For information about Vista's Land Trust Plans and Council Membership - School Land Trust - Home

If you are interested in serving on Vista's Community Council please contact Mrs. Richins at nrichins@vistautah.com. An application was also attached to the e-mail that was sent on Feb. 6th.

"There are 3.3 million acres of school trust lands in Utah granted at statehood to support schools. These lands generate revenue, all of which is saved in the permanent State School Fund. This fund is invested and the interest and dividends are distributed to every public school in the state through the School LAND Trust Program. School Community Councils prepare plans, approved by local school boards, that identify an academic need and a proposed solution using the annual dividend."


Information above taken from Utah School Land Trust web site.

To learn more about the School Land Trust Program please visit the web site at http://www.schoollandtrust.org/




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Vista School’s Community Council, which includes staff, community members, and parents, meets each year to discuss and determine usage of LAND Trust Funds for OCS. Each school year the LAND Trust Program provides roughly $20,000-$35,000 to Vista. This is a valuable resource for Vista. Here's a brief summary of what the LAND Trust Funds have enabled Vista to achieve during the last few years. 

2011/12 Usage

Our focus for the 2011-12 School year will be to expand our leveled library and reading materials for students in grades 4-8. The purchasing of additional books for these students in a leveled library will increase their opportunities for independent reading, on-level reading and group study.  The teachers will utilize the books daily in their classrooms.  We will have a trained on-site employee to oversee our reading programs.  They will be responsible to train teachers and aide on how use utilize the library most effectively.  We will also have a program set up for students to check out books for at home study. Leveled libraries target individual needs and offers the best reading material for a student at an exact level.  We feel that this program will best help our students achieve progress in their reading scores. 

2010/11 Usage

Our focus in the 2010/11 school year will be to continue and expand our pilot program that began 3 months ago, which is Extended Homeroom. Extended Homeroom is a class setting that uses a small class size (fewer than 12), a certified teacher, strong curriculum, hands-on learning, and technology for independent practice and tutorial. Extended Homeroom also provides the increased frequency and time that will help all students achieve academic success. We feel that these components used together will help promote the highest possible student achievement. Our School LAND Trust money will be used to hire a certified teacher to implement this class on a school-wide basis.   

This council will meet in public session prior to the school board meeting in April, August, October, and February.


Next meeting will be the second week in April:

Review Current Land Grant Plan
Discuss progress towards goals
Discuss school wide growth plans
Discuss program monitoring and accountability

Discuss next year’s Land Grant Proposal

“Every school has a school community council or a trust lands committee. The membership of a school community council includes the principal, teachers elected by teachers, and a majority of parents elected by parents of students at the school. Charter schools have trust land committees where elected parents make up the majority of committee members. The most effective councils and committees are those whose members work collaboratively to develop plans to aid all students in reaching their potential.”


To view the current Vista Trust Lands Committee click on the following link - 
School Land Trust - Council Members

Elections must meet the following provisions of the law:

If the number of people who filed is not more than the available positions, the school is not required to hold an election. 

• The number of parents must exceed the number of employees. Vista’s council is comprised of 4 parents and 3 employees.
• Parents elect parents, employees elect employees.
• Notice of elections must be provided at least 21 days in advance of the vote. The notice must include the positions that are available, dates and times of elections, and instructions for becoming a candidate.
• The principal or principal’s designee shall oversee the elections. Elections begin no later than 30 days after the first day of the school year, and extend for three consecutive school days.

• Elections shall be by secret ballot, and ballots must be deposited in a secure ballot box. 
• School community councils may establish procedures that allow for ballots to be clearly marked and mailed to the school in the case of geography or school distances that would otherwise discourage parent participation. 
• Hand-delivered or mailed ballots shall meet the same time lines for voters voting in person. 
• Entire school districts or schools may allow parents to vote by electronic ballot. If school districts/schools allow voting by electronic means, the opportunity shall be clearly explained on the school district/school web site including:

(1) directions for electronic voting; (2) security provisions for electronic voting; (3) statement to parents and community members that violations of a school district’s/school’s voting procedures may disqualify a parent’s vote or invalidate a specific school election, or both.

Election Time-Line

Feb. 3rd & 6th - Notice sent to parents requesting applicants & notification of voting dates
February 17th  - Applications due to the Vista Front Office
February 27th - 29th  - Voting 8:10 am - 3:50 pm in Vista’s Front Office

• How many members does Vista’s Community Council have?
  

As many as the school or district decides. But there must be more parent/guardian members than school staff members, including the principal. Most school community councils have about 7-17 members.

• Can a parent member work for the school in any capacity?

A parent can work at the school where he/she is a school community council member for up to six hours per week (averaged over the full year). This would include school custodians, playground aides, substitute teachers, bus drivers and others.

• If a school determines that it will have 15 school community council members (eight are parents and only half are up for election in a given year), and only three parent members apply, does there have to be a parent election?

No, but the parents on the school community council choose someone to fill the unfilled position.

• If a parent member resigns during his/her term, how is the position filled?

By a vote of the remaining parent members.

• Can the school principal be the school community council chair?

No, but another employee member can.

• How long can a school community council chair serve?

