An Advisory Board is a board which advises the Principal in the development of policy in the areas of: finance, facilities, marketing, development and strategic planning. The Board should have effective working relationships and effective means of communication among Board members, the Pastor, and the Principal. 

While the school Principal remains directly responsible for the school’s curriculum, programs, and personnel (reporting directly to the Superintendent of Schools with respect to those matters), the school Principal will work collaboratively with the School Advisory Board in the areas of Finance, Facilities, Marketing, Strategic Planning and Development  

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD MEETINGS 
AND 
DATA PRIVACY CONSIDERATIONS (THE “POLICY”) 

I. PURPOSE 
A. The Saint Thomas the Apostle School Advisory Board (STASAB or the “Board”) recognizes the value of participation by the public in deliberations and decisions on the Saint Thomas the Apostle (STA) School matters. At the same time, the STASAB recognizes the importance of conducting orderly and efficient proceedings, with opportunity for expression of all participants’ respective views. 

B. The purpose of the Policy is to provide procedures to assure open and orderly public discussion as well as to protect the due process and privacy rights of individuals under the law. 

II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY 
A. The policy of the STASAB is to encourage discussion by citizens of subjects related to the management of STA School at STASAB meetings. The STASAB will reserve time as part of the agenda for communication, delegations and petitions. The STASAB will hear testimony concerning items on the agenda, and other topics of concern to the community. The STASAB may adopt reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on public expression in order to facilitate free discussion by all interested parties. 

B. The STASAB, in order to encourage participation of all citizens, will require that the meeting attendees refrain from responding to public testimony through applause or comment either positive or negative. 

C. The STASAB shall, as a matter of policy, protect the legal rights to privacy and due process of employees and students. The STASAB Chair or any member of the Board can call for the STASAB to convene an executive session at any time during a regular meeting. Once a motion for an executive session has been forwarded and seconded, the STASAB Board chair will immediately suspend the regular meeting until further notice. Continuation of the regular meeting at the adjournment of the executive session is dependent upon the remaining scheduled time for the meeting and is at the discretion of the STASAB. The public will be notified by the Board Chair and/or school Principal of the next scheduled STASAB meeting. If the motion to convene the STASAB in executive session is not seconded, then the regular STASAB meeting will continue. 

III. RIGHTS TO PRIVACY 
A. STA employees have a legal right to privacy related to matters which may come before the STASAB, including, but not limited to, the following: 
1. right to a private hearing for teachers; 
2. right to privacy of personally identifiable information; 
3. right to a private hearing for licensed or non-licensed head coaches to discuss reasons for nonrenewal of a coaching contract or verbal agreement. 

B. STA students have a legal right to privacy related to matters which may come before the STASAB, including, but not limited to, the following: 
1. right to a private hearing; 
2. right to privacy of personal and/or educational data; 
3. right to privacy of complaints as provided by child abuse reporting and discrimination laws. 

IV. THE PUBLIC’S OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD 
A. The STASAB will strive to give all citizens of the school district an opportunity to be heard and to have complaints considered and evaluated, within the limits of the law and this Policy and subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions. The STASAB will reserve time as part of the agenda for communication, delegations and petitions. The STASAB will hear testimony concerning items on the agenda, unresolved complaints and other comments of interest to the community. The STASAB Chair may decide to delay testimony on agenda items until after the presentation of the agenda item to the STASAB. Allocation of speaking time will be set by the STASAB Chair in order to allow orderly and efficient proceedings. 

V. PROCEDURES 
A. Public Testimony 
1. Citizens who wish to have a subject discussed at a STASAB meeting are encouraged to notify the STA Principal’s office in advance of the STASAB meeting. All citizens interested in speaking will be asked to fill out a form that will be provided to the STASAB Chair prior to the start of the meeting.  The form will request contact information (name, address, phone number or e-mail)and the subject to be covered or the issue to be addressed. 

2. Citizens who wish to address the STASAB on a particular subject should identify the subject and identify agenda item(s) to which their comments pertain. Citizens are encouraged to provide a written copy of the testimony in hard copy or by electronic mail to the STA Principal’s office no later than three (3) working days prior to the scheduled STASAB meeting date at which the citizen wishes to address the STASAB. 

3. The STASAB Chair will recognize one speaker at a time and will rule out of order other speakers who are not recognized. Only those speakers recognized by the STASAB Chair will be allowed to speak. Comments by others are out of order. Individuals who interfere with or interrupt speakers, the STASAB, or the proceedings may be directed to leave the meeting. 

4. If a group or organization wishes to address the STASAB on a topic, the STASAB reserves the right to require designation of one or more representatives or spokespersons to speak on behalf of the group or organization. 

5. Testimony which may involve data privacy concerns, preliminary allegations, or which may be potentially libelous or slanderous in nature shall not be considered in public, but shall be processed as determined by the STASAB in accordance with governing law and STA school policy. The STASAB reserves the right to consider such matters in executive session at any time during the regular session (as per Section II C of this Policy manual). 

6. The STASAB Chair shall promptly rule out of order any discussion by any person, including STASAB members, that would violate the provisions of state or federal law, this Policy or the statutory rights of privacy of an individual. No section or clause in this document will supersede the policies and guidelines of the office of the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Archdiocese of Newark. 

7. Personal attacks by anyone addressing the STASAB are unacceptable. "Personal attack” means making an argument which links the validity of a premise to a characteristic or belief of the person advocating the premise or making an abusive remark instead of providing evidence when examining another person's claims or comments. Persistence in such remarks by an individual shall terminate that person’s privilege to address the STASAB. 

8. In general, all individual comment shall be less than 3 minutes. The STASAB reserves the right to set further time limits on speakers in order to allow citizens who wish to participate the ability to do so within the scheduled time.  Alternatively, additional speaking time can be granted at the discretion of the STASAB Chair. 

9. The STASAB, in order to encourage participation of all citizens, will require that the meeting attendees refrain from responding to public testimony through applause or comment either positive or negative. The STASAB Chair shall caution the attendees if the rule is violated. Individuals who violate the rule may be directed to leave. 

10. The STASAB may decide to hold certain types of public meetings where the public will not be invited to address the STASAB. Possible examples are work sessions and Board retreats. The public will still be entitled to notice of these meetings and will be allowed to attend these meetings, but the public will not be allotted time during the meeting to address the Board. 

11. Citizens are encouraged to refrain from repeating testimony given by other speakers. A simple statement of agreement with past speakers will provide for a more efficient use of time so more citizens can present new information or points of view for the STASAB to consider. 

12. Citizens shall address the STASAB and not individual STASAB members. The STASAB Chair shall caution the attendees if the rule is violated. Individuals who violate the rule may be directed to leave the meeting. 

B. Complaints 
1. Routine complaints about a teacher or other employee should first be directed to that teacher or employee or to the employee’s immediate supervisor. 

2. If the complaint is against an employee relating to child abuse, discrimination, racial, religious, or sexual harassment, or other activities involving an intimidating atmosphere, the complaint should be directed to the employee’s supervisor or other official as designated in the STA school policy governing such complaints. In the absence of a designated person at the STA School, the matter should be referred to the Office of the Superintendent of Catholic Schools - Archdiocese of Newark. 

(Last revised 3/27/18) 
 

• Local School Advisory Board (pdf)