The Kirkwood High School Student Government Association (SGA) gives students a voice by helping share their concerns with teachers and administrators and by leading projects that make the school and community better. SGA holds regular club meetings and class meetings to plan events, discuss issues, and make decisions, with officers and sponsors helping keep everything organized. Members are expected to attend meetings, participate actively, and follow eligibility and attendance rules, while officers take on leadership roles such as running meetings, keeping records, and managing funds. Students also work on committees and take part in school elections throughout the year. The Constitution explains how members can be removed if they do not meet expectations and how changes can be made to keep SGA fair, organized, and student-focused. 

The purpose of the Student Government Association (SGA) is to serve as an organization to hear concerns made by students, and to mediate these concerns to the faculty and the administration in an amicable, respectful, and tactful manner, as well as to lead various projects and service work aimed for the betterment of Kirkwood High School and the surrounding community. 

Section I - Regular Club Meetings

Regular club meetings will be held on the designated day decided upon by the Student Government body in consultation with the Sponsor. These meetings shall be held in an orderly manner to discuss the business of the SGA and also the progress of individual class projects and possible club projects. All meetings must be presided over by the SGA President or acting SGA President at that time; therefore, all decisions made before and after the meetings are non-applicable. All Government Officers shall meet prior to the scheduled meetings, when necessary, to discuss the meeting agenda.

Section II  – Impromptu/ Special Meetings

Impromptu meetings, or meetings that occur outside regularly scheduled meetings, are to be called by the Overall or Class Level Sponsor. These meetings are to be held before or after school, to discuss and finish any unfinished business related to upcoming events. A minimum of 7 calendar days is required to call a meeting that is required for attendance purposes.

Section III – Class Meetings

The Class President with permission of the Sponsor must call at least one (1) meeting per month for each individual class. The respective Class Officers and Representatives must be informed of each class meeting at least 10 days in advance. This time is to be used for the discussion of Class projects and concerns, which will be presented at the regularly scheduled SGA club meeting. 

Section I  – Sponsor Duties & Responsibilities

The presence of the Sponsor is requested at all meetings and Club Activities. The Sponsor should be available and encouraging to all members. The Sponsor should actively guide Class Officers in organizing meeting agendas as well as guide the Class in coordinating projects and activities. The Sponsor should make periodic checks to ensure proper adherence to the rules and guidelines expressed in the Constitution. 

Section II – Eligibility & Rules

For eligibility requirements to run for an Officer or Representative position, refer to Appendix A.

In order to be eligible to run for an Overall Officer position, candidates must be an active class-level SGA member for at least one (1) school year prior to their application year. Exceptions can be given to students who did not attend Kirkwood High School in the previous academic year for Representative positions.

In order to be eligible to run for any position in the next election, members may not be (unexcused) absent to more than three (3) SGA meetings per semester. Any members who miss more than three (3) SGA meetings are eligible for impeachment. Attendance percentages affect the following year’s involvement with SGA. A student who is removed from office for any reason, may not run in elections for the following school year. At every meeting, members must check in with the SGA Vice President to be marked present or tardy. Tardiness more than 15 minutes late or leaving early more than 15 minutes is at the discretion of the sponsor to be marked as an unexcused absence.

If a member misses more than ½ of the Club meeting it shall be recorded as an absence. The exceptions for absences are either an excused absence from school, a field trip that occurs during the time of the scheduled meeting, or activities promoting academic success (i.e. tutoring, zero period, make-up work), and events unable to be made-up. Anything outside of these excused reasons shall be at the discretion of the sponsor to be recorded  as an absence. No other activity shall take precedence over SGA club meetings.

Section III – Overall Officer Duties and Responsibilities

The President of SGA should attend all meetings and functions. The President should lead discussions and ensure that the meeting goes smoothly and efficiently.If unable to attend, the President must notify the Overall Vice President, and make sure that this person fully understands the meeting agenda. If there are concerns with the Overall Cabinet, issues that need to be addressed or Class resolutions that need to be discussed, the President should be informed in order to ensure proper handling during the meeting. The President is responsible for reporting to and discussing decisions with the Sponsor.

The Vice President must take all responsibilities of the President in his/her absence. 

The Vice President is in charge of contacting the Class Presidents in order to notify the entire club of plans for meetings and functions if it is necessary to contact members. The Class Presidents shall then inform all SGA members of their respective class. The Vice President will record meeting and function attendance as described in the previous section. This will be done in conjunction with the Class Vice Presidents.

The SGA Secretary must take minutes at every meeting. The minutes will be read at the beginning of meetings if requested by a member. The minutes should contain 

any votes, suggestions, discussion topics, and decisions made during the course of the meeting. A written attendance report will be produced by the secretary every month. This report will include attendance for Overall meetings and Overall functions only.

The SGA Treasurer is in charge of all funds raised by the Overall Cabinet. This office serves as a connection to the school’s bookkeeper. If questions are raised about the use of funds of the school, this Officer shall investigate for answers. In the case the Vice President is absent, or is presiding in place of the President, the Treasurer will take over recording attendance for the meeting. The Treasurer will monitor account amount and activity to be well aware of Overall SGA funds. The Treasurer will produce a Treasury report at each meeting.

