The bylaws for this school were last modified on Oct. 12, 2004.
The bylaws are as follows:
BY LAWS
Howard D. McMillan Middle School

I. PURPOSE
The purpose of the Howard D. McMillan Middle School’s Educational Excellence Advisory Council (EESAC), hereinafter referred to as the “Council”, is to foster an environment of professional collaboration among all education stakeholders, to help create a learning environment that will empower students to pursue education, and become productive citizens and employees. The Council will strive to achieve this purpose by working together with the principal to develop diverse input, by reviewing the budget ,and focusing on preparation and evaluation of the School Performance Excellence Plan.

II. COUNCIL MEMBERS
A. Composition
The Council will consist of five (5) teachers plus up to four(4) corresponding alternates, (8) eight parents plus up to (4) corresponding alternate ,education support employee, plus an alternate, one (1) student plus an alternate, one (1) business/community representative (appointed by the principal), the UTD designated steward, and the principal. With the exception of the UTD designated steward, all other Council members will be elected by their respective constituent groups by popular vote. Council members will be representative of the ethnic, racial, linguistic, and economic community served. By voting from each of the above mentioned constituent groups, the next in line for a Council seat will be designated as an alternate Council member. Alternated Council members are encouraged to participate in Council meetings and activities.

B. Eligibility
1. All teachers, certified student services personnel, and media specialists are eligible to be elected as educational support personnel to the Council.
2. All other persons employed by the school, including paraprofessionals and those noted defined as instructional or administrative personnel and whose duties require twenty or more working hours each week, are eligible to be elected to represent the education support employees.
3. Any parent or any legal guardian of a student enrolled at H.D. McMillan is eligible to be elected as a parent representative.
4. The Student Government at H.D. McMillan will provide the student representative by the Student Council's president and vice-president being on the EESAC.

 
C. Responsibilities
The Council’s paramount responsibility is to improve student achievement. However, no Council action shall be construed to limit the ability of the principal or a teacher to perform his/her duties and responsibilities as provided for in State Statutes and School Board Rules. In this regard, the principal is identified as the instructional leader. It is understood that the principal will work with the informed support of empowered staff and an enlightened community to articulate, refine and implement a shared vision unique to the needs of H.D. McMillan Middle School. Council members shall:

1. Attend all regular and special meetings. Any member who has (2) consecutive unexcused absences from Council meetings shall be considered to have resigned. An excused absence is defined as prior communication to the chair. An unexcused absence is non-communication with the chair. The member shall be replaced following election/selection procedures as stated in these bylaws.
2. Communicate regularly with respective constituencies to solicit their feedback and to expand consensus building as broadly as possible regarding Council issues.
3. Provide recommendations based on Council decisions using the consensus management approach in those areas that directly impact the delivery of educational programs and services, such as curriculum, budget, discipline, and professional development.
4. Work together with the principal to prepare and evaluate the Howard D. McMillan School’s Performance Excellence Plan.
5. Develop plans to support state goals, to include student performance, learning environment, school safety, teachers and staff, adult literacy, and parental involvement.
6. Develop plans to support and implement M-DCPS Strategic Planning goals to include: early intervention, student achievement, reading and language arts, bilingualism, multicultural education, learning environment, safe schools, professional staff, community partnerships, and technology.
7. Consolidate and implement the respective waiver policies to State Board Rules, Florida Statues, School Board Rules, and the M-DCPS/UTD Labor Contract that adversely affect instruction and the delivery of educational programs, when appropriate.
8. Research and pursue exception relating to State Board Rules, Florida Statues, School Board Rules, and the M-DCPS/UTD Labor Contract that adversely affect instruction and the delivery of educational programs, when appropriate.
9. Foster collaboration with other education stakeholders to develop and implement initiatives designed to improve the school and increase the achievement of all students.

D. Committees
1. Any committee formed will operate as a subcommittee of the Council. Committees that address issues related to the School Performance Excellence Plan are appropriate. All committees must operate according to the “Sunshine Law”, unless they are only fact-finding or gathering information.
2. A committee of officers will be selected by the Council at the first regular meeting following the scheduled annual elections. The Council members will elect a chairperson, one vice-chairperson, and a secretary to serve for (1) year period. At least one (1) teacher and one (1) parent must be elected to serve as officers; the other positions are at large.
3. The Council may create standing sub-committees i.e. budget, discipline, professional development, and curriculum. Members of standing committees do not have to be Council members.
4. Ad hoc committees may be formed from Council or non-Council members to develop specific recommendations for any area, which falls within the scope of the Council purpose statement.
5. The UTD designated steward and the Principal are members of all committees by virtue of their positions. All data will be forwarded for review by the Principal and UTD Steward prior to presentation to the council.
6. Input from non-Council members in attendance at meetings will be included.
 

III. ELECTIONS
Process
1.) Elections will be held in May.
2.) Prior notification to all constituent groups must take place five (5) days in advance.
3.) All council members shall serve for a one (1) year term.

A. Teachers and Education support employees
1.) Members receiving the highest votes tally shall become voting members. There should be five (5) members elected.
2.) Members receiving the next highest vote tallies shall become alternates. There shall be up to four (4) members elected
3.) Ties shall be resolved at this time, there can be no ties.

B. Parents
1.) A Parent member of the current EESAC and the current EESAC
SECRETARY shall hold elections for the parents.
2.) Parents receiving the highest votes tally shall become voting
Members. There should be eight (8) members elected.
3.) Parents receiving the next highest vote tallies shall become
Alternates. There shall be up to four (4) parents elected.
4.) Ties shall be resolved at this time, there can be no ties.

