What do you actually do?

School Advisory Councils (SACs) do a number of things. First, you should know that the school council structure is set up by our Archdiocese. The Archdiocese acts sort of like a school district for us; they put in place many of the policies and procedures that we use here at St. Clare School. That being said, the scope of what the St. Clare SAC does is actually directed by the Archdiocese and relates to six distinct functions: 1) to participate in and encourage strategic planning, 2) to develop and defend policy, 3) to offer financial advice, 4) to serve as a good public relations source, 5) to evaluate itself periodically, and 6) to participate in the selection process of the principal, who is the advisory council’s executive officer.

The SAC is fundamentally governed by two documents: our By-Laws and Constitution. But if you really want all the gory details, make yourself a cup of tea, cozy up by the fire and delve into The Role, Purpose, and Function of a Parish or Local School Advisory Council.

There are several different kinds of school boards. Some school boards operate on complete community consensus – such as the Quakers. Public school boards are regulatory and administration is bound by its policy and oversight. Catholic school boards (aka advisory councils) operate within a system of working councils and committees which support the school and advocate for all of the children. For more information read Reasons for a School Advisory Council. While we sometimes wish we ran the school and could tell our principal exactly what to do, the reverse is actually true. In a nutshell, SAC is the body which officially advises the principal and the pastor. We recommend policy while implementation is up to the administration.

The Archdiocese explains the nature of the SAC by stating that “Advisory implies that the pastor/principal will listen to the advice of the Advisory Council in certain designated matters prior to a decision being made. The operating principle is that the administrator(s) will accept the advice which has been given, especially when there is a consensus, unless the administrator(s) has an overriding reason. It is customary, but not obligatory, for the administrator(s) to communicate this reason to the advisory body.”

At St. Clare, the SAC is one of four parish councils which come together a couple of times of year for retreats and working sessions. The other parish councils are the Administrative Council (which provides financial direction), the Pastoral Council (which provides parish wide planning and pastoral guidance), and the Pre School Council (which provides for the wee little ones). If you hear folks referring to the Quad Councils this is what they’re talking about.

The chairs of all the councils meet with the pastor on a monthly basis for planning purposes and to discuss issues as they arise. This group is called the Executive Committee. Many issues that the SAC chair brings to the SAC come from parish wide planning and discussion.