Section IV – Class Officers 

All SGA members including Club Officers, Class Officers, Representatives, and 

Honorary members should be present at all meetings in order to be well-informed on the activities of the SGA and also to vote on issues brought to discussion.

The Class President calls all Class meetings. The President keeps order over the Class meeting and shall do everything necessary in order to ensure a smooth operation and implementation of SGA decisions. The President shall prepare a meeting agenda with the advice of the other officers and the Class Sponsor. The President will also appoint special committees and their chairpersons.

The Class Vice President keeps attendance and assumes the duties of the President 

when needed or specified by the President. The Vice President shall procure 

appropriate and viable issues from the Class, other Class Officers/ Representatives, and present them to the President.

The Class Secretary is required to keep up with the minutes of each Class Meeting. 

The Secretary shall be accountable for all activities concerning the Class. The Secretary will prepare copies of the meeting agenda, post the agenda, and report the minutes to the Overall Secretary for future record.

The Class Historian is in charge of keeping a record of all SGA and Class activities and is responsible for taking pictures or otherwise documenting all class events. The Historian will also prepare a monthly report for the Class President and Sponsor that indicates records, pictures, and documents from the previous month. These records will be kept as a record of activity for the use of future Historians.

Section V – Other Member Responsibilities

Representatives are to be eager, able-bodied Class members who are

willing to participate in the legislation process and all other activities of the Class and Overall SGA.

Section VI – Impeachment

In the event that an SGA member is not able to fulfill or has not fulfilled the prescribed duties of the Constitution throughout the course of the year, and three or more members of SGA see fit to rectify the situation, then one or more members shall bring the problem to the attention of the SGA Officers and Sponsors. The SGA Member will be provided a written notification of their failure to fulfill their duties, and will be subject to removal by majority vote if improvement does not occur. The SGA shall vote subsequently by secret ballot. If a ¾ majority vote is obtained among the SGA members, then the member shall be removed. If that member requests time to offer an explanation for his/ her inadequacy, a private meeting with SGA Sponsors shall be held for that purpose. If the SGA Sponsors request another vote be held, the member in question shall have time at the next meeting to plead his/her case. This discussion shall be followed immediately by a second vote. 

If the Overall sponsor or an administrator should request a member’s removal from SGA, such action shall be taken without question upon consensus of administrators and sponsor. This vote must be held in the presence of an SGA Officer who is not the member in question and the aforementioned Officer shall be invited by the principal to witness the vote.

Upon impeachment, the Sponsor will facilitate the selection of  a new Officer or Representative to fill the vacant position before the following SGA meeting from within the current cabinet.

Committees shall be made up of any and all SGA members regardless of position. These committees shall form to handle the business of specific interests or tasks. Any member who sees unnecessary the establishment of a certain committee shall bring the matter to the floor at a regularly scheduled club meeting for discussion. Appointment to a committee is voluntary, however, SGA members will be required to serve on a minimum of three committees a year. A committee will be disbanded at the completion of the event. 

Section I - Conducting Elections

Before both Freshman and Spring Elections, all incumbent members shall vote on the process by which votes shall be procured from the student body (i.e. time, place, method). Before campaigning can begin, a one week notice shall be given to the student body relaying that applications to run for office are available. Campaigning guidelines shall be decided prior to elections by the club in conjunction with the Sponsors and Administration and comply with all Kirkwood High School rules.

Section II - Club and Class Officer Elections

Freshman Elections shall be held during the first nine weeks of the school year in order to elect Freshman Class Officers and Freshman Class Representatives for the current school year.

Spring Elections shall be held during the fourth nine weeks of the school year prior to when those elected will hold office in order to elect the SGA Club Officers and Class Officers and Representatives for the following school year.

Section III - Election Rules

All candidates for election must comply with the eligibility requirements as stated in Article III Section II.

No SGA member can hold concurrent positions within the SGA.  There may be no more than eight (8) Representatives for each Class.The exception will be freshman class withban upper limit of 12. Representatives shall be voted on in the same method and at the same time as Officers. Candidates for election who are not voted to an Officer position may be appointed to hold vacant Representative positions by their Sponsor.

SGA Club Officers shall be voted upon by any willing member of the student body. SGA Class Officers must be elected by students of their respective Class.

Section IV - State of Emergency

A State of Emergency is defined as when an Officer position is vacant following a  school election due to lack of eligible candidates. In this instance, the Class Members/Representatives will vote on an eligible student to fill the vacant position.

As the Kirkwood High School Student Government Constitution may need to be 

amended, an amendment may be made by the following process:

1. The amendment must be proposed and presented at a regularly scheduled 

SGA meeting. 

2. The amendment must be written neatly or typed, copied, and distributed to 

each member present at the meeting.

3. Consideration of an amendment will take a majority vote of SGA members. 

The amendment vote will occur at the same meeting. A simple majority vote of all members is required to pass an amendment. Once the 

amendment is approved, it shall be immediately added to the Constitution.