1. Be an active member of DPAC or his/her school Parent Advisory Committee.
  2. Have previous knowledge, interest, and/or experience in the topic area covered by the committee.
  3. Be respectful of the views and opinions of others.
  4. Be articulate and confident in expressing oneself.
  5. Recognize their responsibility to look at and bring forward issues from a district-wide perspective.

2. Role, Responsibilities & Reporting Relationship

A. The parent representative will:

  1. Attend regularly and participate fully at committee meetings and any other related activities that the committee holds.
  2. Identify when an issue needs to be brought to the attention of DPAC through the chair or an Executive Committee member.
  3. Actively participate in the workings of the committee, including presenting their views as a representative parent.
  4. Commit to reporting regularly to the Executive Committee through the chair and to DPAC at large. It is expected that a report will be made at the regular DPAC meeting on a bi-monthly basis (monthly if required). A report to the DPAC chair is required before each monthly Executive Committee meeting.

3. Selection Process

A. The Executive Committee will:

  1. Establish a selection committee of no less than three Executive Committee members to review applications and make a recommendation.
  2. Determine a closing date for receipt of applications that provides sufficient time and opportunity for the request to be shared at the local school level.
  3. Advise all DPAC representatives and school Parent Advisory Committees of the opportunity to sit on the committee.
  4. Outline the nature of the committee, requirements, time commitment involved, and terms of the appointment.

B. Interested parents will:

  1. Submit an application to the Executive Committee outlining why they are interested in representing DPAC on the committee and describing their background and experience. Additional information may be attached to the application.
  2. Provide the names of references to support their application.
  3. Make themselves available for a telephone or personal meeting with the selection committee.

C. The selection committee will:

  1. Review the application.
  2. Follow up with the applicants and reference sources.
  3. Make a recommendation to the Executive Committee and, where time permits, to the regular monthly meeting of DPAC.
  4. Advise and thank all applicants for their interest.

Section XII: Finances

It is the responsibility of the Executive Committee to oversee the finances of DPAC and to present a budget each May of income and expenses to the DPAC committee. There shall be 3 signing authorities from the Executive Committee, with a minimum of 2 signatures required. The fiscal year-end shall be June 30th. Fiscal year-end financial statements including an income and expense statement and a statement of fund balance will be approved by the membership at the September general meeting.

Section XIII: Constitution & Bylaw Amendments

Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws may be made with prior notice of any changes to the Constitution and/or Bylaws with a minimum of one meeting notice. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of votes cast shall be required to amend the constitution or bylaws.

Section XIV: Code of Ethics

It is expected that all members of DPAC, Committee Appointments, and the Executive Committee will:

  1. Uphold the constitution and bylaws, policies, and procedures of DPAC.
  2. Perform their duties with honesty and integrity.
  3. Work to ensure that the well-being of students is the primary focus of all decisions.
  4. Respect the rights of all individuals.
  5. Work to ensure issues are resolved through due process.
  6. Strive to be informed and only pass on information that is reliable.
  7. Respect all confidential information.