Governance

Governance

Santa Barbara Charter School Governance

The Circle of Trustees is responsible for setting the overarching policies that guide the ongoing activities of the School.  The Director of Operations and Director of Education are responsible for the day-to-day administrative decisions necessary for running the School.  While the CoT creates the guidelines and makes the final decisions related to fiscal, legal, and personnel issues, the Director of Education and Director of Operations implement those policies on a daily basis.  Both the Director of Operations and Director of Education are empowered to make line item budget decisions regarding the budget up to a limit specified by the Circle of Trustees. While approval of the CoT is required to start a personnel search, the Director of Operations and Director of Education are responsible for implementing the hiring processes within their areas of jurisdiction.  Both administrators are responsible for the supervision and evaluation of employees within their jurisdiction.  All final personnel decisions must be approved by the Circle of Trustees.

CIRCLE OF TRUSTEES

Board of Directors

The SBCS Circle of Trustees (CoT) serves as the Board of Directors for Santa Barbara Charter School.  The CoT is the responsible agent for fulfilling accountability requirements set forth in this Charter, California Charter School legislation, the Memorandum of Understanding, and any other binding legal agreements.  The Circle of Trustees is ultimately responsible for decisions that ensure the School’s viability and particularly focuses on financial, legal, and personnel issues.

Composition

The Circle of Trustees is comprised of 4 Classroom-based parents, 1 HomeBased Partnership (HBP) parent, 2 Classroom-based teachers, 1 HBP teacher, and the Director of Operations.  Classroom-based parents are elected to a two-year term on the Circle of Trustees by a program-wide vote of the Classroom-Based program, and the HomeBased parent is elected by a program-wide vote of the HomeBased Partnership, according to the provisions of Elections policy (#012).  Teachers are appointed to the Circle of Trustees for a term of at least one year.  Classroom-based teacher representatives are appointed to the Circle of Trustees by the Teachers Council, and the HomeBased teacher representative is appointed by the HomeBased teachers. If there is a mid-term resignation by a parent trustee, CoT may appoint a trustee in his/her place.

Officers

The officers of the CoT are President, Secretary, and Treasurer.  The Director of Operations serves as the facilitator or chairperson of the Circle of Trustees.

PARENT ALLIANCE

Defined

The Parent Alliance is a committee of the Circle of Trustees.  The Parent Alliance actively fosters a spirit of cooperation and a sense of support, pride, and enthusiasm in order to nurture community within the school.  The school community includes the relationships between students, teachers and other staff, and parents and/or legal guardians, extended families, and patrons, all of whom play an essential role in the success of our children, both today and in the future.   All parents of currently enrolled students are a member of the Parent Alliance.

Purpose

Through fundraising and community-based activities, the purpose of the Parent Alliance is to:

  • Promote positive school/community relationships that enhance our children’s educational environment;
  • Encourage parent and public involvement in SBCS in appropriate ways;
  • Provide service for school functions;
  • Raise money to contribute to the well being of SBCS;
  • Assist with the improvement and maintenance of the school’s physical environment;
  • Promote open communication between the administration, faculty, parents, and/or legal guardians, and the community through established and direct lines of communication;
  • Bring into closer relationship the home and school such that the parents, teachers, and other school staff may cooperate in the education of children and youth, where these united efforts will secure for all SBCS students the highest advantages in physical, cognitive, social, and personal development.

The regularly scheduled meetings of the Circle of Trustees are on the third Thursday of the month, beginning at 7:00pm.

The regularly scheduled meetings of the Parent Alliance are on the first Wednesday of the month, beginning at 7:00pm.  We recommend that you check the SBCS calendar for any changes in meeting dates and times.

Santa Barbara Charter School
Circle of Trustees Members 2018-19

All terms run for the school year: July through June.

  • Elijah Lovejoy, President & Classroom-based Parent Member / Term Ends – 2019
  • Cristina Garces, Vice-President & Classroom-based Parent Member  / Term Ends – 2020
  • Judy Mitchell, Secretary & Classroom-based Parent Member /  Term Ends – 2020
  • Justin Wilkins, Treasurer & Classroom-based Parent Member /  Term Ends – 2019
  • Sara Killen, HomeBased Partnership Parent Member /  Term Ends – 2020
  • Bev Abrams, Teachers Council Member, Classroom-based
  • Les Stickles, Facilitator & Teachers Council Member, Classroom-based
  • Marianne Kruidenier, Teachers Council Member, HomeBased Partnership
  • Cristina Cullen, Director of Operations

Administrative Staff

  • Laura Donner              Director of Education
  • Cristina Cullen             Director of Operations
  • Tracy Burson               Chief Business Officer
  • Cindy Emery                Enrollment/Reception

Santa Barbara Charter School
Parent Alliance Board Members 2018-19

All terms run for the school year: July through June.

  • Hallie Avolio and Melissa Wilkins, Parent Alliance Co-Chairs
  • Sarah Hough, Secretary
  • Marna Kaupas, Treasurer
  • Eriko MacDonald and Kristen Ruskey, Events Co-Chairs
  • Heather Blancho, At-Large Member

Downloads

Click this icon to download an Adobe Acrobat documentDocument NameIntended Purpose
Bylaws of the Circle of TrusteesDetailed disclosure of all terms that govern the Circle of Trustees of the Santa Barbara Charter School, available for public review.

Contact Information

All Circle of Trustee members, Parent Alliance Board Members, and ALL SBCS staff may be reached in care of:                           

Santa Barbara Charter School                       

6100 Stow Canyon Rd.                                   

Goleta, CA 93117                               

Phone:  805-967-6522                       

Email:  officesbcharter@sbunified.org                     

This post is also available in: Spanish

Testimonials
It is clear that students develop a love of learning while going to SBCS

We are at Santa Barbara Charter School because of:
* The teachers: they are fabulous, dedicated to the students, and providing a wonderful and rich environment for the kids to come and learn in.
* The academic program: we appreciate the focus of the school, and the approach to the curriculum. It is clear that students develop a love of learning while going to SBCS.
* The community of parents: it is clear that SBCS parents are very invested in the education of their children. Their participation in the running of the school reflects that commitment. The support they provide to the teachers is second to none, and the overall feeling of community is felt at so many levels.

Anne-Odile Thomas

Come visit us, and find out why we continue to collect amazing testimonials from parents and students alike!