School Council
Being a member of Footscray West Primary School Council is a rewarding way to be involved with the school and the community.
All Government schools in Victoria have a School Council. School Councils are legal entities with responsibility for:
- Developing the school’s Strategic Plan
- Approving the Annual Budget
- Setting and Reviewing policies
School Councils do not manage the day to day running of the school. That job is reserved for the Principal.
Parents are welcome to attend and observe School Council (please contact the Principal in advance) or sub-committee meetings, (with the exception of Finance) but only elected members are eligible to vote. Times and dates of upcoming meetings are available in the weekly Newsletter, the Calendar, or by contacting the office.
Membership
Our School Council is required to have fifteen members. At Footscray West this includes four office bearers:
- President
- Vice President
- Executive Officer
- Treasurer
Members consist of parents and Department of Education and Training (DET) employees. The majority of members are required to be parents. There is also an option to co-opt a member from the wider community who may have skills or experience of value to the school.
Sub-committees
Footscray West Primary School Council currently has four Sub-committees:
- Communications & Policy (ComPol)
- Finance
- Facilities
Councillors are expected to join at least one sub-committee.
There is also a Parents Association, which is accountable to School Council.
Elections are held at the start of each year. Each sitting member serves a term of two years, enabling half the membership to come up for election each year. Notification of upcoming elections is made in the Newsletter.
Prospective councillors must complete and return a nomination form to the Principal within seven days of a notice of election being posted. If more nominations are received than there are vacancies a ballot will be conducted two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.
Contact the office for further information or if you wish to stand for election. Further details about School Councils are available from DET, or you can contact the office and make an appointment to speak with the School Council President or the Principal.
2023 School Council Members:
Parents
- Andrew Newman (President)
- Tess Sketchley (Vice President)
- Katie Berman (Treasurer)
- Jess Elliott
- Korin Greenwood
- Paul Gregg
- Casey Wright
- Sonia Vuddamalay
- Aslisa Thistlethwaite
- Sharee Logan - Parents' Association representative
Staff
- Brendan Millar (Executive Officer)
- Liz Beasley
- Carolyn Lockie
- Lisa Peterson
- Towela Sinkonde
- Sandra Campbell
Sub-Committees of school council and their convenors are:
Finance: Katie Berman
Facilities: Brendan Millar
Communication & Policy: Carolyn Lockie
Recent School Council Minutes:
Please click the link below to access the minutes of each meeting.