5/2/2012 SEPAC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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parent/guardian and student rights operational procedures or specific training, as follows: policies and steps to follow in orga- nizing activities for the PAC. The district shall conduct, in coop- . School districts are charged with eration with the parent advisory council, at least one workshop assisting the PAC in maintaining its annually within the school district operation and activities. School dis- on the rights of students and their trict assistance must be provided parents and guardians under state without charge, but is subject to the aavailability of staff and resources. and federal special education laws. The law envisions that there will be a This guidance document is designed to good faith effort by the school dis- help place these requirements in the trict to provide assistance to the context of many and varied school dis- PAC. A PAC may engage in fund- tricts. raising activities, but is not required to do so. If a PAC does engage in Taken together, the statute and regula- fundraising activities, it may include tion essentially require the following: two categories of funds: o Public f=unds (see next page) • The district must take whatever o Private Funds (see below) steps are necessary to ensure there is a district-wide special education parent advisory council (PAC) in • • • - operation. V . ° ® b • • The PAC shall offer membership to -6 . - ° • 9. - • all parents of students found eligible • ' • • ° ' • for special education in the district, • • • as well as other interested parties. ° ° - • °- • ° • The PAC is authorized to provide « = s • ®• • • •• advice to the district regarding its _ special education programs and poli- cies. The advice may include - recom-mendations - verbally and/or in « • ° _ 10 . « « - • writing - to those parties in the dis- trict responsible for overseeing special education, including the spe- cial education director, the _ _ - _• _ superintendent, and the school ' committee. « • The PAC is additionally authorized to • • ® - • ® _ meet at regular intervals with desig- nated school officials and to engage • • ®® -® ® _in other activities which enable the - - a _ • ° - PAC to participate in the planning, ° ® - • - • - development, and evaluation of the « - °- « • - district's special education programs. • The PAC has authority to create by- laws, or rules, to help govern its duties, including rules for election of officers. By-laws may designate 3