St. Joseph Consolidated School Advisory Board

St. Joseph Consolidated School Parent Advisory Board meets four times during the school year.  The Parent Advisory Board provides an opportunity for parents to work alongside Father Rick Walling and school administration, and offer input and perspective on topics that impact our school community. Members consist of administrators and family members.

Current Members

Fr. Rick Walling- Pastor St. Stephen Family of Parishes

Mrs. Whitney Schappacher, Principal

St. Joseph Consolidated School Advisory Board Guidelines 

Mission: Proudly and purposefully serving a diverse community in the greater Hamilton, Ohio area, St. Joseph Consolidated School is committed to the spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional growth of each student. We strive to educate the whole child with emphasis on developing Christian character and Catholic values. In the spirit of St. Joseph, we seek to prepare each student to confidently meet the challenges of the future and to live out the Gospel message in service of the Church, our surrounding communities, and the world. 

Purpose and Function of St. Joseph Consolidated School Advisory Board

● To constitute the primary consultative voice of the parents and invested individuals of St. Joseph Consolidated School 
● To foster discernment and dialogue on matters relevant to the operations and policies of the school 
● To provide advice and feedback to the principal and pastor 
● To represent the families of the SJCS community in providing recommendations that will help the pastor and the principal operate the school consistent with our mission statement 
● To evaluate school progress (e.g. academic performance, building operations, budget) annually 
● To consider priorities and goals, and to consider the resources needed to achieve those priorities and goals, for SJCS 
● To recognize school issues, prayerfully discern and consider them, and to propose actions to address them

Membership of the SJCS Advisory Board 
The pastor, principal, and the St. Stephen Family Director of Administration and Finance are members of the board ex officio. The Advisory Board will consist of no fewer than five members. Any parents or invested members of SJCS may request to join the advisory board. Each member may serve for two consecutive, three-year terms as determined and articulated in the SJCS Advisory Board guidelines. SJCS Staff persons may serve as resources to the Advisory Board by providing their particular expertise. 

Selection process 
The Pastor and principal will oversee the process for the selection of new SJCS Advisory Board members. The processes that can be utilized are open nominations, an appeal for volunteers, an online application for interested parents and invested individuals to complete, a discernment process, or a direct appointment by the pastor. 

Role of the Advisory Board Member 
● To fulfill the guidelines listed under “Purpose and Function of the Advisory Board” ● Commits to the Advisory Board for a minimum of a full 3 year term 
● Attend at least 3 of 4 offered meetings 
● Attempts to be and stay in regular contact with other members of the SJCS community
Role of the Pastor 
● The pastor reviews the agenda for each meeting. 
● He may delegate to the principal the responsibility of chairing the meeting. ● When appropriate, he will assist the deliberations by sharing relevant information or his own perspective on the issue at hand. 
● As the pastor, he is the final authorizer of a course of recommended action. 
Role of the Principal 
● Maintains file records of the Advisory Board’s history, development, minutes, guidelines, resolutions and names of members. 
● Develops an overall working plan for the year, and for preparing the agenda for each meeting 
● Is responsible for the preparation and distribution of the agenda prior to the Advisory Board meetings 
● Matters for the agenda are to be submitted to the principal one week prior to the meeting.  ● Copies of the agenda and the minutes of the previous meeting should be sent to the members prior to the next meeting. The format of the minutes might include summaries of the major discussions, all recommendations, actions to be taken, and persons or groups delegated to act for the advancement of such recommendations. 

Role of Recording Secretary 
● Records the minutes of regular and special meetings 
● Maintains the roster and the attendance of members 
● Is appointed by the principal 

Meetings 
● The Advisory Board determines its annual calendar of meetings prior to the Fall of each year. Meetings will be held quarterly. The principal will determine when is the best time to schedule regular meetings. 
● Meetings are typically conducted in person; however, virtual meetings may be offered as needed. 
● Any invested individual of SJCS who wishes to have matters taken up by the Advisory Board should contact the pastor and principal primarily one week prior to the meeting. The pastor decides if the topic will be discussed at the meeting. 

Guidelines for Financial Topics 
● The Advisory Board reviews the annual budget for SJCS created by the Family Director of Administration and Finance 
● The Advisory Board reviews any non-budgeted expenditure greater than $10,000. 
● The Advisory Board reviews capital expenditures greater than $25,000 before forwarding the project to the Director of Operations to seek approval from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. 
 

06/18/2026 WS