According to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71B: Section 3, and MASSACHUSETTS REGULATIONS: 603 CMR 28:07(4), "each school district shall create a district wide parent advisory council offering membership to all parents of eligible students and other interested parties."
Article I: Name
Hopkinton Special Education Parent Advisory Council, hereinafter referred to as the SEPAC.
Article II: Mission Statement
The mission of the Hopkinton Special Education Parent Advisory Council is to provide education and information to parents/guardians and the broader community on special education issues and services, to establish better understanding of, respect for, and support of special education programming, and to work with the Hopkinton Public School District to ensure that the district’s special education programming meets the needs of special education students through participation in planning, development, and evaluation of said programming.
Article III: Purpose and Function
Section A: The purpose of the SEPAC shall be:
Hopkinton SEPAC’s mandated role is: advising the school committee on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities; meeting regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the school committee's special education programs. Hopkinton SEPAC receives its statutory authority from the Chapter 71B, Section 3 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Article IV: Terms of Membership
The SEPAC strives to cultivate a membership that reflects the linguistic, religious, racial, cultural and socio-economic diversity of the Districts and intends to include members from the preschool, each elementary school, the middle school, high school (inclusive of alternative and transition programs) and out-of-district placements (inclusive of CASE).
Section A: General Membership
General membership shall be open to all interested parties.
Section B: Voting Memberships
ARTICLE V: Meetings
Meetings are defined as any Hopkinton Special Education Parent Advisory Council meeting, activity, or committee. The SEPAC shall plan to hold at least five meetings each year. The schedule of meeting dates shall be and published by the Board.
Minutes of all official SEPAC meetings shall be recorded by the Secretary and available by request.
Parent information Workshops will be held at least bi-monthly, from September through June. Notice of all general meeting dates and elections shall be published in social media, by email, and a notice sent to each voting member whenever possible.
ARTICLE VI: Quorum and Voting Procedures
Section A: Board Members
The Board of SEPAC shall be the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Events Chair, Education Chair, and Communications Chair. Officers may, from time to time, delegate any of their duties to another officer. Nominations of candidates for officers may be requested in April or May of each year.
The duties of the Executive Board of the Hopkinton Special Education Parent Advisory Council include:
Chair and Vice Chair:
-Overseeing and helping to coordinate public communications to local media.
-Representing and speaking on behalf of the SEPAC at meetings of the School Committee.
-Recommending the organization and monitoring of sub-committees and parent programs.
-The responsibility for setting the agenda for the annual general meeting will be shared by Executive Board members.
-Acting as liaisons between parents of students with disabilities or suspected disabilities and the Director of Student Services, to address systemic challenges.
-Preparing periodic reports for the Special education Administration regarding SEPAC activities and needs.
-Presiding over all meetings of the SEPAC.
-Act as liaison with the distinct and school officials and representatives, including the Director of Student Services, the School Committee, the Superintendent, the Principals, and the Educators.
-Funnel parent/guardian feedback to the Hopkinton SEPAC Board and the Director of Student Services.
-Coordinate regular meetings with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the school district’s special education programs.
-Transition knowledge and expertise to the next Chair upon end of term.
Secretary:
-Maintain list of members
-Coordinate recording, filing, and posting of minutes of the SEPAC
-Count and record all vote results
-Ensure accessible meeting locations and/or use of remote technology
-Draft and distribute approved regular meeting minutes for approval and record keeping
Education Chair:
-Shall coordinate parent information sessions with administration
-Shall host or designate a host for each session
-Shall work with Administration and Communications Coordinator to advertise these sessions
-Shall reach out for feedback from members about what topics are of interest.
Events Chair:
-Plan and coordinate community events
-Liaison with community partners and school district personnel to plan and facilitate events for SEPAC families
-Identify opportunities for SEPAC to join town planned events to increase visibility
Communications/Technology Chair:
-Shall maintain the SEPAC Hopkinton web page, facebook page, and facilitate communication to general membership
All Board Members:
-Shall participate in regular meetings with Hopkinton Public School District administration, Director of Student Services/Special Education
-Shall participate in planning and development of presentations to Hopkinton School Committee
Section B: Elections
Elections shall be decided by a simple majority vote of the voting membership, during the June general meeting. New officers shall take office as of July 1st following their election.
Expressions of interest will be made in advance for each position. If a board seat is not contested the sole applicant will assume the position. In a situation where more than one nominee has expressed interest, the outcome will be determined by a majority vote.
Article VIII: Conflict of Interest
Any member of the Executive Board who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending before the SEPAC, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will offer to the Board to voluntarily excuse him/herself and will vacate his seat and refrain from discussion and voting on said item. No Board member should be in a position to be hired professionally by the school district.
Article IX: Subcommittees
Subcommittees shall be created as needed.
Article X: Amendments
These by-laws may be amended by a simple majority of the voting members at a meeting and voted upon in the same meeting as they are proposed, unless the executive board votes unanimously to approve the change.
Article XI: General
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern all meetings in all cases in which they are applicable, and in which they are not in conflict with these Bylaws.
