Constitution

"To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized--this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life" (White, Education, 1903, pp. 15, 16).

PHILOSOPHY

We believe it our privilege and duty to provide Christian education for our children in order to encourage their spiritual, social, intellectual, and physical development. Christian education promotes the restoration of students to the image of their Maker. Christian education teaches the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship and respect for the value of individuals as it prepares students for service to God, church, community, and country. Christian education supports scholastic excellence by developing the ability to think creatively. Christian education instructs in useful skills and assists students in learning and applying basic principles of healthful living.

Therefore, we seek to provide the following essentials for quality Christian education:

1. A combination of efforts from the home, church, and school in the education of youth toward a self-surrendered relationship with God, the joy of Christian service in this world, and the delight of life in the world to come.

2. A safe social structure characterized by a strong home base that supports all four aspects of education, fosters kind regard for the safety and welfare of all, adheres to a sensible disciplinary policy, and promotes a strong bond of unity with members of our church family.

3. An ample inventory of up-to-date teaching and learning resources in a functional and secure learning center. The school environment includes a sequential plan of instruction that promotes solid intellectual growth in all elementary subjects. School resources are organized to foster a cheerful and enthusiastic disposition toward learning.

4. A studied effort to promote and practice a healthful lifestyle.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist School is to educate children in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ, so that they, in turn, can emulate Him in their own personal commitments and in their relationships with family, church, community, and world.

PURPOSE

In order to assure the children of constituent churches an education consonant with the purposes and ideals expressed above, we, the members of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church, have established an Education Program and have set forth these articles of constitution and by-laws.

ARTICLE I

Nomenclature

For the purposes of this constitution the term Education Program refers to the multifaceted educational approach devised by the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church to educate its children and youth in ways coherent with the philosophy stated above. The term Education Board refers to the governing body for the church's Education Program. School refers to the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist School. Home school refers to Seventh-day Adventist children and their parents engaged in home school activities. Public school students refers to Seventh-day Adventist young people or children from Seventh-day Adventist homes enrolled in local public schools. Away-from-home students refers to church-related young people who are attending academies, colleges, or universities in locations other than the Grand Traverse geographical area. Constituency refers to the membership of the constituent church(es).

ARTICLE II

Education Program

Section I - Name and Location

The school covered by this constitution and by-laws shall be called the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist School. It is located at 2055-B Four Mile Road North, Traverse City, Michigan 49686.

Section II - Constituent Churches, Membership

The constituency of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Education Program shall consist of the members of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church and members of other Seventh-day Adventist churches which may be added in a manner provided for in this instrument.

ARTICLE III

The Education Program Constituency

The Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church and such other area Seventh-day Adventist churches as choose to join this constituency by a procedure described below shall be known as the constituent churches.

Section I - Provision for Affiliation

Other Seventh-day Adventist churches wishing to join this constituency must approve these articles of constitution and by-laws via their church boards' favorable recommendation and their being accepted by said church(es) in a duly called business meeting. Application of said church(es) must then be approved by the current constituency at a duly called meeting of its members. After receiving approval, a church shall be known as a constituent church.

Section II - Provision for Withdrawing from Affiliation

The church board of a constituent church wishing to withdraw from this constituency shall give written notice to the Education Board of its intended action by January 15 of the current year. Such withdrawal shall take effect on July 1 of that same year.

Section III - Meetings

An annual constituency meeting shall be called in the spring of each year by the Education Board to conduct any business pertaining to the constituency. Bulletin notices of scheduled constituency meetings must be given for the two (2) Sabbaths prior to each meeting.

ARTICLE IV

Board of Control

The Education Board shall be the governing board of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Education Program. It shall operate the Education Program in accordance with the provisions of this constitution and by-laws and in harmony with the policies and recommendations of the Michigan, Lake Union, and General Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists.

Section I - Education Board Membership

The Education Board shall consist of ten or eleven (10 or 11) members: (three [3] "ex officio" members and seven or eight [7 or 8] regular members). "Ex officio" members shall be the Pastor of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Principal of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist School, and the Leader of the Home and School Association. These "ex officio" members shall have voting privileges. All elected members are elected for three (3) year terms. The Chairperson of the Board and the Home and School Leader are elected through the regular election process of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Nominating Committee of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church selects the Chairperson of the Education Board. The Chairperson serves as Chairperson for two (2) years as part of his or her three (3) year term. The Nominating Committee of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church also selects the Home and School Leader. The Home and School Leader serves a two (2) year term. If the Home and School Leader also is a member of the Education Board, she or he completes the other one (1) year of the regular term. Necessary exceptions to this process of selection are made on a case-by-case basis.

