# School Governance Council (SGC): Complete DepEd Guide

The DepEd School Governance Council under DO 026, s. 2022: members, election of officers, meetings, quorum, decisions, limits and the school head's seven tasks.

This is the Markdown copy of [School Governance Council (SGC): Complete DepEd Guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-governance-council-sgc), an article on the NASH Reviewer Blog by Mark Anthony Llego, published Nov 13, 2026, updated Nov 13, 2026. Topics: School leadership, Aspiring school heads. NASH Reviewer is an independent practice platform not affiliated with DepEd, BHROD, or NEAP.

The School Governance Council (SGC) is the body in which a public school consults its learners, parents, teachers and community and hears what they think of its work, and every public elementary and secondary school must have one. [DepEd Order No. 026, s. 2022](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2022/06/17/june-17-2022-do-026-s-2022-implementing-guidelines-on-the-establishment-of-school-governance-council/), the Implementing Guidelines on the Establishment of School Governance Council, issued on June 17, 2022, says "All public elementary and secondary schools shall establish School Governance Councils" (Part IV). The council advises and coordinates. It "shall not manage the school", it signs nothing for the school, and its recommendations go to the school head, who decides.

A council has 7 to 15 voting members, four of them ex-officio, and two co-chairpersons: one the school head designates, and one the council elects from its external stakeholders. The school head stands beside it, not in it. The school head designates a co-chairperson, chairs the election of officers, explains any recommendation that is not approved in full, and keeps its work within the rules of the Department of Education (DepEd).

As of November 13, 2026, no DepEd order has amended DO 026, s. 2022. DepEd assessed the councils of public secondary schools from 2022 to 2024 and began assessing those of public elementary schools on September 29, 2026. The indicators and documents of that assessment are in [SGC Functionality Assessment Tool: Indicators and MOVs](https://nash.com.ph/blog/sgc-functionality-assessment-tool).

## Key findings

- **Every public school must have a council.** "All public elementary and secondary schools shall establish School Governance Councils, which shall serve as overarching consultative and coordinating bodies for all committees, associations, and organizations in their respective schools" (DO 026, s. 2022, Part IV).
- **It consults and coordinates; it does not manage.** The SGC "shall not manage the school and shall not have a separate and distinct juridical personality apart from the school", and it does not replace the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the learner government, the School Planning Team, the alumni association or the Child Protection Committee (Part V, General Purpose).
- **Seven to fifteen voting members, four of them ex-officio.** The Designated Co-Chairperson and one representative each of the learner government, the PTA and the faculty club choose the rest by consensus. The school head "shall not be authorized to represent any of the school committees/associations/organizations in the SGC regardless of the school size" (Part V.D).
- **Officers are elected by secret vote "on or before the sixth week after the opening of classes".** The school head calls and chairs the election, canvasses the votes the same day, and signs the resolution to the Schools Division Office (SDO), which "shall not be subject to election protest" (Part V.I).
- **Members and officers serve three school years.** A member is removed only after due process and "a two-thirds (2/3) consensus vote of all SGC members", is barred from council membership for six years, and may appeal to the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) within 15 days (Parts V.J and V.L).
- **The council meets at least quarterly and recommends by two-thirds.** A quorum is "50% + 1 of the total SGC membership", and recommendations need "two-thirds (2/3) consensus of all SGC members". They bind the members and their organizations. The school head approves, modifies or disapproves them, and explains why (Part V.M; Part VI.A, item 1).
- **About half of the secondary school councils assessed were functional.** In the assessment that closed on June 21, 2024, 9,498 of 10,096 public secondary schools took part and 4,649 (49%) had functional councils (Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2025-0349, February 11, 2025). Public elementary schools are being assessed from September 29, 2026 to March 31, 2027 (Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-3750, September 22, 2026).

## What is the School Governance Council, and is it required?

The SGC is "a structure for shared governance and a feedback mechanism at the school level" (DO 026, s. 2022, item 1). The order makes it "the overall coordinating body of all committees, associations, and organizations" of the school (item 2), and says it "shall form part of the school structure as an embodiment of the principle of shared governance, mandated under Republic Act No. 9155" (Part IV). It is required: the policy statement uses "shall", and the order is addressed to every public elementary and secondary school head.

[Republic Act No. 9155](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/08/11/republic-act-no-9155/), the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, sets the principle the council carries out. Section 5(b) says "The process of democratic consultation shall be observed in the decision-making process at appropriate levels", and Section 7(E) gives the school head the duty of "Establishing school and community networks and encouraging the active participation of teachers organizations, non-academic personnel of public schools, and parents-teachers-community associations". The law sets the principle; the order builds the council. [RA 9155 at 25: Why Shared Governance Has Not Happened](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ra-9155-shared-governance-decentralization) follows what became of that principle.

