Parent Association

What is the Parent Association?

The Parent Association is composed of current parents of Shalom students. It is higher on the organizational chart than the board because it approves board members. When parents enroll a student, they become members of the Association.   

How is Shalom governed?

Shalom is an independent school meaning that no one church or denomination governs the school though our principles are grounded in our Anabaptist beliefs. In our flow chart, the Association is at the top. The Board of Directors sets policy and hires the Head of School Administration and Head of School Education. Faculty and staff have various roles in decision making processes.

What authority do parents have?

Every organization needs leadership. This has to be a specific individual or group. It would be unwieldy to have several hundred parents making decisions.  

At Shalom, the Board of Directors is the governing body. While not required in our by-laws, board members are frequently current parents or alumni parents.

Parents give approval to new board members. They have a vote in any proposed by-law changes. This gives parents ownership in who Shalom is as an organization. 

Who is legally responsible?

The Shalom Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for decisions and actions of the school and its employees. Individual parents, even though they are Association members, do not have legal liability for the school and its operations.

If Shalom isn’t affiliated with any church, how do we determine what we believe?

Shalom is closely connected with the Anabaptist perspective which includes Brethren in Christ, Church of the Brethren, and Mennonite denominations. The founders of the school represented those denominations and set parameters in place to ensure this would be the perspective of Shalom. You may read our by-laws for more detail.