2024-2025 MEMBERS
Lorrie Shadowen - Principal/Chair
Shayla O'Brien - Teacher
Monica Bayer - Teacher
Jessica Breedlove - Teacher
Mallory Newton- Teacher
Tenia Barr - Parent / Sarah Edwards -Parent

What is the School-Based Decision Making Council?
A Site-Based Decision Making Council (SBDM) governs each school. Membership of the council includes 2 parents, 3 teachers and 1 administrator of the school. The council has the responsibility to set school policy and make decisions outlined in statute which shall provide an environment to enhance student achievement and help meet the goals established in KRS 158.645 and KRS 158.6451

How long do members serve in their elected positions?
Terms for all members run annually from July 1 to June 30. Teachers are elected annually by their peers. The elected teacher names must be given to the council by June 1. Parents are elected annually, during the proceeding April, on a date set by the largest parent organization serving the school. The elected parent names must be given to the council by June 1.

What training is required?
SBDM training required under shall be conducted by trainers endorsed by the Department of Education. Members elected for the first time shall complete a minimum of 5 clock hours of training in the process of school-based decision making, no later than thirty (30) days after the beginning of the service year for which they are elected to serve. Individuals who have served on a council before and have completed the initial six hours of training-must complete 3 hours of additional training no later than one hundred twenty (120) after the beginning of the service year for which they are elected to serve.

Are there any other requirements?
All school council parent members must submit, in addition to state and national criminal background checks by the Kentucky State Police and the FBI, a letter from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services stating that the parent member has no findings of substantiated child abuse and neglect.

Kentucky Law Regarding SBDMs
Kentucky's laws are known as the Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS). KRS 160.345 is the primary statute pertaining to a school council's work. All of Kentucky's statutes can be found on the Legislative Research Commision's (LRC) website.

Benton Elementary School