North Springs Charter School of Arts and Sciences - Student Government

Student Government

At the end of the 2005-2006 school year, members of the North Springs Student Council, a facet of the Student Government, set forth to rewrite the constitution of the student government to better serve the students. The changes were implemented for the elections for the following school year, and the new student government began operating on the new constitution in mid-2006. The new constitution called for a reorganization of the existing student government. Concepts were borrowed from student governments across the nation to create a state-of-the-art student governing body. One of the main focuses outlined in the constitution was the concept of student advocacy. New branches of the student government were created and old branches were reorganized.

Under the 2006 constitution, the Student Government Association (SGA) was organized. It includes four branches of government.

• The Student Council, creating a body of students made up of a representative from each advisement (homeroom) and club presidents.

• A Student Court to review appeals on honor code violations, parking permits, and other minor disciplinary infractions. Students wishing to have rulings reviewed submit a case form for review by five student judges and two faculty judges to make recommendations on. Though the rulings hold no power, the administration gets a report on and the recommendation about the case. Recent cases have led to the court giving recommendations concerning controversial school policies (such as absences on days that students are taking AP exams and permitting personal laptops), to which the administration has heeded in some cases.

• Four class councils were kept intact by the constitution and duties for each were outlined in the new constitution. The fourth branch of government was patterned after the original student council concept.

• The Executive Council is the main governing body of the SGA with officers that oversee the other facets of the government. Officers include the president, vice president, treasurer (who keeps a book known as "the big book" that contains helpful information and tips for years to come), secretary, an Officer of Student Court Affairs (OSCA) (who is a liaison between the Executive Council and Student Court), and a Spartan Officer of Spirit (SOS) (who is in charge of all spirit activities). The council also includes a maximum of five representatives from each grade. The Executive Council oversees a lot of activities and is in charge of student advocacy. They act as a liaison between faculty, administration, and students. The Executive Council sponsors monthly "Town Hall" meetings where the student population is invited to share ideas and concerns. Also under the new constitution, new disciplinary measures were created to ensure the council runs smoothly.