The council is older than the order. DO 026 describes the SGC as something that "started as a school initiative", and earlier orders call it the School Governing Council, the name [DepEd Order No. 44, s. 2015](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2015/09/29/do-44-s-2015-guidelines-on-the-enhanced-school-improvement-planning-sip-process-and-the-school-report-card-src/) uses. Several later issuances still write "School Governing Council". Both names mean the body DO 026 governs. In a council's own papers the name matters. The User Guide for the 2026 assessment, Version 2, as posted in October 2026 (Enclosure No. 1 to Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-3750), marks a document invalid when the body is labeled "School Governing Council", when the school head is labeled "Chairman", or when a document of the PTA or the learner government is presented as the council's (Vol. 2, pp. 7 and 8).

Three provisions fix when and how far the order applies:

- **Effectivity.** The order took effect "15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or in two newspapers of general circulation" (item 4). Schools that already had councils "shall adopt the new structure provided herein, in the immediate school year following the implementation of this policy", and schools without one "shall establish their own SGCs accordingly" (Parts V.H and VIII).
- **Repeal.** "All existing Orders, Memoranda, and other related issuances, rules and regulations, and provisions inconsistent with this Order are repealed, rescinded, and modified accordingly" (item 3). The order names no issuance as repealed. Part VIII adds that provisions of earlier policies on School-Based Management, the School Improvement Plan and School Report Card, the School Planning Team, the PTA, the Child Protection Committee and other school-based committees are amended where they are inconsistent with it.
- **Scope.** The guidelines "shall be implemented nationwide in all public elementary and secondary schools", and they reach every school organization "in so far as their membership in the SGC is concerned" (Part II).

### Which schools the order covers

| School | What applies | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| A public elementary or secondary school | Its own council, named after the school | DO 026, s. 2022, Parts II, IV and V.G |
| An integrated school, or a school with more than one curricular offering | One council. DepEd's "SGC at a Glance" infographic, Chapter 1, says: "For schools with more than one Curricular Offering, such as integrated school (K - 12), ES with JHS (K - 10), and JHS with SHS, only one (1) SGC shall be organized." The order itself is silent on the point | BHROD-SED infographic, Chapter 1 |
| An elementary school and a secondary school with separate school IDs under one school head | Two councils. In a briefing to regional coordinators on January 19, 2026, DepEd's School Effectiveness Division answered no to the question whether one council could serve both: each council carries its school's name, and each school has its own School Improvement Plan | DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.G; BHROD-SED briefing to regional coordinators, January 19, 2026 |
| A small or multigrade school | A council all the same. Teachers and other council members may represent more than one organization; the school head may represent none | DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D |
| A private school | Not covered. The order applies to public schools | DO 026, s. 2022, Part II |
| A school in the Bangsamoro region | The order lists the Minister of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) among those it is addressed to. Schools there are under that Ministry: the region's education system is the Bangsamoro Government's to establish and maintain under [Republic Act No. 11054](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2018/07/27/republic-act-no-11054/). DO 026 does not say how it applies in the region | DO 026, s. 2022, addressees; RA 11054, Art. IX, Sec. 16 |

DepEd's assessment of secondary school councils covered 16 regions and 217 divisions, and its 2026 pilot test in elementary schools drew from 17 regions. Neither included the Bangsamoro region. [Education in the Bangsamoro: EDCOM II Findings for BARMM](https://nash.com.ph/blog/bangsamoro-education-barmm-edcom-ii) covers how the region's schools are governed.

## What the SGC is for: two purposes and thirteen functions

The council has "two major purposes: structure for shared governance and feedback mechanism" (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V, General Purpose). As the first, it is "an avenue where the democratic process of consultation with the school's internal and external stakeholders in the decision-making will be observed". As the second, it is "a feedback link between the school stakeholders (learners, parents, and other school stakeholders) and school management (school head and personnel) on school performance and service quality".

