Governance & Accountability – Public Documents
Governance Structure of Yuba River Charter School
The operating bodies of the school are the YRCS Board of Directors, the school administration, the Faculty, and the Parent Council. YRCS has established itself as a California nonprofit 501 (c)(3) nonprofit public benefit organization. YRCS is sponsored as a County-Wide Benefit Charter by the Nevada County Office of Education and Nevada County Superintendent of Schools. The Charter School operates autonomously from the County, with the exception of the County’s supervisory oversight as required by statute and other contracted services as negotiated between the County and the Charter School.
The day-to-day-work of the school is performed by the School administration and the Faculty with the Parent Council having an advisory role. The Board of Directors has the final responsibility and is accountable for the school and its operations.
Board of Directors
YRCS is governed by a Board of Directors (aka “Board”) with three parent representatives, three teacher representatives and up to three community members, chosen in accordance with the bylaws of the YRCS. The board meets on a monthly basis throughout the year and is an open public meeting.
The Board is the entity which is held accountable for the operation of the school. It is the responsibility of the Board to develop policies and put them in writing, so they serve as guidelines and goals for the successful and efficient functioning of the school. It will annually evaluate and update its policies.
2023-24 YRCS Board Members Directory
The Board’s functions include:
- Overseeing that the school’s program and operation are faithful to the terms of its charter, bylaws, policies, and its mission statement;
- Adopting policies that further clarify and assist in maintaining the YRCS Mission and Educational Program;
- Ensuring that the school’s academic programs are successful. All YRCS academic programs are evaluated and reviewed annually by the Board. Evaluations are used to determine the effectiveness of the programs and provide direction for improvements;
- Ensuring that the school is financially solvent by planning and budgeting to meet the school’s goals;
- Hiring the School Director and evaluating his/her performance yearly;
- Approving the hiring and termination of staff;
- Evaluating the school’s effectiveness by monitoring staff, parent, and student perspectives.
- Creating, serving on, and appointing people to necessary committees;
- Developing strategic planning and approving short and long term goals;
- Providing board orientation to all members, which includes introduction to the school and curriculum, classroom visits, and a binder of policies and information.
Board of Directors Agendas and Minutes
School Administration
The Director shall represent the school administration and shall report directly to the Board.
Some of the Administration’s duties are to:
- Ensure the school’s educational program meets county, state, and federal goals for academic performance;
- Assist and coordinate with faculty ongoing student assessment and evaluation tools;
- Oversee student admissions, attendance, and student records;
- Oversee special education program;
- Prepare the School Academic Report Card annually;
- Establish procedures to carry out the policies adopted by the Board;
- Evaluate and implement school safety plans;
- Supervise and evaluate annually all employees of the school;
- Compile hiring committees that include all stakeholders to oversee the hiring of all faculty and staff;
- Be the direct liaison between YRCS and Nevada County Superintendent of Schools (NCSoS);
- Be the direct liaison between YRCS and the community;
- Annually prepare and submit a budget to the Board;
- Maintain appropriate fiscal and program records necessary for annual audits;
- Propose to the council policies for discussion and possible adoption by the Board;
- Oversee formal Disagreements and Complaints according to policy;
- Support Board functions such as preparing agendas, board packets, and record keeping;
- Participate with the Faculty in ongoing curriculum training in alignment with the Mission and Educational Program, so as to provide effective, informed oversight.
Faculty
The class teachers, who constitute the faculty, provide the day-to-day teaching of the children and as a group are the primary resources of the school. The faculty and support staff, including specialty teachers and classified paraprofessionals, shall report to the school administration. Some of the duties of the faculty are:
- The Faculty, working with the Administration, is responsible for the curricular development and implementation;
- The Faculty, working with the Administration, will assist and coordinate ongoing student assessment and evaluation tools;
- Participate in ongoing curriculum and pedagogical training in alignment with the Mission and Educational Program;
- The Faculty will work with parents in the creation and development of special activities of the school;
- The Faculty will provide active, representative participation in each sphere of YRCS governance through appointment of liaisons;
- The Faculty will promote the school’s mission and goals by fostering parent-teacher communication. Faculty members will hold regular class meetings and participate in the life of the school, including festivals, celebrations, outreach activities, and parent education seminars;
- The Faculty will serve as advocates for students and connect them to support services, activities, and opportunities. Faculty members will be cognizant of behavioral or academic changes in students that may warrant further attention.
