Article 7. Community Advisory Committee of California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 30. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 7.

Each plan submitted under Section 56195.1 shall establish a community advisory committee. The committee shall serve only in an advisory capacity.

The members of the community advisory committee shall be appointed by, and responsible to, the governing board of each participating district or county office, or any combination thereof participating in the local plan. Appointment shall be in accordance with a locally determined selection procedure that is described in the local plan. Where appropriate, this procedure shall provide for selection of representatives of groups specified in Section 56192 by their peers. Such procedure shall provide that terms of appointment are for at least two years and are annually staggered to ensure that no more than one half of the membership serves the first year of the term in any one year.

The community advisory committee shall be composed of parents of individuals with exceptional needs enrolled in public or private schools, parents of other pupils enrolled in school, pupils and adults with disabilities, regular education teachers, special education teachers and other school personnel, representatives of other public and private agencies, and persons concerned with the needs of individuals with exceptional needs.

At least the majority of such committee shall be composed of parents of pupils enrolled in schools participating in the local plan, and at least a majority of such parents shall be parents of individuals with exceptional needs.

The community advisory committee shall have the authority and fulfill the responsibilities that are defined for it in the local plan. The responsibilities shall include, but need not be limited to, all the following:
  (a) Advising the policy and administrative entity of the special education local plan area regarding the development, amendment, and review of the local plan. The entity shall review and consider comments from the community advisory committee.
  (b) Recommending annual priorities to be addressed by the plan.
  (c) Assisting in parent education and in recruiting parents and other volunteers who may contribute to the implementation of the plan.
  (d) Encouraging community involvement in the development and review of the local plan.
  (e) Supporting activities on behalf of individuals with exceptional needs.
  (f) Assisting in parent awareness of the importance of regular school attendance.