Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) 

PTO stands for Parent Teacher Organization. The  PTO is a nonprofit group comprised of parents, teachers, and staff dedicated to improving the educational experience of all students.  Our goals are to encourage interaction between family and school, serve as a source of support, and work with teachers, staff, and the community at large to improve our children’s educational experience. The PTO works closely with the school administration to meet this goal.  

School Improvement Council (SIC)

About the SIC

The Nursery Road Elementary School Improvement Council (NRES-SIC) serves as an advisory committee to the principal and faculty. Unlike the PTO and other voluntary school organizations, the NRES-SIC is mandated by law. The NRES-SIC plays a key role in the education of our children by bringing together parents, teachers and community stakeholders to collaborate on the improvement of our school.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
Helen Keller

What the SIC Does

1.Participates in the development and implementation of the five-year school improvement plan.
2.Assists in monitoring and evaluating the school's success in reaching the plan's goals and objectives.
3.Assists with the annual report to parents about the schools progress.
4.Assists with the narrative for the annual School Report Card.
5.Advises on the use of school incentive awards and provides assistance as requested by the principal.

The School Improvement Council does not have any of the powers and duties reserved by the local school board.

Who is Eligible

Almost anyone is eligible to serve on the NRES-SIC; to include parents, teachers, business partners, and community leaders. A willingness to serve and the availability to attend council meetings is all that is required.

The average council size is about 12 members; two thirds must be elected parents, students and teachers. The remaining third is appointed by the principal, careful to ensure a broad representation of the larger school community including non-parent taxpayers with a special expertise or perspective.

The principal serves as an ex-officio member as do a variety of other people by virtue of their position at the school. Ex-officio members may include the PTO president, volunteer coordinator, business partners, Teacher of the Year, and last year's SIC Chair; the number of Ex- officio members depends on the school's needs.

Elections

NRES-SIC nominations and elections will be held in the Spring. Those interested in serving on the NRES-SIC may either be nominated or may self-nominate. The nomination form and information about the election process will be distributed to parents with the Champion Chatter. During the nomination period, forms will also be available in the Main Office and on the NRES-SIC web site.

Once the nomination period ends, a ballot of candidates will be sent home with students. During the election period, parents will select their candidate(s) and return the ballot to school with their student or directly to the main office.

Elected individuals will be notified and the election results will be printed in the upcoming Champion Chatter and posted on the NRES-SIC web site.

 Terms

Elected members are required by law to serve a minimum two-year term. Appointed members of the community are requested to commit to one year at a time, but are encouraged to serve for two years just like elected members.

It is imperative that council members be able to regularly attend monthly meetings.

Training

School Improvement Council member training is available and is provided by the South Carolina School Improvement Council and generally occurs in the month of November.

More information about the South Carolina School Improvement Council and available training can be found at sic.sc.gov.