The statutory authority for the SEPAC and these Bylaws is set forth in the regulations promulgated by The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (603 CMR 28.07(4)):
“(4) Parent advisory participation. Each school district shall create a districtwide parent advisory council offering membership to all parents of eligible students and other interested parties. The parent advisory council duties shall include but not be limited to: advising the district on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities; meeting regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the school district’s special education programs. The parent advisory council shall establish bylaws regarding officers and operational procedures, and in the course of its duties, the parent advisory council shall receive assistance from the district without charge, upon reasonable notice, and subject to the availability of staff and resources.”
Based on a determination issued by the Office of the Attorney General of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (OML 2021 – 150), the SEPAC is not a “public body” within the meaning of the Open Meeting Law (M.G.L. c. 30A, § §§ 18 through 25).
Prepared 4/24
Article I: Name
Hopkinton Special Education Parent Advisory Council, hereinafter referred to as the SEPAC.
Article II: Mission Statement
The mission of the Hopkinton Special Education Parent Advisory Council is to provide education and information to parents/guardians and the broader community on special education issues and services, to establish better understanding of, respect for, and support of special education programming, and to work with the Hopkinton Public School District to ensure that the district’s special education programming meets the needs of special education students through participation in planning, development, and evaluation of said programming.
Article III: Purpose and Function
Section A: The purpose of the SEPAC shall be:
- To fulfill all the responsibilities as defined within 603 CMR 28.00 and any other pertinent state mandates;
- To promote better understanding and communication between parents/guardians with children in special education programs and the Hopkinton public school district;
- To promote and support an innovative educational environment where children with special needs and/or disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities, and a school and community environment where all children are encouraged to reach their full potential.
- To promote a network of parents/guardians of children with disabilities and provide the forum to share information.
- To provide support for special education services and its mission of meeting the individualized needs of all students who are enrolled in special education programs through communication with and feedback to the special education director and school principals;
- To promote communication, understanding, acceptance, and inclusion within the community;
- To encourage a community commitment to quality education for all children and to support diversity within the educational setting.
Hopkinton SEPAC’s mandated role is: advising the school committee on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities; meeting regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the school committee's special education programs. Hopkinton SEPAC receives its statutory authority from the Chapter 71B, Section 3 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
- To participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of all programs for students receiving special education;
- To provide an effective link between parents/guardians and school administration regarding issues around special education;
- To provide information concerning special education issues to all parents/guardians of children enrolled in the Hopkinton, MA School District;
- To provide a forum for parents/guardians and other interested citizens to maintain a dialogue with the District on concerns and issues relating to the education, health, and safety of all students enrolled in special education programs;
- To provide and promote information and educational opportunities for the community on topics related to special education services;
- To participate in the District’s Strategic Priorities as they relate to special education students and families ;
- To meet with the Director of Special Education on a regular basis.
- To advise the School Committee, Director of Student Services/ Special Education on operations and development of special education programs, parent and teacher training needs, and policy development.
Article IV: Terms of Membership
The SEPAC strives to cultivate a membership that reflects the linguistic, religious, racial, cultural and socio-economic diversity of the Districts and intends to include members from the preschool, each elementary school, the middle school, high school (inclusive of alternative and transition programs) and out-of-district placements (inclusive of CASE).
Section A: General Membership
General membership shall be open to all interested parties.
Section B: Voting Memberships
- Annual Elections: Voting membership for Annual Elections shall be open to any parent of a child with a disability from age 3 to 22 years, with or without an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan or an out-of-district placement, who is a resident of Hopkinton and whose child is eligible to attend school in the District, and who has attended at least one previous meeting of the Hopkinton Special Education Parent Advisory Council during the past 12 months.
- Business Matters: Voting membership for business matters shall be limited to the current Board in order to perform its administrative functions on behalf of the SEPAC.
- The SEPAC may communicate directly with its members via its website, Facebook page, or other types of media.
- For the purpose of confidentiality, the District does not identify or share contact information of families with children receiving special education services. Therefore, SEPAC communications will be distributed by the Director of Student Services on the SEPAC’s behalf.
- General members who do not have children receiving special education services may opt in to receive direct communications from the SEPAC (via email [email protected] or other methods offered by SEPAC).
- Voting members may opt in to receive direct communications from the SEPAC (via email [email protected] or other methods offered by SEPAC).
- All contact information provided to the SEPAC will be treated as confidential and used only for SEPAC purposes.
ARTICLE V: Meetings
Meetings are defined as any Hopkinton Special Education Parent Advisory Council meeting, activity, or committee. The SEPAC shall plan to hold at least five meetings each year. The schedule of meeting dates shall be and published by the Board.
- Additional meetings may be held on an as-needed basis as determined by the Board, which may be regular meetings, special meetings, Annual Meeting, elections, parent only meetings (e.g., coffees), activity gatherings, informational meetings (e.g., presentations by outside speakers) or other types of meetings.
- Minutes of all regular meetings shall be kept by the Secretary.
- Meetings may be held in person or virtually, using online tools like Zoom, which enable participants to attend the meeting remotely using their phone or computer. If a virtual meeting is scheduled, attendance by phone or computer will be counted for purposes of Article IV, Quorum and Voting Procedures.