C. Business/community support person
1.) Selected by the Principal

D. Student
1.) The student council elections will declare that the student running for president shall also be the EESAC representative,
2.) The student running for vice-president shall be also be the
EESAC Alternate.

E. Disputes
All disputes arising as to the mechanisms of the elections shall be
Settled by the Principal and current EESAC CHAIR.


IV. MEETINGS
A. Regular Council Meetings
1. Regular council meetings shall be scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month between 8 and 9 a.m. in the H.D. McMillan Middle School's Media Center. This could be modified upon the consensus of the council.
2. Notice of all regular meetings (using the attached form) must be received at the School Board’s Citizen Information Office SBAB, room 158 and be posted in the media center, faculty lounge, and the office lobby at least five days in advance.
3. The EESAC CHAIR shall conduct the meeting. Commence with the review of prior meeting minutes for acceptance or revision by board members. Follow the Agenda.

a) Remove a member from the board due to excessive
non-communicated absenteeism or resignation.
b) In the event an elected position on the board is vacated, the procedure will be to return to the voting results of the annual elections and fill the vacancy with the alternate member who received the highest vote.
c) The selection of the new voting member shall be announced and that person shall immediately assume a voting position on the board.

4. In the event the Chairperson is not available, the Vice-Chair shall assume all responsibilities of the Chair and to include signature of documentation necessary for the continuity of the EESAC and its purposes and its statutory obligations.

a.) Once Chairperson is available the vice chair will then resume his/her previous responsibilities.

5. The EESAC Secretary shall record all meetings; furnish all members copies of the prior meetings for review and acceptance by the board. Shall provide copies of the agenda for all members. Shall tally the votes of all decisions and record how each and every member voted. Shall assist with the annual parent election. Shall maintain custody of all constituent election results.

6. Principal: In the event of the principal’s unavoidable absence, the principal may select a vice- principal as his/her alternate to a meeting and that vice principal will have voting privileges for that meeting.

7. Alternates: In the event of the absence of a voting member, the alternate of his/her constituent group has voting privileges. His /her vote shall be independent of the voting member they are replacing. No proxy votes are allowed.

B. Special Meetings
In addition to regularly scheduled monthly meetings, the Council Chair may call a special meeting following the same notification procedures as with regular meetings.

C. Quorum
For the chairperson to conduct official business, a quorum must be present. A quorum is defined as a majority of the Council members. Additionally, at least one (1) parent and one (1) teacher must be present to constitute a quorum.

D. Cancellations
With the unanimous agreement of the Council officers, the chairperson may reschedule a meeting provided at least three (3) days advanced notice is given to all Council members.

E. Agendas
1. The Council chairperson, in conjunction with the principal, shall ensure that an agenda is prepared and posted in a central location at least five (5) days in advance of any regular meeting.
2. All EESAC members must receive at least (5) days advance notice in writing of any budget disbursement ,procurement, or purchase matter ,that is scheduled to come before the Council for a vote. After a quorum is clearly established and the proposed item(s) are presented and discussed, the vote may be taken. A majority vote by a clearly established quorum at a regular or special meeting will initiate action.
3. Council members may add items to the agenda for any regular meeting by contacting the chairperson at least four (4) days in advance.
4. Non-Council members of any constituency may add agenda items by contacting any member of the Council following the above guideline.

F. Minutes
1. Written minutes of each regular and special meeting shall be maintained as an open, permanent record of the Council’s activities.
2. At a minimum, the minutes shall include the names of those present for the meeting and any decisions made or actions taken by the Council.
3. A rough draft of the minutes will be available in the principal's office. Minutes of each meeting will be read and approved at the subsequent meeting.
4. Copies of the approved minutes shall be maintained by the school as a public record. In addition, a copy of the minutes of every meeting as of July 1, 2002, will be posted electronically by the school on the Internet. Information regarding this process will be forthcoming via memorandum.

V. DECISIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Consensus
1. All Council decisions to initiate action will be made using the consensus management approach in which alls stakeholders involved (i.e., school board, students, parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, and community) will identify priorities, make recommendations, and find solutions that will address the improvement of student achievement in a collaborative manner.
2. All decisions/recommendations made by the Council should directly impact the delivery of educational programs, be tied to one or more strategies of the H.D. McMillan School Improvement Plan and support State/District goals. The Council should make budget recommendations that address specific objectives outlined in the School Performance Excellence Plan.
3. For this Council, majority is defined as one half of those members present at a schedule meeting plus one. It is understood that the most essential ingredient of successful consensus decision-making is the orally expressed willingness of the minority to support the majority decision, i.e., “I can live with and support the majority decision.”
4. Written minority or dissenting opinions submitted to the Council will be attached to the Council minutes. Council recommendations will be forwarded to/through the appropriate administrators, in writing, for action/or response.

B. Status Reports
The status of actions/responses to Council decisions/recommendations will be rendered at the next regular Council meeting by the Council chair or other person, as appropriate.

VI. AMENDMENTS
A. Proposals
Proposed amendments /revisions to these by-laws must be made to the Chairperson in writing, and placed on the agenda for a regular meeting. At the appointed meeting with a quorum clearly established, the proposed amendments/revisions will be presented , discussed and voted upon.

B. Adopting
Amendments/revisions will become part of the by-laws immediately following a majority vote as Outlined in VI Section A.

C. Reviews
Council by-laws will be reviewed annually at the first meeting following the last school term each year to familiarize the new members and to identify possible needed revisions.