What does a CPS Local School Council do? All your LSC questions answered before the elections this week
Local School Councils were created three decades ago to give Chicago parents more control over what happens at their children’s public schools. Here is a look at the duties of these governing bodies and the rules for elections, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at around 500 schools.
What does a Local School Council do? From choosing principals to voting on resource officers
An LSC is tasked with approving the school’s budget; developing and monitoring school improvement priorities and goals; selecting the principal and evaluating his or her performance.
There are other responsibilities as well. Councils at some high schools determine whether to continue their school resource officer program. Earlier this year, the LSC at Daniel Boone Elementary School voted to come up with a new name that better suits the West Ridge school as Chicago Public Schools attempts to rid itself of names and mascots tied to slavery, racism and misogyny.
LSC members must complete lessons on the budget, principal selection and council duties, among other topics, within six months of taking office.
What are the different types of councils, and does every school have one?
The country’s third-largest school district, CPS has a complex set of offerings including district-run, charter, contract and options schools. LSCs are in district-run schools.
A traditional LSC is supposed to consist of the school’s principal; two teachers and one non-teacher staff member who work at the school; six parents of students enrolled at the school; two community members who reside in the school’s attendance area or voting district boundaries; and at least one student representative.
Three student representatives can sit on a high school LSC. Starting this year, elementary schools can have one student representative who is in the sixth, seventh or eighth grade.
Student members cannot vote on the principal’s evaluation, contracts and the allotment of teaching and staff resources, but they can weigh in on textbook selection, LSC vacancies, fundraising and other matters.
Elected LSC members serve two years, while student terms last one year. LSC members must reapply for each term. Council members elected this month are scheduled to take office July 1.
For this election cycle, around 490 of the panels are traditional LSCs, while 20 are Appointed LSCs, according to CPS data.
ALSCs tend to have a similar composition to traditional LSCs, except they can have two advocates instead of a non-teacher staff member and only one high school student representative. You can find ALSCs at some CPS schools managed by the Academy for Urban School Leadership.
At CPS’ military academies, ALSCs are called Boards of Governors. There’s a spot on those boards for a JROTC instructor in addition to the principal and other representatives.
The Chicago Board of Education appoints members of ALSCs and Boards of Governors for a new term after taking into consideration recommendations and nonbinding polls.
Can anyone be a candidate?
Candidates have to fill out paperwork, which varies based on the position they are seeking. No experience or formal education is required, but applicants must show proper identification.
They are required to disclose if they do business with the Board of Education, the school or the LSC.
Candidates must submit a criminal conviction disclosure form and undergo a fingerprint-based check of Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation databases before taking office.
When are the 2022 LSC elections?
Elementary school elections are scheduled for 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, and high school elections are set for the same hours Thursday. The elections coincide with parent-teacher conferences. Parents can vote when they pick up their child’s report card.
Who can vote?
All CPS parents can vote at their child’s school. Community members at least 17 years old can use CPS’ online map to input their address to determine where they can cast their ballot.
Voters don’t need to be a U.S. citizen or a registered voter to participate, but they will be asked to show valid identification. Voting is being done in person this year. There was a mail-in ballot system for the 2020 LSC elections that has since been scrapped.
CPS parents and community members can vote for up to five candidates running to serve as parent or community representatives.
School staff members vote for the teacher and non-teacher staff candidates in a preference poll on the same day and in the same location as the election for the parent and community seats. Students vote for their classmates earlier in the week.
What happens if not enough people signed up to run at my school?
Councils need a quorum to vote on important matters. Traditional LSCs can vote to fill parent and community representative vacancies. The Board of Education is authorized to appoint the teacher, staff and student members of LSCs after considering the preferences of the school community.
