ADVISORY COUNCIL 

The School Advisory Council serves as an advisory board to the pastor and president. The actions of the Advisory Council are subject to the pastor’s approval and to such policies and regulations that might be promulgated by the Office of Catholic Schools and the Catholic Schools Advisory Board of the Diocese of Dallas. The meetings are open to all parish and school families. To address the Advisory Council as part of the agenda, parents must submit a written request, detailing the reason for the request, to any Advisory Council member at least fourteen days prior to a regular meeting, and the request must be approved for the agenda. 

Advisory Council discernment is held in the spring. Three members are selected each year for a three-year term. 

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE: PRESIDENT-PRINCIPAL MODEL 

The President is the Chief Executive Officer of St. Rita Catholic School and, as such, oversees the four domains outlined in the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS): Mission and Catholic Identity, Governance and Leadership, Academic Excellence, and Operational Vitality. The Office of the President has the general charge and control over its personnel and budget, as well as its educational and development programs, business affairs, and facilities. 

The Principal is the educational leader of the school, directly responsible to the President and, by extension, to the Pastor for the day-to-day operation of the school and the teaching and learning process. This responsibility requires a close working relationship with the President, faculty, staff, students, parents, and the broader community. The Principal is assisted in this task by the Principal’s Administrative Team.

The Principal, along with the President, is a facilitator of the community of faith and bears responsibility for integrating faith and culture within St. Rita Catholic School. The Principal, as the Chief Operating Officer of the school, has the primary responsibility for achieving the mission of St. Rita Catholic School by maintaining and developing a school strong in academic achievement, spiritual development, counseling and guidance services, and by providing ample programs to meet the co-curricular and extra-curricular needs of the students