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SHAC discusses membership recruitment, quorum rules and meeting schedule ahead of 2024–25
Summary
Members discussed strategies to broaden recruitment, clarified quorum language in the bylaws and considered meeting times to increase attendance. Staff will review the Texas Education Code and prior practices to confirm timelines for interest forms.
At the April 14 SHAC meeting, members discussed recruitment and attendance challenges and reviewed quorum rules adopted in the bylaws as the council rebuilds participation.
The group asked district staff to research prior timelines and relevant passages of the Texas Education Code that govern advisory committees and nominations. Board representative comments placed the likely district nomination timeline in late July or August, with staff presentation to the board expected in July and final appointments on a board agenda in August; members said they would prefer interest forms to circulate earlier, possibly in May, so SHAC could work over the summer.
Attendees reviewed current quorum language in the SHAC bylaws: “Quorum will be set at one more voting parent member than the number of district employees plus a minimum of eight in attendance.” Members said the district changed the threshold to try to ensure quorum at business meetings after earlier sessions suffered low turnout.
The council discussed balancing feeder-pattern representation against recruiting members who will attend consistently and proposed an overlay to recruitment asking applicants about interest in four SHAC “quadrants” (counseling/mental health, physical health/PE, nutrition services, human sexuality instruction) so subcommittees can be staffed with relevant expertise.
Members also debated meeting times and frequency. State rules require a minimum of four meetings a year (two in the fall and two in the spring); the committee discussed keeping four regular meetings at 5 p.m. while using occasional noon meetings or Zoom for subcommittee work to improve participation.
District staff agreed to check the education code and past practice on nomination timing, report back on whether the district or staff nominates members, and propose outreach strategies (PTA, principals, direct email) to increase consistent attendance.
