Apalachee High School Governance Team Packet Summary — August 18, 2026
The Apalachee High School Governance Team is scheduled to meet at 11:30 a.m. on August 18. The agenda combines start-of-year organizational decisions with reviews of the Barrow County School System's 2026–2031 Strategic Plan, the charter governance framework, the school's vision and mission, and annual SGT training.
Key Items on the Agenda
Electing SGT Leadership
The agenda calls for the School Governance Team to elect a chair and vice chair. The charter-system bylaws provide for those officers to be elected each year at the August meeting and allow current officers to be re-elected.
The chair and vice chair also represent the school on the Cluster Governance Team. The principal may not serve as chair and generally does not vote except to break a tie.
Setting the Full-Year Meeting Calendar
The team is scheduled to select its SGT meeting dates for the full school year. The agenda instructs the team to meet once per month, with November and December permitted to share a single meeting.
After the calendar is established, the packet calls for the meeting dates and SGT member contact information to be submitted to the district. The team is also expected to identify its chair, vice chair and recorder so recorder training can be arranged and Cluster Governance Team representation can be established.
Conduct and Confidentiality Agreement
The agenda recommends that the team approve the "Appropriate Conduct and Confidentiality Agreement" and have each SGT member sign it, with a copy retained at the school.
The agreement requires members to participate in training, attend meetings regularly, represent all students, remain informed about matters before the SGT and work collaboratively. It also establishes confidentiality restrictions involving individual student information and individual employee performance or personnel actions.
Strategic and Governance Reviews
BCSS 2026–2031 Strategic Plan
The team is scheduled to review the Barrow County School System's 2026–2031 Strategic Plan. The plan organizes district priorities around five broad areas:
- Student Growth & Success
- Quality Workforce
- Community, Connection, & Commitment
- Organizational Effectiveness
- Positive Culture & Safety
Among the plan's objectives are improving student mastery of standards, increasing literacy proficiency, expanding college, career and life readiness, recruiting and retaining effective staff, strengthening communication and community involvement, maintaining fiscal responsibility, allocating resources to prioritized needs, and sustaining safe and welcoming environments.
For student growth and success, proposed strategic initiatives include stronger K–12 curriculum and assessment alignment, revised instructional frameworks, enhanced Multi-Tiered Support System processes, expanded literacy instruction, stronger support for English Learners and more real-world learning through opportunities such as service learning, job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships and work-based learning.
Charter Framework and SGT Responsibilities
The agenda also calls for review of the charter framework and School Governance Team bylaws. The bylaws describe the SGT's purpose as making decisions and providing input that support continuous school improvement.
The team's scope is intended to focus on matters that:
- Align with the school improvement plan.
- Align with budget and resource-allocation priorities.
- Positively affect the school's students and staff.
- Promote school climate, communication and stakeholder involvement.
- Recognize and celebrate success.
- Provide input on principal selection when needed.
The bylaws call for a minimum of seven and maximum of 11 SGT members, with an odd number of voting members. They also require annual training and adherence to the Appropriate Conduct and Confidentiality Agreement.
School Vision, Mission and Beliefs
The team is expected to review the school's vision, mission and beliefs. The packet does not propose adopting changes at this meeting.
If changes are considered necessary, the agenda calls for the school community to work through that process during the following weeks or months. Any proposed changes must align with the BCSS Strategic Navigation Plan, and "Adopt School Vision, Mission, and Beliefs" would need to appear on a future SGT agenda before the team could take action on them.
Annual Training and Meeting Procedures
The agenda includes annual training and orientation for SGT members. Members are asked to view and discuss training materials on best practices for holding meetings and SGT roles and responsibilities before signing the conduct and confidentiality agreement.
A simplified Robert's Rules of Order document is also included with the packet. The SGT bylaws state that meetings are to be conducted under Robert's Rules of Order or an adaptation approved by the team. Under the bylaws, a majority of SGT members constitutes a quorum and action items are determined by a majority vote of members present.
New School Clubs
The packet identifies three new school clubs as an already-completed action rather than a proposal awaiting action at the August 18 meeting. It states that the three clubs were voted on and approved:
- Dungeons and Dragons
- Pickleball Club
- ENGAGE Youth in Government
Public Participation
The agenda includes a section for requests to appear before the School Governance Team and provides public-participation materials in English and Spanish.
The included request form allows a citizen to identify a concern for SGT review, request to speak to the team or submit a written statement, and suggest a resolution. The packet's governance materials provide for a three-minute verbal presentation, with additional time possible at the chair's discretion.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several agenda items could shape how the SGT operates during the coming school year:
- Leadership: The team is scheduled to choose its chair and vice chair for the year.
- Meeting schedule: Members are expected to establish the full-year SGT calendar.
- Governance requirements: Members are expected to complete annual orientation work and act on the conduct and confidentiality agreement.
- Strategic alignment: The team will review the district's 2026–2031 strategic priorities and the charter framework governing the SGT's responsibilities.
- School identity: The school's vision, mission and beliefs are up for review, but any changes would require a community process and a future agenda item before adoption.
