The Staff and Administration

The staff and administration includes all the classroom teachers, our administrative assistant, custodian, business manager, and the director. The staff and administration are responsible for the care of your children on a daily basis and the daily operations of the school.

The Board of Trustees

This board is made up of between three and seven current and former parent members who have been a member of the co-op for at least one full school year. These parent members are annually elected or appointed by the Steering Committee.

This board oversees the schools long-term obligations. They have the authority to enter into leases/licenses and assume debt on behalf of the school. The Board of Trustees advises the Steering Committee each year of the requirements for meeting the long- term obligations of the school (i.e., the cost of rent and debt).

The Steering Committee

The Steering Committee currently consists of parent members who are elected annually to oversee the Cooperative responsibilites of the school. We encourage families to consider a leadership position on the Steering Committee.

The Cooperative

Families enrolled at the Maple Street School are members of a Cooperative or Co-op. There are certain responsibilities required of Co-op Members. Currently these responsibilities include serving on a committee, general membership meeting attendance, School cleaning – one time per year, providing snacks – two times per year and Gal Fundraising assistance.

Co-op Committees

Each family is required to serve on one of the various Maple Street School committees (Maintenance, Education, Communications, etc.). Serving on one of the school’s committee is one of the most important aspects of ensuring that the school functions in a smooth and efficient manner. The school relies on families fulfilling their time commitment to the school.

Prior to or shortly after the school year starts, each family is assigned to one of the school’s committees. Each committee chair will contact members of their committee to set up an initial meeting. Committee members are expected to get involved early in the year. If a committee chair has tried to contact a committee member at least twice and has not received a response from that member, or the committee chair feels that the member is not fulfilling that member’s service commitment, the committee chair will refer that member to the Parent Liaison. The Parent Liaison will then notify the family in a warning letter that they are not fulfilling their service duty to the cooperative. The committee chair, Parent Liaison and a member of the offending family must meet within two weeks following the sending of the letter to resolve the issue. If after this two-week period there has been no agreement or arrangement made with the family, the Parent Coordinator and committee chair shall recommend to the Steering Committee that such family be removed from the cooperative. Such family may only be removed by a vote of more than two thirds of the members of the Steering Committee in favor of such removal. No family shall be removed on less than 30 days written notice following a vote of the Steering Committee and any such removal shall only occur following the conclusion of any school semester.

General Membership Meetings

All families must have a representative attend all General Membership meetings. General Meetings are held three times per year, September, January and June. These meetings are a crucial part of each family’s cooperative duties. The coop meetings are the best means by which parents can learn more about the school as well as to give input and share opinions and ideas.

A family may be excused from attending a general meeting only in the case of a family emergency (i.e. death in the family, birth, illness) or other pre-arranged absence such as a planned vacation. Families who are unable to attend a General Meeting must advise one of the Steering Committee Co-Coordinators prior to the meeting of their reason for not attending; failure to do so will result in the presumption that such absence was unexcused. Families who do not attend the June General Meeting due to their anticipated departure from the school without a valid excuse will be fined $50, with such sum withheld from the family’s bond fee.

If a family has an unexcused absence from a General Meeting, a representative from the family will be required to participate in an additional weekend cleaning of the school. The family will be notified of the date and time by the Chair of the Maintenance Committee and must make arrangements to fulfill this duty. Failure to attend this additional cleaning will be grounds for removal from the school.

Snack Responsibility

Each family is responsible for providing snacks on a rotational basis. Currently Co-op members provide snack two times per year. You will be informed of the type of snack that is needed, such as crackers, juice, and/or fruit.

Cleaning Responsibility

Each family is responsible for cleaning the school in a group of 3-10 families once a year. The Maintenance Chair will assign families their cleaning duty in September. Families who do not fulfill this obligation will be assessed a $250 fine following their missed cleaning.

Gala Fundraiser

The Maple Street School Gala is a major source of funding for the school. It requires the participation of all member families in order to be successful. Each family is required to assist with the gala, sell tickets, donate items, and solicit advertisements. Families vote and decide the previous spring what the exact gala obligations are for the following year.