Other "ex officio" members shall include members of the Education Departments of the Michigan and Lake Union Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. These officials do not have voting privileges.

Should other churches join the constituency the first paragraph in this section shall become null and void. Education Board membership then shall include the pastors of constituent churches, the principal of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist School, and the President of the Home and School Association. Other members shall consist of four (4) from the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church, and three (3) from each of the other constituent churches. The Chairperson of the Education Board shall be chosen from the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Section II - Tenure, Vacancies, and Absences

The regular term of office shall be three (3) years. Terms shall be staggered to ensure continuity. Thus, churches joining the constituency will be expected to elect one (1) member for a one year term, one member for a two (2) year term, and one (1) member for a three (3) year term.

Vacancies that occur during a term of office shall be filled by the constituent church for which the vacancy occurs and only for the remainder of that term. If an Education Board member ceases to be a member of the constituent church that elected him/her, his/her seat on the Education Board shall be considered vacant.

Regular attendance at Education Board meetings is the responsibility of each member. After three (3) consecutive absences from regular Education Board meetings, the Education Board Chairperson will notify the respective Church Board in writing of its representative's delinquency.

Section III - Officers

Education Board officers shall consist of a chairperson, vice-chairperson, treasurer, and secretary. The Chairperson shall be elected by the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Principal always fills the position of Secretary.

The Board Vice-chairperson and Treasurer shall be elected by the Education Board at its first (July) meeting of the new fiscal year.

Section IV - Meetings

Regular Education Board meetings shall be held monthly and shall be announced in the church bulletins of the constituent churches.

All meetings are open to attendance by any member of the constituency with the exception of those times when the Education Board finds it necessary to meet in executive session. Non-board members will be excused during executive sessions but may return when the executive session ends. The Education Board must return to a general session before adjournment.

Constituent members attending Education Board meetings may observe but may not participate in either discussion or voting. Members wishing to address the Education Board shall make prior arrangements with the Chairperson by the Wednesday preceding a regular meeting.

ARTICLE V

Financial Obligations

Assessments for present and future general operating and building expenses of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist School shall be pro-rated among constituent churches by the following methods:

1. Assessments do not include tuition payments.

2. One-third (1/3) of the assessment shall be calculated according to number of students enrolled from each constituent church; one-third (1/3) based on amounts of tithe income from each constituent church; one third (1/3) on the number of members in each constituent church.

3. In calculating assessments, the Education Board shall use the most recent figures available. Student enrollment shall be counted on the fourth Friday of a school year. Tithe income and numbers of church members shall be obtained from statistics submitted by the constituent churches to the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Enrollment figures may be adjusted on October 1, January 1, and April 1 of each school year.

4. Financial assessments shall be approved by each constituent church and shall cover a period of twelve (12) months.

5. The Education Board shall submit a proposed school budget for the following year to the Finance Committee of each constituent church in the spring of the current school year.

6. Upon request, any constituent may receive a statement of the financial status of the school as presented at the previous month's Education Board meeting.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I

The Education Board

The Education Board shall oversee the functions of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church's Education Program and enact policies in harmony with the policies and recommendations of the Department of Education of the Michigan Conference, the Lake Union Conference, and the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.

Section I - Qualifications of Education Board Members

Because the Education Board is an important organization in the local church, its members shall be chosen with great care. Persons should be chosen in harmony with the guidelines found in the current Lake Union Conference Handbook for School Board Members, to the degree that it applies to the local educational situation.

Section II - Quorum

A quorum of the Education Board shall consist of not less than a simple majority of the Education Board members currently serving, including at least two Education Board officers.

Section III - Vote of the Education Board

A voted action of the Education Board shall require a simple majority of the elected members present except as provided for elsewhere in these articles of constitution and by-laws.

Section IV - Duties of the Education Board

The Education Board shall coordinate efforts and activities on behalf of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist School, home school families, church-related public school students, and church-related students who are away from home.

The Education Board shall fulfill these duties on behalf of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist School:

1. Determine general operating policies for the school and update them as necessary.

2. Authorize the expenditure of funds for the operation of the school and other components of the Education Program.

3. Function in decision-making capacity only in official session. Individual Board members shall have no authority aside from that exercised during an official session or that delegated during an official session.