Parent Council
YRCS serves the needs of the children and their families. The Parent Council represents and is an advocate for all parents of YRCS, referred to collectively as the Parent Body. They meet on a monthly basis during the school year and:
- Serve as the ears and voice of the parent body to the Faculty, Administration and Board of Directors;
- Coordinate and/or sponsor parent education, outreach, festivals, various committees, clubs, and other activities that contribute to the life of the school;
- Coordinate class and all-school fundraising activities and oversee the allocation and disbursement of funds that have been raised with oversight from the Business Manager;
- Provide for the support of the sports program;
- Selects parent member to the Hiring Committee;
- Organizes and oversees the election of parent representatives to the Board of Directors;
- Operates under and reports to the Board of Directors.
- Read more about the Role and Mission of the Parent Council……..
Parent Council Meeting Schedule:
Committees
At YRCS committees play a vital role in the running and operation of the school. Administrative committees support school functions that involve accountability and collaboration within the school community on administrative issues such as hiring and finances. Below is a listing of both standing and ad hoc committees. More……
Accountability and Public Documents
Charter, Governance, Strategic Planning, and Fiscal Documentation:
Yuba River Charter School Charter Petition
YRCS Board of Directors By-laws
Local Control and Accountability (LCAP):
2024 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) 2024-27
State and Federal Grant Funding Expenditure Plans:
2021 Educator Effectiveness Block Grant Plan
2021 Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant (ELO-G) Plan
2021_Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Expenditure Plan
2021_Expanded_Learning_Opportunities_Program (ELO-P)_Plan
Arts and Music Proposition 28 Expenditure Plan
24-25 Education Protection Account (EPA) Spending-Plan
Accountability: Student Academics and Safety:
2023_School Accountability Report Card YRCS
School Accountability Report Card Archive
YRCS COVID SAFETY AND PREVENTION PLAN, FOR IN PERSON INSTRUCTION (YRCS’S CPP, IPP & CSP)
Bullying Flow chart and Bullying Prevention Plan
Public Employment:
Student Mental Health Services
If you need access to student mental health services, please contact school psychologist Grace McIntosh at (530) 264-0422 or gmcintosh@nevcocsa.org or consult this link for access to County services.
Title IX Compliance
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education (ED).
Discrimination on the basis of sex is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. This includes discrimination based on pregnancy or parental status; sex stereotypes (such as treating persons differently because they do not conform to sex-role expectations or because they are attracted to or are in relationships with persons of the same sex); and gender identity or transgender status.
Programs or activities that receive ED funds must provide aids, benefits or services in a nondiscriminatory manner in an environment free from discriminatory harassment that limits educational opportunities. Such aids, benefits or services may include, but are not limited to, admissions, recruitment, financial aid, academic programs, student treatment and services, counseling and guidance, discipline, classroom assignment, grading, vocational education, recreation, physical education, athletics, and housing.
At Yuba River Charter School, our designated Title IX Coordinator is our Business Manager, Karin Meadows. Please contact Karin with any questions or concerns, and refer to the below procedure for filing official complaints.
How to File a Title IX Discrimination Complaint with our school Title IX Coordinator:
Fill out this quick form and our coordinator, Karin Meadows, will respond accordingly:
Title IX and other similar complaint topics
For California Department of Education Title IX Resource page, click here
How to file online with the Office for Civil Rights: You may file a complaint with OCR using OCR’s electronic complaint form at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html.
Mail or Facsimile: You may mail or send by facsimile information to the address or phone number available at this link. You may use OCR’s Discrimination Complaint Form or write your own letter.
Email: You may email OCR’s Discrimination Complaint Form or your own signed letter to ocr@ed.gov.