Community Education Councils (CEC)

What is a Community Education Council?

Community Education Councils (CECs) are education policy advisory bodies responsible for, among other things, reviewing and evaluating the district’s educational programs, approving zoning lines, and holding public hearings on certain matters.

Each CEC consists of 12 volunteer members who provide hands-on leadership and support for their district's public schools:

• 9 must be parents elected by PA/PTA leadership (president, treasurer and recording secretary);


• 2 are residents and/or local business leaders appointed by the Borough President; and


• 1 is a non-voting high school senior who lives in the district and is appointed by the Community Superintendent.

CECs must hold at least one public meeting per month, with the Community Superintendent, where the parents and the community may air their concerns.

Learn more about the CECs’ roles and responsibilities and see a list of current members and meeting dates.

How many CECs are there?

There are 32 CECs in New York City. Each CEC represents current Pre-K through 8th grade students in public, non-charter schools within its Community School District.

Who is eligible to run for a seat on a CEC?

You are eligible to run if you are the parent of a student who currently attends Pre-K through 8th grade in a school under the jurisdiction of the Community School District where you wish to serve on the CEC.

For the purpose of determining CEC eligibility, “parent” is defined in Chancellor’s Regulation D-140 as: A parent (by birth or adoption, step parent, or foster parent), legal guardian, or person in parental relation to a child. A person in parental relation to a child is a person who is directly responsible for the care and custody of the child on a regular basis in lieu of a parent or legal guardian.

Of the 9 CEC seats filled in the election, 1 is reserved for the parent of a child currently receiving special education services (“IEP parent”), and 1 is reserved for the parent of an English Language Learner who is currently in a bilingual or ESL program or was enrolled in such a program within the previous two years (“ELL parent”).

What if I don't meet these eligibility criteria?

If you do not meet the above criteria, you may still be eligible to serve as one of the two Borough President appointees on each CEC. Qualifications include being a district resident or business owner with extensive business or education knowledge and experience; additional requirements are listed in Chancellor’s Regulation D-140. Please CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION. Follow the instructions on the application for how to submit it. Appointee applications are not accepted on this website.

When is eligibility determined?

Eligibility is determined as of the date that an application to run for a seat on a CEC is submitted. Once elected, parent members are allowed to serve a full two-year term on the CEC even if they no longer have a child in a school under the jurisdiction of the Community School District.

How and when can I apply to serve on CEC?

You can apply for the 2019-2021 term beginning on February 14, 2019. The application period ends at 11:59 pm on March 6, 2019. If you do not have access to a computer, ask your parent coordinator to arrange for you to use a computer at a school or district office, or call 311 for information on accessing computers at public libraries.