4. Support the principal in her/his administration of the school program.

5. Form committees and appoint personnel as necessary to assist in Education Board functions.

6. Select faculty with counsel from the Education Department of the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and the Principal.

7. Employ non-teaching personnel required to staff the school, in counsel with the Principal.

8. Do preliminary planning for capital improvements for presentation to the constituency.

9. Approve the school calendar.

10. Act as final authority in matters of discipline.

11. Fix the salary/wages of all non-teaching personnel.

12. Foster and support the Home and School Association.

The Education Board shall fulfill these duties on behalf of home school students:

1. Assess the needs of local home school children.

2. Provide a home school support system that includes access to such items as field trips, music and art classes, involvement in school programs, resources such as the school library, consultation with a teacher, service projects, and Home and School Association activities.

3. Foster a cooperative spirit between school, teacher, and home school families.

4. Provide training for home school parents in such areas as regulations, grade specific needs, home school philosophy, appropriate resources, and putting education into a Bible-based mode.

The Education Board shall fulfill these duties on behalf of church-related public school students:

1. Help church-related public school students gain access to Adventist educational facilities.

2. Encourage group support, group problem solving, sharing, and cooperation.

The Education Board shall fulfill these duties on behalf of church-related students who are away from home:

1. Maintain a roster of away-from-home students.

2. Encourage church members, church school students, and Sabbath School departments to communicate with away-from-home students.

3. Make sure that away-from-home students who are in non-Adventist schools receive Dialogue subscriptions.

4. Help church-related young people attend Seventh-day Adventist schools whenever possible and appropriate.

ARTICLE II

Duties and Responsibilities of the Education Board Chairperson

The Education Board Chairperson shall:

1. Schedule and call Education Board meetings, prepare agenda for meetings, and preside over meetings. The Chairperson shall facilitate discussion, making sure that each board member has an opportunity to share his/her views. The Chairperson shall use parliamentary procedure when conducting meetings.

2. Follow denominational policies and guidelines related to Seventh-day Adventist church schools.

3. Act as administrative advisor to the Principal but allow the Principal to manage the school. Stand together with the Principal in representing the school to the public.

4. Act as the primary liaison between the school and the churches that comprise the constituency. Keep two-way channels of communication open. Offer strong support to every facet of the Education Program.

5. Communicate the purpose, activities, and achievements of the school in both community and church media.

ARTICLE III

Duties and Responsibilities of the Education Board Vice-Chairperson

The Vice-Chairperson shall act in the place of the Chairperson in the event of his/her absence or disability. He/she shall also assume such duties as are assigned by the Education Board Chairperson or the Education Board.

ARTICLE IV

Duties and Responsibilities of the Education Board Secretary

The Secretary/Principal shall:

1. Keep a record of each Education Board meeting in a permanent record book. (The Education Board may appoint a recording secretary from the membership of the Board if requested to do so by the Secretary.)

2. Send a duplicate approved report to the Education Department of the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists by the tenth (10th) of each month.

3. Handle all correspondence and official business for the Education Board.

4. File the dates of the regular Education Board meetings with the Department of Education of the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists following the first meeting of each school year.

ARTICLE V

Duties and Responsibilities of the Education Board Treasurer

The Treasurer shall:

1. Account for all funds entrusted to him/her and submit all accounts to the designated Conference Treasurer for audit.

2. Keep an accurate account of all receipts and expenditures pertaining to the operation of the school, including Home and School funds.

3. Be responsible for the monthly billing of parents and guardians for tuition expense and of constituent churches for operating subsidies.

4. With the principal, prepare and maintain a current inventory of all school property.

5. Submit a financial statement at each of the regularly called Education Board meetings and constituency meetings.

6. Dispense all school funds in harmony with the provisions of the budget and with the action of the Education Board.

7. Serve as a member to the Church Finance Committee of each constituent church when it deals with school finances.

8. Prepare and send all necessary reports as well as an annual financial audit to the Department of Education of the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

ARTICLE VI

Duties and Responsibilities of the Principal

The Principal shall:

1. Represent the school as its official spokesperson to the patrons of the school, to the Education Board, to the press, and to the public.

2. Have authority to suspend any student engaged in gross misconduct or continual insubordination to the school organization and/or regulations as defined in the School Handbook. This power shall be exercised after consultation with either the School Board Chairperson or the pastor of the constituent church involved or a member of the Department of Education of the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

3. Call regular meetings of the faculty.

4. Bring grievances and recommendations of faculty members to the Education Board at the earliest possible meeting.

5. Cooperate with the Education Board in the protection, care, and maintenance of all school property entrusted to her/him. She/he shall keep the Education Board advised of necessary repairs and/or replacements, custodial services required for proper health and sanitation, new equipment needs, and all other items necessary to meet accepted school standards.