Each purpose carries three functions.

| Purpose | The SGC shall | Part |
|---|---|---|
| Structure for shared governance | Serve as "a collective and consultative body for school plans, programs, activities, and strategic directions" | V.A, item 1 |
| | Serve as "the overall coordinating body" that puts together the work of the school's committees, among them the School Planning Team, the School Disaster Risk Reduction Management Committee, the Child Protection Committee, the learner government, the faculty club, the non-teaching association, the PTA and the alumni association | V.A, item 2 |
| | Serve as a platform for stakeholders to support the school and take part in carrying out DepEd policies and programs, "while promoting equal opportunity for all regardless of age, gender, disability, marital status, ethnicity, and religious beliefs" | V.A, item 3 |
| Feedback mechanism | Help the school "improve and sustain its feedback system by strengthening practices that promote stakeholders' participation" | V.B, item 1 |
| | Assist the school "in ensuring transparency in its operations and performance, specifically school programs and resources management" | V.B, item 2 |
| | Recommend "ways of improving the quality of basic education services and school performance to the school management and school planning team", and the school's means of upholding children's rights | V.B, item 3 |

"Given the dual purpose", the order then lists thirteen specific functions (Part V, Specific Functions). The SGC shall:

1. Take part actively in formulating and carrying out the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and other DepEd programs, projects and activities.
2. Tell the School Planning Team (SPT) and project teams what learners and stakeholders say about the physical and financial accomplishment of the SIP and the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP), and how satisfied they are, and recommend ways to improve the school's services.
3. Recommend local programs and projects to the school, and to the local government unit (LGU) through the Local School Board (LSB), that are consistent with national policies or are "needs-based, data-driven, gender-responsive and inclusive".
4. Organize meetings, "through the School Head", to harmonize the programs of the school's committees and to build partnerships and networks with alumni, businesses, donors, retirees, religious groups, civil society, LGUs and other external stakeholders, face to face or online.
5. Submit a semi-annual accomplishment report with an action plan, "through and with the approval of the School Head", to the SDS and the LGUs, and integrate it in the School Report Card (SRC).
6. Support the release of school data, sex-disaggregated, through the SRC, the Transparency Board, the WASH in Schools Three Star Approach report, the school-based child protection checklist, school safety reports and other tools.
7. Conduct orientation and advocacy on the value of education, on the roles of parents, the community, industry and LGUs in it, and on children's rights.
8. Attend school meetings and assemblies "in which all sectors are properly represented".
9. Prepare a report on any irregularities or violations of the guidelines, to be filed with the proper disciplining authority.
10. Attend and conduct school-level training on its role "for the effective oversight of school planning and resource use".
11. Work with the Child Rights in Education Desk, the Child Protection Unit and similar DepEd bodies on projects that uphold children's rights.
12. Work with the Child Protection Committee on projects and interventions, so that in all decisions involving children "the paramount consideration is the best interest of the child", children's views are heard, and no child is left behind or discriminated against.
13. Work with the SPT on programs, projects and initiatives for developing and carrying out the SIP and AIP.

Function 9 has a twin in the rules on school funds. [DepEd Order No. 008, s. 2019](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2019/05/02/may-2-2019-do-008-s-2019-revised-implementing-guidelines-on-the-direct-release-use-monitoring-and-reporting-of-maintenance-and-other-operating-expenses-allocation-of-schools-including-other-fu/), on school Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), says the council "may prepare a report on any irregularity or violations of these implementing guidelines", to be filed with the proper disciplining authority (Sec. VIII, item 2).

## What the SGC is not

**It is not the school's management.** The first of its limits reads: "It shall not directly manage the school because it is the responsibility of the School Head" (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.M, Limitations of SGC Authority, item 1). Class programs, teacher assignments, discipline, funds and contracts stay where RA 9155 and DepEd's rules put them. [RA 9155 Duties of DepEd School Heads: 12 Areas Explained](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ra-9155-school-head-duties) lists what the law gives the school head.

**It is not a separate legal person.** "As the SGC bears the name of the school and is a school organization in nature, it does not have a separate and distinct juridical personality apart from the school" (Part V.G). The council therefore signs no contract and binds the school to nothing. An agreement with a partner is the school head's to sign.

**It replaces no other body.** "The SGC shall not replace the Parents Teacher Association (PTA), Supreme Pupil/Student Government, School Planning Team (SPT), Alumni Association, Child Protection Committee (CPC), and other existing school committees/associations/organizations" (Part V, General Purpose). It is meant to bring their work together "through shared governance, shared commitment, and shared accountability".

