The Education Commission is a group consisting of Fr. Chris Armstrong, Pastor; Mr. Jack Corey, Principal; Deacon Bob Schroeder, Director of Religious Education; and 6 adult parishioners elected by the parish at large to serve 3 year terms.  There are also 2 rotating, volunteer faculty advisors.

The Commission meets monthly to discuss issues and concerns dealing with all education programs throughout the parish including religious education and advises and makes recommendations to the Pastor and Principal concerning these issues.

Meetings are announced in the weekly parish bulletin and the weekly school newsletter a week prior to the meeting date.  Visitors are always welcome to attend meetings which are held in the school conference room unless noted otherwise. Topics for discussion must be submitted prior to the meeting to be put on the agenda.  

PREAMBLE / MISSION STATEMENT

    This commission shall have as its primary concern the intellectual and spiritual development of members of the parish community.  It shall be its purpose to assist the parish community toward wholesome, worthwhile adjustments to their respective cultural, social, and economic environments with a Gospel perspective.  It shall also be its purpose to aid in the individual development of talents, opportunities and personal adjustments both other persons and to themselves.

     Working in close collaboration with the parish administrator(s) and hearing its many constituents, this commission shall recommend policies that will enable the parish community to reach its educational goals. 

I.       PHILOSOPHY OF ST. ANTONINUS PARISH SCHOOL

St. Antoninus Parish School is one of the chief missions and ministries of St. Antoninus Parish.  Parents promise to rear their children in the practice of the Faith at their baptisms. Godparents promise to assist them in their duty to do so.  One of the proven ways of assisting parents in their duties as the primary educators of their children in the practice of the faith is the parish’s grade school.  St. Antoninus Parish accepts its mission to act as “godparents” by establishing and maintaining its parish school, and to minister to our children, informational, formational and transformational needs.  

At the level of information, the parish school seeks to provide our children with the knowledge and skills they need to live a truly human life.  At the formational level, the parish school seeks to provide our children opportunities to live a truly Catholic life: to worship our Triune God; to grow in Christian community; and to serve the needs of others.  At the transformational level, the parish school seeks to encourage our children to open their hearts to our Triune God in Whose image they are made especially through the Sacraments and the Word of God and thus “to live a life worthy of the calling they have received”.

In sum, each child bears a divine dignity by Baptism and an eternal destiny to Glory.  St. Antoninus Parish School as a place of faith, prayer and learning strives to assist our children to value their baptismal dignity and to realize their eternal destiny to Glory.  As “godparents” St. Antoninus Parish seeks to assist our parents as they rear their children in the practice of the Faith.

II.      STUDENTS’ RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Every student had the right to be cherished as a gift to our humanity.

• Every student has the right to information and guidance that will promote the discovery and development of his or her God-given talents and abilities.

• Every student has the responsibility to acknowledge his or her own dignity.

• Every student has the responsibility to do his or her best work at school and at home.

• Every student has the responsibility to take care of his or her mind and body.

• Every student has the responsibility to respect the dignity of every other person.

• Every student has the responsibility to help others.

• Every student has the responsibility to show kindness and courtesy toward others.

• Every student has the responsibility to respect and promote a learning environment that recognizes and celebrates the diversity within this community.

• Every student has the responsibility to respect the teaching authority of the parents,faculty and staff.

III.     SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

In dialogue with the Pastor, Principal and Director of Religious Education, the Education

Commission evaluates and recommends school policy.  The principal is the day-to-day administrator of these policies within the school.

      The Pastor is the ultimate authority with regard to the establishment of policy and the overall operation of the parish and its school.

ARTICLE I

TITLE

The name of this organization shall be the St. Antoninus Parish Education Commission.

ARTICLE II

FUNCTION

Section A- General

1. The Commission is to evaluate and recommend educational programs within the jurisdiction of the St. Antoninus Parish.

2. It is expected that the decisions of the Commission will reflect the vision and value system of the community and the Church which are represented by the Commission members.

3. This Commission is to formulate policy; the Commission is not responsible for the administration of the school.  One of the roles of the school administration is to apply policy recommendations of the Commission to the operation of the school.

Section B- Specific Duties and Functions

   Subsection A- Parish

1. To coordinate the educational activities of the parish.

2. To evaluate regularly the effectiveness of the education programs in the parish school, parish religious education program, and adult education, and to recommend methods of improving these programs.

3. To create better understanding and support of Catholic education

  Subsection B- School

4. To develop policies for the application of the regulations of the Archdiocese Board of Education, the Archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, and the State of Ohio, to the entire parish education program.

5. To act as a liaison body, together with the principal, with the public school officials.

6. Make recommendations regarding the annual school budget.  Review of educational expenditures is the responsibility of the Finance Commission.

7. To advise salary scales for professional personnel, and to assist in the recruitment of administrative personnel involved in the educational activities of the parish.

8. To establish committees on a standing or “ad hoc” basis as needed.

9. To determine policies relating to the safety and well-being of students and staff.

10. To determine policies relating to the planning and use of school facilities and equipment in conjunction with other parish bodies.