6. Maintain an adequate system of school records.

7. In a timely fashion, render all reports required by the Department of Education, both of the Michigan Conference and of the State of Michigan.

8. When needed, counsel with and assist faculty members with problems of orientation, perplexing disciplinary items or in any other items affecting the progress or general welfare of the school.

9. Arrange for the ordering of school supplies and submit a copy of all orders to the Treasurer of the Education Board.

10. Implement policies and actions of the Education Board.

11. Provide spiritual and educational leadership in harmony with the principles of this constitution.

12. Participate in the selection of teachers.

13. Organize the faculty and school staff and assign duties necessary to the operation of the school.

14. Suggest revisions of general policies.

15. Organize the curriculum and the school calendar. Schedule all school activities in consultation with the Education Board.

16. Serve as an "ex officio" member of all school committees.

17. Render monthly reports of the school program and related matters to the Education Board.

18. Administer the school within the budget voted by the constituency.

19. Maintain student morale and discipline.

20. Monitor the adequacy of insurance coverage and inform the Education Board of any needs. She/he will also process all property insurance claims.

ARTICLE VII

Duties and Responsibilities of Teachers

Teachers shall:

1. Implement the principles of the school's philosophy in their teaching programs.

2. Assist in implementing the policies and actions of the Education Board as the Principal directs.

ARTICLE VIII

The Home and School Association

Section I - Purpose

The purpose of the Home and School Association is to unite the home, school, and church in their efforts to provide a Seventh-day Adventist Christian education for their families.

The Home and School officers, the faculty, and the Education Board shall work in close harmony to promote the school program and to improve the quality of education by upgrading resources, equipment, and facilities.

Section II - Membership

Membership in the Home and School Association shall consist of the members of the constituent church(es) and parents and guardians of students currently enrolled.

Section III - Officers

When the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church is the only church in the constituency, the officers of the Home and School Association shall consist of the Association Leader from the Traverse City Church. This Leader of the Home and School Association shall be elected by the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church at the time of its election. When more than one church comprises the constituency of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist School, the officers of the Home and School Association shall consist of a Home and School Association Leader from each church and a President. Each church that joins the constituency will elect its own Home and School Association Leader. The Home and School Association will elect a President from among these Leaders. This President will represent the Association on the Education Board.

Section IV - Qualifications and Duties of the Home and School Association Leader/President

The Leader/President of the Home and School Association shall be a Seventh-day Adventist with experience and success in dealing with children, whose mind is open to new ideas, who is apt to teach, and who believes in the importance of parent education. It is the Leader/President's duty to promote the education of parents and to lead in the studies outlined by the Parent and Home section of the manual offered by the Department of Education of the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist church, and to lead in all activities which the Association may undertake.

ARTICLE IX

Use of School Facilities

Any use of school facilities by church groups other than those relating to the school itself or to Sabbath morning meetings of Sabbath Schools designated by the Church Board may take place only after permission for said use is granted by the Education Board Chairperson and/or the Principal.

Any group using the school facilities is responsible for restoring the school to its prior condition before the next school day.

ARTICLE X

Amendments

Either the Education Board or a constituent church in a duly called business meeting may submit amendments to the constitution or by-laws. The Education Board may vote by a two thirds (2/3) majority to recommend to the constituent church(es) that these articles of constitution and by-laws be amended. Amendments originated by a constituent church must be submitted in writing to the Chairperson of the Education Board. The Education Board Chairperson must present proposed amendment(s) in writing to the constituency. The proposed amendments then may be accepted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the attending members of all constituent churches in duly called separate church business meetings, or by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the attending constituents meeting together in a duly called constituency meeting.

ARTICLE XI

Ratification

These articles of constitution and by-laws shall be approved by the Education Board of the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church and then be presented to the Traverse City Seventh-day Adventist Church for approval. Approval shall be by a two (2/3) vote of the members present. Approval of these articles of constitution and by-laws shall render null and void any and all previous articles of constitution and by-laws.

Updated January 23, 1988

Updated May, 1993

Updated May 14, 2001

Updated April 20, 2003

Updated May 27, 2003

To report any technical or content problems contact Kerry Kelly by e-mail or call 231-228-4050