School Community Council Amendments

3
53G-7-1202
0
School Community Council Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Tracy J. Miller
Senate Sponsor: Keven J. Stratton
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends provisions related to school community councils.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
removes provisions related to a school community council's:
digital citizenship requirements;
parent members who are local education agency employees; and
development of certain principles;
requires a certain annual report to a school community council;
requires documentation of certain votes; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53G-7-1202
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 66
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
53G-7-1202
is amended to read:
53G-7-1202
. School community councils -- Duties -- Composition -- Election
procedures and selection of members.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Digital citizenship" means the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy
behavior related to technology use, including digital literacy, ethics, etiquette, and
security.
(b)
"Educator" means the same as that term is defined in Section
53E-6-102
.
(c)
(i)
"Parent member" means a member of a school community council who is a
parent of a student who:
(A)
is attending the school; or
(B)
will be enrolled at the school during the parent's term of office.
(ii)
"Parent member" may not include an educator who is employed at the school.
(d)
"Safety principles" means safety principles that, when incorporated into programs
and resources, impact academic achievement by strengthening a safe and wholesome
learning environment, including continual efforts for safe technology utilization and
digital citizenship.
(e)
"School community council" means a council established at a district school in
accordance with this section.
(f)
"School employee member" means a member of a school community council who is
a person employed at the school by the school or school district, including the
principal.
(g)
"School LAND Trust Program money" means money allocated to a school
pursuant
to
in accordance with
Section
53F-2-404
.
(2)
A district school, in consultation with the district school's local school board, shall
establish a school community council at the school building level for the purpose of:
(a)
involving parents of students in decision making at the school level;
(b)
improving the education of students;
(c)
prudently expending School LAND Trust Program money for the improvement of
students' education through collaboration among parents, school employees, and the
local school board; and
(d)
increasing public awareness of:
(i)
school trust lands and related land policies;
(ii)
management of the State School Fund established in Utah Constitution Article X,
Section V; and
(iii)
educational excellence.
(3)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection
(3)(b)
, a school community council shall:
(i)
create the School
LAND Trust Program and
LAND Trust plan in accordance
with Section
53G-7-1206
;
(ii)
advise and make recommendations to school and school district administrators
and the local school board regarding:
(A)
the school and its programs;
(B)
school district programs;
(C)
a child access routing plan in accordance with Section
53G-4-402
;
(D)
safe technology utilization and digital citizenship; and
(E)
other issues relating to the community environment for students;
(iii)
provide for education and awareness on safe technology utilization and digital
citizenship that empowers:
(A)
a student to make smart media and online choices; and
(B)
a parent to know how to discuss safe technology use with the parent's child;

and
(iv)
partner with the school's principal and other administrators to ensure that
adequate on and off campus Internet filtering is installed and consistently
configured to prevent viewing of harmful content by students and school
personnel, in accordance with local school board policy and Subsection
53G-7-216(3)
;
(v)
in accordance with state board rule regarding school community council
expenditures and funding limits:
(A)
work with students, families, and educators to develop and incorporate safety
principles at the school; and
(B)
hold at least an annual discussion with the school's principal and district
administrators regarding safety principles at the school and district level in
order to coordinate the school community council's effort to develop and
incorporate safety principles at the school; and
(vi)
(iv)
provide input to the school's principal on a positive behaviors plan in
accordance with Section
53G-10-407
.
(b)
To fulfill the school community council's duties described in Subsections
(3)(a)(iii)

