The Clarke County School District (CCSD) became a charter system on July 1, 2016 to increase student achievement and improve organizational effectiveness through innovation, flexibility, community engagement and shared governance. By becoming a charter system, the Clarke County School District (CCSD) receives broad flexibility from state requirements in exchange for increasing student achievement and improving student well-being. The CCSD Charter Contract is a binding agreement between the Clarke County Board of Education and the Georgia State Board of Education. The management and control of public schools is the responsibility of the Board of Education. The Board of Education and the Superintendent retain and exercise system-level governance and maintain responsibility for setting all system-wide policies, procedures, curriculum, adoption of best practices, and the management of human resources and personnel decisions. At the school-level, the School Principal is ultimately responsible for school operations, personnel, budgeting, management, and improving student achievement.

A central component of operating as a Georgia charter system is the establishment of Local School Governance Teams, or LSGTeams, at each CCSD school. The aim of LSGTeams is to foster communication and collaboration between schools, families and the community, by providing governance input into school-level decisions. LSGTeams work with school leadership and the community to make data-driven decisions that help determine the long-term direction of the school, design innovative solutions to increase student achievement, and serve as school ambassadors to the local community. In their work as a governing body, LSGTeams work with school leaders to set goals for the school and develop a plan to attain them.

This handbook outlines the governance bylaws, guidelines, procedures, and code of conduct for all LSGTeams formed in CCSD. This handbook serves as a guide for the actions of LSGTeams. All LSGTeams shall operate in accordance with this handbook at all times and shall ensure that all actions proposed and undertaken reflect coherence with the CCSD mission, vision, and strategic plan. This handbook also provides links to training materials, contact information, guidance surrounding our flexibility and grantmaking process, and best practices. It is meant to be a reference and a resource.