CONSTITUTION FOR WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
PREAMBLE
This constitution shall form the basis of the Westminster Christian School.
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of the Christian School Association is Westminster Christian School Association.
ARTICLE II: BASIS
Section 1 The doctrinal basis of this Association is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the infallible Word of God, as interpreted in the Westminster Confession of Faith, together with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
Section 2 Moreover, this Association is committed to the following basic principles for christian education.
The Bible That God by His Holy Word reveals Himself; renews man's understanding of God, of man himself, of his fellow man, and of the world; directs man in all his relationships and activities; and therefore, guides His people also in the education of their children.
Jesus Christ That Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, the Redeemer of men fallen into sin, the touchstone of all truth, and the sovereign ruler over all areas of life.
Christian Education That the purpose of christian education is to better enable the student to appropriate the mind of Christ, so that he might understand and respond to reality in accordance with Biblical teachings.
Parents That the primary responsibility for education rests upon parents to whom children are entrusted by God, and that christian parents should accept this obligation in view of the covenantal relationship which God established with believers and their children. (Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
Church That because God's covenant embraces not only parents and their children, but also the whole christian community to which they belong, and because christian education contributes directly to the advancement of Christ's Great Commission (making and training disciples, Matthew 28:18-20), it is the obligation not only of the parents, but also of the church to establish means of christian education, and to pray for, work for, and give generously for the support of such means.
Schools That in accordance with their responsibility to provide christian education for their children, parents and churches may, through the agency of a board, employ christian teachers of godly character who manifest ability to educate children morally and intellectually in light of the Word of God.
ARTICLE III: PURPOSE
The purpose of this Association is to provide, in accordance with Article II, Christ-centered education of high academic quality, so that pupils may be prepared to take their place in the home, the church, the state, and their vocations or professions in a manner that is glorifying to God.
ARTICLE IV: RELATIONSHIP TO THE WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN ELGIN, ILLINOIS.
Section 1 The Association is given powers by the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church to execute the mandate of the Constitution, by exercising the provisions of the Constitution. In general, the Christian School, governed through and by this Association, is the educational branch of the Church.
Section 2 The Association's powers shall include the hiring of teachers and other employees required to operate the School; the purchase of equipment unique to the School; the admission and discipline of students; the establishment and implementation of an operating budget with the intent that the Church is not financially burdened.
Section 3 The Association's powers shall not include the ownership of any real or tangible property, including that equipment unique to its operation (such ownership is vested in the Trustees of the Church).
Section 4 The session shall be the final court of appeal and shall exercise its right to supervise and review all actions of the Association and School as it deems necessary.
Section 5 The Christian School, as a non-profit branch of the Church, shall operate under the provisions of the by-laws and constitution of the Church. No provision of this constitution shall violate or supersede the legal documents, certificate of incorporation, by-laws, and constitution of the Church.
ARTICLE V: AFFILIATIONS
The Association may be affiliated with the Christian Schools International, the National Association of Christian Schools, and/or any other educational associations, so long as their standards remain in accordance with the standards of the Constitution.
ARTICLE VI: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 Active membership in the Association, which entitles one to the privilege of voting, applies to those who:
A. Are 18 years of age or older.
B. Either are parents or guardian of children attending the school maintained by the Association, or make an annual contribution to the association, the current amount to be determined by the Board of Trustees.
C. Subscribe in writing to the following nine points which are irreducible essentials of the doctrinal basis of the Association:
1. That the Holy Spirit did so inspire, guide, and move the writers of Holy Scriptures as to keep the original writings free from all error.
2. That there is one God existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal and co-eternal.
3. That man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and there by incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature.
4. That Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.
5. That the Lord Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as our substitute to satisfy divine justice, and that all who believe on Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.
6. That on the third day after His crucifixion, our Lord Jesus Christ arose again from the dead with the same body, in which He suffered with which also He ascended in Heaven, and there sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for the saints.
7. That the Lord Jesus Christ sowed His power and love by working mighty miracles, this working was not contrary to nature, but superior to it.
8. That our Lord Jesus Christ will in future history return bodily to this world.
9. That there shall be a future day of resurrection in which both the redeemed and the damned shall be raised from the dead, the redeemed to enjoy the estate of eternal blessedness, and the damned to suffer the eternal torment of retribution.
ARTICLE VII: BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Section 1 The Board of Trustees shall administer the affairs of the School in the spirit of this Constitution under the supervision of the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church. All Board members shall have indicated in writing their agreement with Articles II and III of this Constitution, noting any exceptions.
Section 2 The Board shall consist of a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, appointed by the Session, and no less than six and no more than eleven elected members from the Association. At least 50% of the elected Board members shall be members of Westminster Presbyterian Church. The number of women on the Westminster Christian School Board shall not exceed 50% of the total elected members of the School Board. The normal term of office for board members shall be three years. In order that no more than four Board members retire in one year, Board members shall be elected for two-year or one-year terms as necessary. Vacancies occurring during the year may be filled by appointment of the Session until the next March meeting of the Association. The administrator of the school will be an advisory member of the Board with no voting privilege.
