District Accountability Committee (DAC)

State and federal education legislation emphasizes the inclusion of families in the educational accountability process. The District Advisory Committee (DAC) is a legally-constituted accountability and advisory committee of parent representatives and teachers from every school in the district.

Colorado State Statute 22-11-302 requires DAC members to act in an advisory capacity to the Board of Education on a variety of topics including:

• The district budget;
• Unified improvement plans;
• Family engagement; and
• Other projects as determined by the BOE (parent surveys, MLO oversight, etc.)

The DAC meets three to four times throughout the school year, and members have an opportunity to hear district updates and provide input on a variety of topics. DAC members are responsible for ongoing communication with their School Accountability Committee (SAC).

DAC Membership 

Ideally, DAC membership will include two or three representatives from each school in the district (at least one parent and one staff member), including Legacy Academy. DAC membership is contingent on appointment by the Board of Education.

The DAC provides opportunities for parents and community members to become informed about and to be involved in making recommendations concerning the preparation of the district’s improvement plans and cooperatively determining other areas and issues to address recommendations on.

The DAC reviews and makes recommendations to the Board of Education concerning the School Accountability Committee (SAC) plans for the improvement of education in each school. The DAC reviews the proposed district budget and provides feedback to administration and the BOE.

Commitment requirements for DAC members are as follows:

• Regular meetings are scheduled throughout the school year.
• DAC members serve two-year terms.
• The committee will elect officers and may form subcommittees.               
• All meetings of the DAC and its subcommittees are open to the public.

Standard DAC Charges from Bylaws

1. Ensure that DAC charges have been cooperatively determined, at least annually, by the DAC and the Superintendent.

2. Fulfill the charges established by the DAC in a timely basis.

3. Ensure that any proposed changes in DAC By-Laws are forwarded to the Board of Education for consideration of action.

4. Ensure that each parent member reports to his or her school’s staff and accountability committee regarding the activities of the DAC after each monthly DAC meeting and forward any input from either to the DAC.

5. Make recommendations to the Board of Education regarding prioritization for spending district monies.

6. Ensure that all responsibilities are managed in accord with the Board of Education policies, district regulations, and state statutes.

Specific DAC Charges for 2024-25 School Year

1. Develop and propose school calendars for the 2026-27 school year that take into account the educational needs of our students and provide a minimum of 170 school days.  This calendar should balance the first and second semester within 6 days of each other to allow for common instructional periods in each semester.  The DAC may produce more than one calendar if it wishes the board to make the final decision from those proposed.

2. Analyze academic achievement across the district utilizing both state and local data to determine areas of need

3. Support the school administrators in the development of the annual Unified Improvement Plan both for the schools (SAC) and the District (DAC)

4. Assist the district with determining whether it should pursue a mill levy or bond initiative for the fall of 2025.
   
   
   
5. Review and provide feedback to the board on the charter applications received in the district.

Specific DAC Charges for 2023-24 School Year

1. Develop and propose school calendars for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school year that take into account the educational needs of our students and provide a minimum of 170 school days.  This calendar should balance the first and second semester within 6 days of each other to allow for common instructional periods in each semester.  The DAC may produce more than one calendar if it wishes the board to make the final decision from those proposed.

2. Analyze academic achievement across the district utilizing both state and local data to determine areas of need

3. Support the school administrators in the development of the annual Unified Improvement Plan both for the schools (SAC) and the District (DAC)

4. Analyze the district's Master Plan as it is finalized this Fall and present feedback to the board on the options being considered.

5. Assist the district with determining whether it should pursue a mill levy or bond initiative for the fall of 2024 or fall of 2025.