- The SEPAC shall plan to hold an Annual Meeting in June of each year
Minutes of all official SEPAC meetings shall be recorded by the Secretary and available by request.
Parent information Workshops will be held at least bi-monthly, from September through June. Notice of all general meeting dates and elections shall be published in social media, by email, and a notice sent to each voting member whenever possible.
ARTICLE VI: Quorum and Voting Procedures
- A minimum of 3 Board Members is required at a meeting to constitute a quorum for the purposes of voting on SEPAC business decisions.
- When a quorum is present at any meeting; a majority of the votes cast by Board Members present shall decide any question.
- SEPAC business matter voting will be limited to members of the SEPAC Board.
- Election of Board Member voting is open to all voting SEPAC members.
- Matters which require a vote to be taken by the voting membership include, but are not limited to the following items:
- A change in the by-laws.
- Elections require a vote as described in Article VII, Elections.
Section A: Board Members
The Board of SEPAC shall be the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Events Chair, Education Chair, and Communications Chair. Officers may, from time to time, delegate any of their duties to another officer. Nominations of candidates for officers may be requested in April or May of each year.
- Officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting by a majority of votes cast by all general membership present at time of vote
- Each elected officer shall hold office for a term of at least one year (July 1 through June 30), terms usually defined as 2 years in length of commitment.
- Mid term vacancies may be filled internally by the Board if Board members are interested in changing roles.
The duties of the Executive Board of the Hopkinton Special Education Parent Advisory Council include:
Chair and Vice Chair:
-Overseeing and helping to coordinate public communications to local media.
-Representing and speaking on behalf of the SEPAC at meetings of the School Committee.
-Recommending the organization and monitoring of sub-committees and parent programs.
-The responsibility for setting the agenda for the annual general meeting will be shared by Executive Board members.
-Acting as liaisons between parents of students with disabilities or suspected disabilities and the Director of Student Services, to address systemic challenges.
-Preparing periodic reports for the Special education Administration regarding SEPAC activities and needs.
-Presiding over all meetings of the SEPAC.
-Act as liaison with the distinct and school officials and representatives, including the Director of Student Services, the School Committee, the Superintendent, the Principals, and the Educators.
-Funnel parent/guardian feedback to the Hopkinton SEPAC Board and the Director of Student Services.
-Coordinate regular meetings with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the school district’s special education programs.
-Transition knowledge and expertise to the next Chair upon end of term.
Secretary:
-Maintain list of members
-Coordinate recording, filing, and posting of minutes of the SEPAC
-Count and record all vote results
-Ensure accessible meeting locations and/or use of remote technology
-Draft and distribute approved regular meeting minutes for approval and record keeping
Education Chair:
-Shall coordinate parent information sessions with administration
-Shall host or designate a host for each session
-Shall work with Administration and Communications Coordinator to advertise these sessions
-Shall reach out for feedback from members about what topics are of interest.
Events Chair:
-Plan and coordinate community events
-Liaison with community partners and school district personnel to plan and facilitate events for SEPAC families
-Identify opportunities for SEPAC to join town planned events to increase visibility
Communications/Technology Chair:
-Shall maintain the SEPAC Hopkinton web page, facebook page, and facilitate communication to general membership
All Board Members:
-Shall participate in regular meetings with Hopkinton Public School District administration, Director of Student Services/Special Education
-Shall participate in planning and development of presentations to Hopkinton School Committee
Section B: Elections
Elections shall be decided by a simple majority vote of the voting membership, during the June general meeting. New officers shall take office as of July 1st following their election.
Expressions of interest will be made in advance for each position. If a board seat is not contested the sole applicant will assume the position. In a situation where more than one nominee has expressed interest, the outcome will be determined by a majority vote.
Article VIII: Conflict of Interest
Any member of the Executive Board who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending before the SEPAC, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will offer to the Board to voluntarily excuse him/herself and will vacate his seat and refrain from discussion and voting on said item. No Board member should be in a position to be hired professionally by the school district.
Article IX: Subcommittees
Subcommittees shall be created as needed.
Article X: Amendments
These by-laws may be amended by a simple majority of the voting members at a meeting and voted upon in the same meeting as they are proposed, unless the executive board votes unanimously to approve the change.
Article XI: General
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern all meetings in all cases in which they are applicable, and in which they are not in conflict with these Bylaws.
The statutory authority for the SEPAC and these Bylaws is set forth in the regulations promulgated by The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (603 CMR 28.07(4)):
“(4) Parent advisory participation. Each school district shall create a districtwide parent advisory council offering membership to all parents of eligible students and other interested parties. The parent advisory council duties shall include but not be limited to: advising the district on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities; meeting regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the school district’s special education programs. The parent advisory council shall establish bylaws regarding officers and operational procedures, and in the course of its duties, the parent advisory council shall receive assistance from the district without charge, upon reasonable notice, and subject to the availability of staff and resources.”
Based on a determination issued by the Office of the Attorney General of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (OML 2021 – 150), the SEPAC is not a “public body” within the meaning of the Open Meeting Law (M.G.L. c. 30A, § §§ 18 through 25).
Prepared 4/24