The general responsibilities of the Consultative School Board are in the following areas: strategic planning; policy development; resource development; institutional advancement; advice and counsel with regard to financial planning, management, and reporting; marketing of the school; and evaluation of the board's goals and activities.
The membership of the Consultative School Board should include the pastor, principal, parents (no more than one-third of the total membership), alumni parents, parishioners, members of the civic and local business community, and area educators. Under Canon Law and Archdiocesan guidelines (see Administrative Handbook for Bylaws), the members advise the administrative team (pastor and principal) and cannot make decisions binding for the parish education program without the approval of the administrative team (A Primer on Educational Governance in the Catholic Church, the CACE/NABE Governance Task Force, NCEA, 1998).
The regional supervisor at the Department of Catholic Schools is available to assist and guide schools in the implementation of a Consultative School Board.
