SBDM Council Resources

The School-Based Decision Making Council model promotes shared leadership among the people working most closely with our students: the school's administrators, teachers, and parents. A council's main responsibility is to foster student achievement, which should be echoed in every decision and policy.

As the governing body for a school, the SBDM council decides on the curriculum, staffing, discipline, scheduling, teaching practices, extra-curricular activities, and other matters of the school's operation. To enhance student achievement and help the school reach its accountability goals, councils should:

Decide targets for closing achievement gaps
Determine the professional learning plan for the school's staff
Meet monthly and comply with the Open Meetings and Open Records Act
Consult on staff vacancies (principal, classified, and certified positions)
Write, review, and amend school policies in an organized and timely manner

Resources

History, Function, & Service

Background:

During the 1990 legislative session, the Kentucky General Assembly passed HB 940, also known as the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). Essentially, this legislation altered the face of education in the Commonwealth. One drastic change that came along with KERA was KRS 160.345, which outlined School-Based Decision Making Councils. Council membership includes parents, teachers, and the school administrator or principal. Parent and teacher representatives are elected by their constituent groups. The council policies should help schools meet the goals established in KRS 158.645 and KRS 158.6451.

Functions:

As the governing body for a school, the SBDM council consults with the superintendent on curriculum and principal selection. The council makes decisions regarding budget, staffing, developing the comprehensive school improvement plan (CSIP), and approval of the staff's professional learning plan. The council also sets policy in the areas of schedules, wellness, family engagement, instructional practices, discipline, extra-curricular activities, emergency management, and other matters of school operation.

Service:

SBDM member terms run from July 1 to June 30 with the exception of a few schools that have two-year terms. Elections are in the spring. If you are interested in serving on the school council and are a parent, please contact your school’s PTA.

The Kentucky Department of Education develops and revises an SBDM Handbook that thoroughly details who can and cannot serve, your role as an SBDM member, and the annual training requirements.

SBDM Handbook

Council Elections

Voting in SBDM elections is allowed in-person, electronically, mail-in, or through a combination. Regardless of method, the election should be widely publicized to voters, and a record of all ballots cast must be maintained. Reasonable steps should be taken to ensure only eligible voters cast votes and that only one vote is cast per eligible voter. Among other topics, the official guidance document also addresses proxy voting.

State Guidance

Each school develops its own plan for SBDM elections in accordance with this guidance.

Background Checks

All new SBDM parent members or those with a break in service must pass a background check. The district covers the cost for SBDM parents. The first step is to schedule an appointment with FCPS Human Resources to request a child abuse and neglect (CAN) central registry report. Bring a photo ID and a valid driver’s license or original Social Security card. HR staff will also provide instructions to schedule a fingerprint appointment with the state IdentoGo system, including the list of acceptable identity documents and a coupon code to pay for the process.

Outside contractors must also register in the contractors database.

Contractor Approval Process