PAC Constitution and Bylaws

Does your PAC have a Constitution and Bylaws? 

If yes, please be sure to post them on your school website and PAC website, if you have one so future PAC executive are able to find them.

If not, or you are unable to locate them, here are some helpful tips and examples to help you create new ones:

Create a draft

1.  Refer to the school act as it pertains to Parent Advisory Councils

Parents' advisory council

8 (1) Parents of students of school age attending a school or a Provincial school may apply to the
board or to the minister, as the case may be, to establish a parents' advisory council for
that school.

(2) On receipt of an application under subsection, the board or minister must establish a
parents' advisory council for the school or the Provincial school.

(3) There must be only one parents' advisory council for each school or Provincial school.

(4) A parents' advisory council, through its elected officers, may advise the board and the
principal and staff of the school or the Provincial school respecting any matter relating to
the school or the Provincial school.

(5) A parents' advisory council, in consultation with the principal, must make bylaws governing
its meetings and the business and conduct of its affairs, including bylaws governing

(a) the dissolution of the parents' advisory council, and
(b) [Repealed 2015-24-6.]
(c) the election of a member to represent the parents' advisory council on the
district parents' advisory council.

(6) Voting at an election referred to in subsection (5) (c) must be by secret ballot.

2.  Recommended items to include in a PAC Constitution:

• Formal name - The name at the bank or with BC Gaming
• A Definitions Section - if you are going to use jargon, initials, or shortened names
• Statement of Purposes such as:
  • Advise the School Admin and Staff as well as the District on matters pertaining to your school community!
  • Encourage parent involvement in the school to support programs
  • Communication to and from parents
  • Provide advocacy or support for parents of students in school

3.  Recommended items to include in PAC Bylaws:

• Membership statement
• Voting - Executive offices
• Executive officer duties - including the President/Chair responsibility for and oversight of all the work of the PAC
• Election rules - note VCPAC(DPAC) rep is by secret ballot in the school act.
• Term of Office - is commonly understood to be one year terms annual election
• Meeting section should include the month the AGM is held
• Term start date
• Year end date - Usually when the officers take office at the end of the month of the AGM but not always (check you BC Gaming report history for confirmation)
• Quorum & Voting rules - usually only one vote per family
• Dispute resolution process
• Committees
• Code of ethics or Rule of Order
• Financial - including signing authority rules
• Amendment process
• Removal of officers/ mid year elections
• Dissolution clause - including Disposal of property direction compliant with BC Gaming and School act.

Sample One

Sample Two