Parent Advisory Committees are Critical to the Local Control Accountability Plan

Educational partners are an essential part of the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) development and annual update process. Although educational partners are inclusive of a wide range of people and organizations, a critical group of educational partners is parents. There are a number of benefits to engaging local community members, including parents, and research on school and school system improvement has documented several such as:

• Access to more comprehensive input to inform the identification of needs, planning, and program implementation

• More informed decision-making

• Increased engagement of educational partners in implementing local plans

• Development of long-term relationships with individuals and organizations that can support student learning and development

• Increased empowerment of educational partners

• Improved family-school partnerships

The state of CA recognizes the vital role parents play as partners in the development and updating of the LCAP. The state requires that before adopting the LCAP, school districts must present the LCAP to the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) for review and comment and, if applicable, to the English Learner Parent Advisory Committee (ELPAC). The superintendent must then respond in writing to the comments received from these committees.

One key aspect of the LCAP plan’s development is to ensure engagement with parents and guardians of the district’s highest-need students. 

While the Board of Education approves members of Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), the PAC is tasked with reviewing and commenting on the LCAP.

Education Code section 52069 states: A parent advisory committee shall include parents or legal guardians of pupils to whom one or more of the definitions in EC Section 42238.01 apply." Education Code section 42238.01, states. (a) Eligible for free or reduced-price meals  (b) Foster youth (c) Pupils of limited English proficiency.  BOOK A SESSION