Courtenay BACBilingual Advisory Committee & PACParent Advisory Council

The Bilingual Advisory Committee & Parent Advisory Council of Mary E. Courtenay Language Arts Center

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Councils

Your voice at Courtenay. Three bodies of parents help shape the school — here is what each one does, how to join, and when they meet.

Which council is which?

🏛️ LSC — Local School Council · big school decisions

The LSC is the elected council for the school. It votes on big things: the principal, the school improvement plan, and how the school budget lines up with that plan. Parents, community members, and school staff may run for a seat on the council.

CPS — Local School Councils

🌐 BAC — Bilingual Advisory Committee · families of English learners

The Bilingual Advisory Committee (BAC) empowers parents of English learners to participate in their student’s education, as well as advocate for all students learning English at Courtenay. Come to a meeting if you have questions or ideas around the school’s support for multilingual families, or if you just want to meet the most fun parents at Courtenay.

CPS — Bilingual Advisory Committees

🌱 PAC — Parent Advisory Council · all families at Courtenay

The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) exists to empower all families as partners in the education of their Courtenay student. That can mean we host a night to share math games, a collaborative workshop on sibling conflict, or anything else that engages us in our student’s growth.

The PAC also advises how the school’s family-engagement money is used, in coordination with the principal and the LSC. That money is federal Title I family-engagement funding; at Courtenay it is small — about enough for one family event a year — and the PAC votes on how it is spent.

Come to a meeting or an event if you have any ideas or questions, and help us spend our money!

CPS — Parent Advisory Councils

How do I join?

PAC and BAC: you already belong. Every parent or guardian of a Courtenay student is a member of the PAC, and every family of an English learner is a member of the BAC. Come to a meeting — that is all it takes. The board (chair, vice-chair, secretary, outreach coordinator) is elected in the fall for two-year terms; nominate yourself at a fall meeting. The board must be seated by November 15.

LSC: seats are elected every two years in the city-wide Local School Council elections. Parents, community members and school staff can run. Ask the office when the next election is.

When do we meet?

Full calendar

Minutes

A short summary of every BAC and PAC meeting, with no personal details about students or families.

Meetings & minutes

LSC agendas and minutes

The LSC keeps its agendas and minutes in the school’s shared folder.

LSC folder — agendas and minutes

verified september 2026