Section 3 Nomination for all elective offices may be made by any voting member of the Association. Such nominations must be submitted to the Session for approval prior to its regularly stated February meeting. Elections for board positions are to be held at the March Association Meeting. Newly elected Board members become members ex-officio of the Board on election, but to not assume office until the July meeting.
Section 4 The Board of Trustees shall normally meet once each month. A quorum shall consist of 2/3 of the voting Board members. When questions of parliamentary procedure are raised, Robert's Rules of Order shall prevail.
Section 5 The Board shall elect its own officers and establish committees. The officers of the Board shall be the officers of the Association. The committees of the Board shall at least include: Finance; Curriculum; Personnel: Promotion/Development; and Admissions/Student Affairs. These committees need not be staffed with Board members, but shall be chaired by Board members and shall be directly responsible to the Board of Directors. All committee members shall be active members of the Association. The chairmen of the committees shall be appointed by the President of the Board. These chairmen shall appoint their own committees subject to Board approval.
ARTICLE VIII: OFFICERS OF THE BOARD AND THEIR DUTIES
Section 1 At a set meeting each year, subsequent to the stated spring meeting of the Association, the Board shall elect the following four officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Section 2 It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the Board and Association and to enforce the provisions of the Constitution. The President is an ex-officio member of all committees and shall be notified of all meetings.
Section 3 The Vice-President shall assist the President whenever possible in the discharge of his duties. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall take his place.
Section 4 The Secretary shall take care of the official documents of the organization; he shall conduct all correspondence and enter into the records of the organization the minutes of all meetings of the Association and Board after they have been approved.
Section 5 The treasurer is entrusted with the organization's funds, and is responsible for all disbursements. All money received by him shall be deposited in the name of the Association in a bank approved by the Board, and no disbursements shall be made except by check. No unbudgeted purchase shall be made without the approval of the Board. The Treasurer shall report regarding the finances of the Association at the monthly meeting of the Board and at the stated meetings of the Association.
ARTICLE IX: ADMISSIONS TO THE SCHOOL
Section 1 Admission of all students shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees at a duly constituted meeting.
Section 2 First priority for admission will be given to presently enrolled students; second priority to children whose parents are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church; third priority to children whose parents belong to the Westminster Christian School Association; fourth priority to children whose parents are members of churches whose doctrinal standards are in conformity with Article II, Section 2 of this Constitution. Other matters to be considered are: membership of parents in other evangelical churches, christian commitment of parents, other children in the family enrolled in the school.
Section 3. Children not meeting any of the above considerations will also be admitted if the Board deems it wise.
ARTICLE X: MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 1 The Association shall hold two stated meetings each year, during the months of October and March, or as otherwise determined by the Board.
Section 2 At the Association meeting the Board shall report to the Association. At the March meeting a financial budget for the ensuing year shall be proposed by the Board for the Association’s consideration and action, and the election of members of the Board shall take place.
Section 3 Special meetings may be called at any time by the Board or by the chairman of the Board at the written request of at least 1/4 of the members of the Association. An announcement of such a meeting shall state the reasons for calling the meeting.
Section 4 Notice of any meeting shall be mailed to all members at least two weeks prior to the meeting. At any meeting, 1/4 of the membership shall constitute a quorum.
Section 5 Elections shall be by ballot and a simple majority of the votes cast shall determine the issue in each case, except where otherwise required by this Constitution or Robert's Rules of Order. When questions of parliamentary procedure are raised, Robert's Rules of Order shall prevail.
ARTICLE XI: TEACHING STAFF
Section 1 The administrator and teachers shall be appointed by the Board with approval of the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church after a careful consideration of their spiritual, academic, and physical qualifications. They shall be appointed for such terms and with such salary and other conditions (except as herein expressly provided) as the Board may determine.
Section 2 All members of the teaching staff and administration shall have indicated in writing their agreement with Articles II and III of this Constitution, noting any exceptions. They must be scripturally sound in their teaching and must lead exemplary lives.
Section 3 All teachers and administrators, as well as the Board, shall abide by the terms of the contracts entered into by both parties. The terms of such contract become null and void when either party fails to abide by these terms. The Board has the authority to dismiss any person who proves unfit for the work because such person's instruction or personal life conflicts with the basis and purpose of the Association.
Section 4 A course of study outlining the work for each grade shall be prepared by the administrator in collaboration with the teaching staff. After approval by the Board, such course of study shall govern all instruction in the School.
Section 5 The School term shall be determined by the Board, and such holidays and vacations shall be allowed as may be decided upon by the Board.
Section 6 The substance of this Article shall be made a part of all contracts entered into with the members of the teaching staff and administrator.
ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS
This constitution may be amended by a 2/3 vote at any legal meeting of the Association, providing that notice of the proposed amendment shall have been sent to each member at least two weeks prior to the meeting, and providing that the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church has approved the amendment.