and
(iv)
,
(3)(a)(ii)(D):
(i)
a school district and school administration shall:
(A)
provide an annual report outlining the processes and steps the administration
implements to provide a safe school environment, including a responsible and
safe online experience for students; and
(B)
provide to the school community council in the report described in this
Subsection
(3)(b)(i)
, the data and information necessary to engage the school
community council in an annual discussion to fulfill the school community
council's duties; and
(ii)
a school community council may:
(i)
(A)
partner with one or more non-profit organizations; or
(ii)
(B)
create a subcommittee.
(c)
A school or school district administrator may not prohibit or discourage a school
community council from discussing issues, or offering advice or recommendations,
regarding the school and its programs, school district programs, the curriculum, or
the community environment for students.
(4)
(a)
Except as provided in
Subsection (4)(e)
Subsection
(4)(d)
, each school
community council shall consist of school employee members and parent members in
accordance with this section.
(b)
Except as provided in Subsection
(4)(c)
or (d)
:
(i)
each school community council for a high school shall have six parent members
and four school employee members, including the principal; and
(ii)
each school community council for a school other than a high school shall have
four parent members and two school employee members, including the principal.
(c)
A school community council may determine the size of the school community
council by a majority vote of a quorum of the school community council provided
that:
(i)
the membership includes two or more parent members than the number of school
employee members;
and
(ii)
there are at least two school employee members on the school community council
.
; and
(iii)
the school community council documents the vote in the school community
council's rules of order and procedure.
(d)
(i)
The number of parent members of a school community council who are not
educators employed by the school district shall exceed the number of parent
members who are educators employed by the school district.
(ii)
If, after an election, the number of parent members who are not educators
employed by the school district does not exceed the number of parent members
who are educators employed by the school district, the parent members of the
school community council shall appoint one or more parent members to the school
community council so that the number of parent members who are not educators
employed by the school district exceeds the number of parent members who are
educators employed by the school district.
(e)
The state board may make rules, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
Administrative Rulemaking Act, governing a school community council when, under
unique circumstances that the state board identifies, there are insufficient members to
fill the positions described in this Subsection
(4)
.
(5)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection
(5)(f)
, a school employee member, other than
the principal, shall be elected by secret ballot by a majority vote of the school
employees and serve a two-year term. The principal shall serve as an ex officio
member with full voting privileges.
(b)
(i)
Except as provided in Subsection
(5)(f)
, a parent member shall be elected by
secret ballot at an election held at the school by a majority vote of those voting at
the election and serve a two-year term.
(ii)
(A)
Except as provided in Subsection
(5)(b)(ii)(B)
, only a parent of a student
attending the school may vote in, or run as a candidate in, the election under
Subsection
(5)(b)(i)
.
(B)
If an election is held in the spring, a parent of a student who will be attending
the school the following school year may vote in, and run as a candidate in, the
election under Subsection
(5)(b)(i)
.
(iii)
Any parent of a student who meets the qualifications of this section may file or
declare the parent's candidacy for election to a school community council.
(iv)
(A)
Subject to Subsections
(5)(b)(iv)(B)
and
(5)(b)(iv)(C)
, a timeline for the
election of parent members of a school community council shall be established
by a local school board for the schools within the school district.
(B)
An election for the parent members of a school community council shall be
held near the beginning of the school year or held in the spring and completed
before the last week of school.
(C)
Each school shall establish a time period for the election of parent members of
a school community council under Subsection
(5)(b)(iv)(B)
that is consistent
for at least a four-year period.
(c)
(i)
At least 10 days before the date that voting commences for the elections held
under Subsections
(5)(a)
and
(5)(b)
, the principal of the school, or the principal's
designee, shall provide notice to each school employee or parent of the
opportunity to vote in, and run as a candidate in, an election under this Subsection
(5)
.
(ii)
The notice shall include:
(A)
the dates and times of the elections;
(B)
a list of council positions that are up for election; and
(C)
instructions for becoming a candidate for a community council position.
(iii)
The principal of the school, or the principal's designee, shall oversee the
elections held under Subsections
(5)(a)
and
(5)(b)
.
(iv)
Ballots cast in an election held under Subsection
(5)(b)
shall be deposited in a
secure ballot box.
(d)
Results of the elections held under Subsections
(5)(a)
and
(5)(b)
shall be made
available to the public upon request.
(e)
(i)
If a parent position on a school community council remains unfilled after an
election is held, the other parent members of the council shall appoint a parent
who meets the qualifications of this section to fill the position.
(ii)
If a school employee position on a school community council remains unfilled
after an election is held, the other school employee members of the council shall
appoint a school employee to fill the position.
(iii)
A member appointed to a school community council under Subsection
(5)(e)(i)

or
(ii)
shall serve a two-year term.
(f)
(i)
If the number of candidates who file for a parent position or school employee
position on a school community council is less than or equal to the number of
open positions, an election is not required.
(ii)
If an election is not held pursuant to Subsection
(5)(f)(i)
and a parent position
remains unfilled, the other parent members of the council shall appoint a parent
who meets the qualifications of this section to fill the position.
(iii)
If an election is not held pursuant to Subsection
(5)(f)(i)
and a school employee
position remains unfilled, the other school employee members of the council shall
appoint a school employee who meets the qualifications of this section to fill the
position.
(g)
The principal shall enter the names of the council members on the School LAND
Trust website on or before October 20 of each year, pursuant to Section
53G-7-1203
.
(h)
Terms shall be staggered so that approximately half of the council members stand for
election each year.
(i)
A school community council member may serve successive terms provided the
member continues to meet the definition of a parent member or school employee
member as specified in Subsection
(1)
.
(j)
Each school community council shall elect:
(i)
a chair from its parent members; and
(ii)
a vice chair from either its parent members or school employee members,
excluding the principal.
(6)
(a)
A school community council may create subcommittees or task forces to:
(i)
advise or make recommendations to the council; or
(ii)
develop all or part of a plan listed in Subsection
(3)
.
(b)
Any plan or part of a plan developed by a subcommittee or task force shall be subject
to the approval of the school community council.
(c)
A school community council may appoint individuals who are not council members
to serve on a subcommittee or task force, including parents, school employees, or
other community members.
(7)
(a)
A majority of the members of a school community council is a quorum for the
transaction of business.
(b)
The action of a majority of the members of a quorum is the action of the school
community council.
(8)
A local school board shall provide training for a school community council each year,
including training:
(a)
for the chair and vice chair about their responsibilities;
(b)
on resources available on the School LAND Trust website; and
(c)
on this part.
Section 2.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
3-6-26 2:32 PM