BALLOT TITLE
ELIMINATION OF LOCAL SCHOOL COMMITTEES
QUESTION: Shall the Beaverton School District eliminate Local School Committees and the cost of electing them.
SUMMARY: The Beaverton School District was recently notified by the Washington County Elections Office that the cost of elections will increase from a flat rate to a per contest rate. This will increase the cost of electing Local School Committees in the Beaverton School District service area from $36,000 to an estimated $125,000.
If this measure is approved by voters, elected Local School Committees would be eliminated and the District would not incur these increased election costs.
The District would replace its elected Local School Committees with advisory committees of parent and community representatives chosen at the local school level.
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
If approved by voters, this measure would eliminate elected Local School Committees and save the Beaverton School District an estimated $125,000 per election. The District would replace its elected Local School Committees with advisory committees of parent and community representatives chosen at the local school level.
Elected Local School Committees were part of the organizational structure approved by voters in the 1960s during the early years of school district mergers. The role of these three-member committees was to serve as the liaison between the school and the community, consider requests for facility use, and to provide advice and feedback to the school principal and School Board.
The Beaverton School District is one of the last districts in Oregon to formally elect Local School Committees.
In 1995, Oregon law changed to require schools to form Site Councils that include staff and parent representatives. In many cases, parents selected for the Site Council are the same parents elected to Local School Committees. At many schools it has been difficult to find people interested in running for election to Local School Committees.
As part of the District's Five Year Strategic Plan, a Volunteerism and Engagement Taskforce this fall will research best practices, conduct a policy review and make recommendations to enhance community engagement. This taskforce will develop recommendations for working with advisory committees, Site Councils and other shared decision making groups in the Beaverton School District .
Submitted by:
Jerome Colonna
Superintendent
Beaverton School District No. 48
No arguments FOR or AGAINST this measure were filed.