BOARD/COMMISSION:  MN State Academy for the Blind Site Council

The active membership of the MSAB Site Council shall consist of nine (9) individuals, each representing one of the following stakeholder groups:

A. Parents of current students at MSAB– 2 representatives (Open appointment)

*It is encouraged that this is split between the Multiple Challenges (MCC) department and the Academic department. *

B. MSAB Students – 1 representative (Direct appointment by the MSAB Student Council)

C. MSAB Teacher – 1 representative (SRSEA) (Direct appointment from the teachers)

D. MSAB Student Life Program– 1 representative (AFSCME) (Direct appointment from the Student Life staff)

E. MSAB Paraprofessionals – 1 representative (AFSCME) (Direct appointment from the paraprofessionals)

F. Shared and Student Support Services (Student Support Services; Fiscal Services; Food Services; Health Services; Human Resources; Interpreter Services; and Physical Plant Operations) – 1 representative (AFSCME/SRSEA/MAPE/MNA) (Direct appointment from the staff in those departments) 

G. MSAB alumni/Blind Community - 1 representative (Open appointment)

H. Deafblind community – 1 representative (Open appointment)

Ex Officio Representatives:

A. External Stakeholder Organizations:

    a. National Federation of the Blind – 1 representative (Direct appointment)

     b. American Council of the Blind – 1 representative (Direct appointment)

    c. State Services for the Blind – 1 representative (Direct appointment)

B. Education Resources

    a. Minnesota Department of Education – 1 representative (if available)

C. Administration – (i.e., Superintendent, Director of MSAB, Director of Student Support Services; Director of Curriculum and Educational Programs; Director of Student Life; Director of Community Engagement)

Ex-officio representatives do not count towards quorum for meetings. 

The duties of the MSAB Site Council shall be to develop and promote current and long-term goals and activities of MSA and its students. The Council shall seek input from all stakeholder groups and may give advice on any issue. The MSAB Site Council shall follow all applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, with emphasis on adhering to Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law. The MSAB Site Council shall, as appropriate, be involved with and support joint MSAB/MSAD projects. 

Decision-Making Parameters:

A. The final authority over the MSAB Site Council is the Board of the Minnesota State Academies.

B. The Site Council is available to the school administration and the Board of the Minnesota State Academies as a tool for the collection of information, recommendations regarding policy, and other projects as needed.

C. Goals of the site council will be presented to the school administration and the MSA Board for review whenever possible.

D. The Site Council is not a policy making body; however, discussions may occur, and recommendations may come to the Board of the Minnesota State Academies for consideration. The Site Council must work with the superintendent before bringing recommendations to the Board.

E. The Board of the Minnesota State Academies is ultimately responsible for setting the work plan of the Site Council.

The Site Council supports a unified approach in the work of the two academies and realizes that opposing agendas are counterproductive.