Section A – Voting members of the Commission shall consist of the six elected members of the Commission.

Section B – Ex-officio (non-voting) members of the Commission shall include the pastor, principal, one member of the faculty and the director of religious education. Because the ultimate responsibility for all decisions rests on the pastor, he has the right and the opportunity of veto.  If the pastor believes any decision to be detrimental to the parish, he may exercise his right to veto.

Section C – Each elected member shall serve a term of three years, with two members to be elected by the parish each year.  There shall be no limit on the number of terms an elected member shall serve, except that each elected member can serve only two consecutive terms.

Section D – Membership shall be limited to persons belonging to the parish or parents of children enrolled in the school.  Members must not have a conflict of interest, e.g., a salaried employee of the parish educational system is not to be a voting member on the Commission.

Section E – nomination of new members shall take place prior to the regular May meeting, by the members of the parish, under the direction of the nomination committee appointed by the president of the Commission.  Elections shall be held prior to the regular June meeting.  Term of office for elected members shall expire at the June meeting of their third year.  Newly elected members shall take office on the Commission at the June meeting.

Section F – Vacancies on the Commission shall be filled for the unexpired term by the Commission at a regular meeting by majority vote.  A vacancy may be declared due to two unexcused absences.

The appointed member shall serve the unexpired term and may then run for one consecutive term immediately following the term to which he or she had been appointed.  Said person my run again at a later date, subject to the terms of Article III, Section C.

OFFICERS

Section A – The officers of the Commission shall consist of the president, vice-president, secretary, all of whom shall be selected annually by the new Commission membership. The vice-president shall succeed as president.  This will be an item of regular business at the June meeting.

Section B – Any member of the Commission is eligible to be elected for any office.

Section C – The duties of the officers and members shall be as follows:

1. The president shall preside at all regular and special meetings of the Commission.

2. In the absence of the president, the vice-president will preside.

3. The secretary shall maintain a written record of all acts of the Commission; distribute, receive and dispose of all correspondence as directed; preserve all reports and documents committed to his or her care; and maintain a record of all financial transactions which are proper to the Commission.  Minutes shall be sent out to each Commission member within three weeks after the meeting.  Official minutes are filed in the school office.

4. Other representatives include a Parish Council representative, a  Parents-Teachers Organization [PTO] representative, and a publicity coordinator.  The Parish Council representative and the PTO representative are responsible for attending scheduled meetings of the organization they are representing and reporting to the Commission.  The publicity coordinator is responsible for submitting articles and/or pictures to the church bulletin and other media outlets regarding parish or school activities.

ARTICLE V

MEETINGS

Section A – Ordinarily, the Commission shall meet on the third Monday of August, September, November, January, March, May and June at a time and place to be designated by the president.  The budget review may require a separate meeting. Special meetings may be called by the pastor, president, principal, director of religious education, as needed or at the request of three voting members. 

Section B – A majority of the voting membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Section C – A simple majority of voting members present shall carry a motion.  Only members present at a meeting are eligible to vote.  No absentee voting will be permitted.

Section D – All meetings of the Commission, unless otherwise specified, shall be open to members of the parish.  The pastor, principal, director of religious education, and the president of the Commission will formulate the agenda for the meetings.  These persons will be responsible for deciding if items will be placed on the agenda.  Items for the agenda must be received by the president at least seven days in advance of the monthly meeting to be considered for the agenda.  All items formally presented for consideration must be written.  Those formally presented items which are not included on the agenda will receive a written response indicating the reason for rejection.

ARTICLE VI

CONDUCT OF MEETINGS

Section A – The rule of parliamentary procedure shall govern meetings of the Commission.

Section B – The order of meetings shall be:

1. Prayer

2. Roll Call

3. Faith Formation

4. Approval of minutes

5. Reports from pastor, principal, director of religious education, Parish Council and PTO representative, and publicity coordinator.

6. Correspondence

7. Old Business

8. New Business

9. Adjournment

Section C – Each member of the Commission is to receive a copy of the agenda at least three days prior to the scheduled meeting.

ARTICLE VII

EFFECTIVE DATE AND AMENDMENTS

Section A – this constitution shall become effective the date it is adopted by the Commission.  This fact will be noted in the official minutes.  This document may be amended or repealed, or a new constitution adopted as stipulated in Section B below.

Section B – At a regular meeting of the Commission, a resolution shall be introduced specifying the Article and Section to be amended or repealed, or a new constitution to be adopted in full.  No vote is taken at the meeting.  Copies of the proposed constitutional changes are to be given to the commission members at least seven days prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken.  Copies should be made available on the website to all parishioners.  Parish members are to be notified in the parish bulletin that they may appear and be heard concerning the resolution.  At the next meeting, the resolution shall be voted upon by the members of the Commission.  If the vote on said resolution receives the affirmative vote of two thirds of the members, it shall be adopted and become effective immediately.  The results of the above action shall be noted by the secretary in the official minutes of the Commission.

Constitution adopted August 15, 2005