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Senate approves changes to school community councils to strengthen parental voice and require spot audits
Summary
House Bill 152 passed after sponsors said it clarifies councils' roles, requires annual elections and spot audits, restricts parent seats to non-educator parents, and establishes a submit/approve-or-return process with local school boards for council plans.
The Senate passed First Substitute House Bill 152, a measure the sponsor described as strengthening school community councils by clarifying responsibilities, improving election processes and adding spot audits to ensure councils function as intended.
Senator Dayton said the bill was requested by members of community councils and aims to ensure parent representatives understand responsibilities beyond budgeting small amounts of Trust Lands money. The bill requires councils to draft plans and submit them to local school boards; boards may accept the plan or send it back for revision but cannot cherry-pick parts of the plan. The bill also prevents educators who are employed full-time from filling parent seats and requires spot audits in some schools to verify election and operation processes.
Several senators, including Maine, Jones and Madsen, expressed support, noting variability across councils and a desire to empower parents. Madsen asked whether the bill would track school-board overrides; the sponsor said disapproved plans must be returned with requests for revision and unresolved matters could be taken to the Education Interim Committee.
The clerk recorded a roll-call vote of 22 yeas, 0 nays with absences; the bill passed and will be placed on the third-reading calendar.
