School Committee

Friends School of Minnesota is a nonprofit corporation. The 21-member board of directors of Friends School is called the School Committee. The School Committee adopts school policies and is the legal body ultimately responsible for the financial health and operation of the school.

Friends Council on Education, the national organization of Quaker schools, requires that a Quaker school either be “under the care of” a Quaker Meeting or that the School Committee contain a majority of Quakers. Since FSM is not formally affiliated with a Meeting it adheres to the Quaker majority requirement. Members of Twin Cities Friends Meeting, Minneapolis Friends Meeting, Prospect Hill Friends Meeting, and Cannon Valley Friends Meeting have served on the School Committee.

In addition, the school seeks to have at least 6 of the 21 members be parents of children enrolled in the school.

2009-10 School Committee

Back row: Bob Striker (Treasurer), Tony Mendoza (Clerk), Kris Nourse, Whitney Clark (Assistant Clerk), Kak Jarvis, Cynthia Hoffman, Marybeth Neal, Eric Salverda, Pam Heggie

Front row: Sharon Elmore, Kathy Holmes, Jill Pennie (Member at Large), Michele Moylan, Pauline Danforth (Recording Clerk), Mary Beth Young, Ralph Hilgendorf, Terry Kayser

Not pictured: Julie Caruso, Laurel Edinburgh, and Richard Pemberton.

Standing Committees

Much behind-the-scenes work at FSM is done by standing committees of the School Committee. Membership on these committees includes School Committee members, parents, staff, other Quakers and other interested individuals. Current standing committees include:

Executive Committee

Responsible for implementing policies and programs established by the School Committee. General oversight responsibilities.

Finance Committee

Responsible for drafting of annual budget and ongoing financial reviews.

Development Committee

Responsible for the school’s fundraising activities.

Personnel Committee

Responsible for development of personnel policies.

Committee on Trustees

Makes recommendations for membership on the various committees at Friends School.

Building & Grounds Committee

Responsible for policy development and long term plan development for the school’s physical plant. Equity and Justice Committee: Works to develop and maintain FSM as a welcoming community for all families.

Ad-Hoc Committees

Strategic Planning Committee

Responsible for guiding and facilitating the development and application of the school's strategic plan.