The school should set terms for chairs and vice-chairs consistent with school district policy. 
Vista’s Community Council Members serve for 2 rotating terms.

• How does a school community council decide the beginning date of a school community council member's term?

The school, in consultation with the school district, shall set the date for the school community council member's term to begin.

• Who can vote in a school community council election for parent members?

All parents, including step parents and legal guardians whose children will attend the school in the immediately upcoming school year (or who are currently attending the school)-not parents whose children are home schooled or those whose children attend private schools.

• We live in a school area where many families live in other school districts and others live miles away from the school. Can parents vote for school community council parent members electronically or by mail or fax?

Elections must be held "at the school;" they must be by "secret ballot" and voting must be "secure." If a school can accomplish the security, which may include assigning identification numbers or passwords, and if someone tallies the votes secretly (but maintains documentation of the votes) other methods that encourage parent participation(and are consistent with school policies) are acceptable.

• What may schools do to accommodate parents whose only communication with the school is through students or by school staff visiting the parent at home?

In unusual circumstances, the school should err on the side of parent participation.If the only methods of parent contact is through students or school staff visits, the school should do whatever is necessary (send ballots/information home with students, staff delivery) to accommodate parents while ensuring and maintaining security consistent with school policy.

• What information must be provided to parents by the school or the school community council?

-A meeting schedule for the year, within the first two weeks of the school year, that includes that date, time, and location of each meeting.
-A summary of the Final Report of the School LAND Trust Program Plan implementation for the prior year in the fall of the following year.
-A mid-year summary of the school community council's actions and activities to date.
-Notice of the parent election provided at least two weeks in advance of the election and must include the positions that are available, dates and timelines of elections, and instructions for becoming a candidate.

• Must the school community council keep minutes of meetings? If so, what needs to be included?

Yes. Written minutes are to be kept and posted on the school website at least one week prior to the next meeting. They also must make and keep a recording of the meeting and label it with the date, time, and location.
Minutes include:
- the date, time, location of the meeting;
-names of members present and absent;
- substance of all matters proposed, discussed or decided;
-a record of yea and nay votes on issues;
-name of each person who is not a member of the school community council who is recognized by the chair to speak in the meeting and substance of what was said.

• How long do school community councils need to keep copies of meeting minutes and recordings?

There is no set time, but three years seems reasonable.

• Under the new laws about notice, what must the school community council do?

Post agendas on the school website as least one week in advance of the up coming meeting, that include the date, time, and location, along with minutes of the last meeting.The agenda, with the date, time and location must also be posted on the front door of the school at least 24 hours in advance but it is not necessary to post the minutes.

• Is there a requirement for how many members must be present to hold a meeting?

Yes. There must be a quorum (or a majority of school community council members) to vote. The school community council could have a discussion on items on the agenda, or receive scheduled reports, but no action can take place until a quorum is present.

• What are the primary responsibilities of the school community council?

School community councils are responsible for preparing plans that are submitted to the school board for approval. They also should assist, as needed, and provide support for the implementation of the approved plans. School community council members are to represent the group that elected them to the school community council, as they make decisions and bring issues to the school community council for consideration. They may form subcommittees or task forces to address an issue or project and bring it to the school community council for approval. They are a good resource to school and district administrators in bringing issues of concern forward and in providing feedback, upon request.

The school plans for which the school community council has responsibility for developing are:
-The School Improvement Plan
-The School LAND Trust Plan
-The Reading Achievement Plan (elementary)
-They also assist in the development of the Professional Development Plan but this plan is ultimately approved and submitted by staff

• Are charter schools required to have school community councils?

No. They must form a trust lands committee that has more elected parents than the combined group of "other members" on the committee in order to participate in theSchool LAND Trust Program. The "other members" are to be determined by the charter school governing board. The committee does not have any other duties or responsibilities in the law but could assume other tasks if they choose to and it was acceptable to the charter school's board.

• May school community councils or trust land committees assume other responsibilities and tasks not outlined in state law or State Board of Education rule?
  

Certainly, and many do, as long as the tasks are consistent with state law, State Board of Education rule and district or charter school policy.

• Is there a possibility for other parents and community members to participate with the school community council?
  

The school community council may establish subcommittees and task forces that can tackle a problem or work on a project for the school. They may appoint those that are willing and are best suited to the assignment. These individuals need not be elected and school community councils are encouraged to engage others in the work of the school as desired.

• What happens if two parents get an equal number of votes for an open position on the school community council?
  

You may flip a coin to decide who serves or you may welcome both of the parents on the school community council and be grateful for the interest and service.

• Is it acceptable for the principal to develop the School Improvement Plan or the SchoolLAND Trust Plan and then just inform the parents about the plans?
  

No. The entire school community council should review the data, determine what should be included in the School Improvement Plan and choose a subset of the overall plan for their School LAND Trust Plan.

• Can anyone who comes to a school community council meeting speak and on any topic?
  

The chair may ask a visitor to tell the council the subject of their concerns and may decide to put the topic on a future agenda if time will not allow the issue to be heard in full on that day. If the topic is not within the purview of the council, the chair may ask the individual to take their concern to those who may address it.