The table sets the council beside the bodies it is most often confused with.

| Body | Rule | Who leads it | What it is for | Where it meets the SGC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Governance Council | DO 026, s. 2022 | A Designated and an Elected Co-Chairperson; the school head is outside it | Consultation, coordination of school organizations, feedback | |
| Parent-Teacher Association | [DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2022](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2022/03/18/march-18-2022-do-013-s-2022-omnibus-guidelines-on-the-regulation-of-operations-of-the-parent-teacher-associations/) | A board elected by its members. "The school head shall only serve as adviser to the SPTA" (Sec. 8.3) | An association of parents and school personnel, with its own officers, funds and projects | It appoints one ex-officio member. DO 013 lists representing PTA members in the SGC among the privileges of a recognized school PTA (Sec. 23.1.3.1) |
| Learner government | Named the Supreme Pupil Government and Supreme Student Government (SPG/SSG) in DO 026; renamed the Supreme Elementary Learner Government (SELG) and the Supreme Secondary Learner Government (SSLG) by the Office of the Undersecretary for Operations' [Interim Guidelines of the Learner Government Program for School Year 2023-2024](https://region8.deped.gov.ph/2023/05/30/may-30-2023-rm-518-s-2023-interim-guidelines-of-the-learner-government-program-lgp-for-school-year-2023-2024/) (May 5, 2023), the names [DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/04/16/april-16-2026-do-009-s-2026-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-three-term-school-calendar-in-basic-education/) uses | Officers the learners elect | The learners' own government | It appoints one ex-officio member. An adviser may accompany the learner to meetings (DO 026, Part V.M) |
| Faculty club or its equivalent | The teachers' own organization in the school | Its officers | The teachers' voice | It appoints one ex-officio member |
| School Planning Team | DO 44, s. 2015 | The school head, as team leader | Prepares the SIP and the AIP | At least one SPT member should be a member of the council. The council brings stakeholders' feedback to the team and works with it (functions 2 and 13) |
| Child Protection Committee | [DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2012/05/14/do-40-s-2012-deped-child-protection-policy/), Sec. 10 | The school head, as chairperson | Drafts the school child protection policy and runs the referral and monitoring system | The council works with it on programs (function 12). Cases stay with the committee |
| Alumni association | Its own rules | Its officers | Support from former learners | It may be chosen as a council member (Part V.D) |
| Local School Board | Republic Act No. 7160, Secs. 98 and 99 | The local chief executive and the superintendent or district supervisor, as co-chairs | A local government body that budgets the Special Education Fund | It is outside the school. The council recommends programs to the LGU through it (function 3) |

Two rules keep the council from crowding these bodies. It "shall respect the grievance procedures or mechanisms by the committees/associations/organizations within the school" (Limitations, item 6). And when it adopts a recommendation, "The implementation of the decision shall be referred to the implementing committee/association/organization that has the mandate and authority to execute the resolution" (Part V.M, Decisions). The PTA's own rules, on officers, collections and funds, are in [School Governance Council, PTA and Partners: A Guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-governance-council-pta-partnerships).

## How the SGC is structured

The order draws the council as a figure: the School Principal on one side, tied to the council, and inside it the Designated Co-Chairperson, the Elected Co-Chairperson, the Elected Secretary and the other council members, voting and non-voting (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.C). The figure is redrawn below. Open a part to read what the order says of it, or play the six steps by which a school with no council forms one.

**Figure. The structure of a School Governance Council.** On the page, the order's figure is redrawn: the school head beside the council, and inside it the Designated Co-Chairperson, the Elected Co-Chairperson, the Elected Secretary and the other council members, voting and non-voting. A reader can open each part or play the six steps by which a council forms.

**School Principal** (beside the council, not in it)

- Place: The figure draws the school head outside the council, tied to it. The council “shall not directly manage the school because it is the responsibility of the School Head”, and it acts through the School Head in all its affairs. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.C, figure; Limitations of SGC Authority, items 1 and 3)
- What the school head does for it: Chooses the Designated Co-Chairperson, identifies the ex-officio members, calls and chairs the election of officers, canvasses the votes in front of the members, and signs the resolution proclaiming the officers-elect. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.C, V.H.2 and V.I; Part VI.A, item 7)
- What the school head may not do: The School Head “shall not be authorized to represent any of the school committees/associations/organizations in the SGC regardless of the school size”. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)
- With the council's recommendations: Explains to the members the reasons and effects when a recommendation is disapproved, partly approved or modified, and refers approved recommendations to the committee, association, organization or office that will carry them out. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part VI.A, items 1 and 5)

**Designated Co-Chairperson** (a school representative the school head chooses)

- Who: A “school representative chosen by the School Head”, who shows the leadership competencies of Domain 6, Community Linkages and Professional Engagement, of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.C and V.D)
- Standing: One of the four ex-officio members and a voting member. In the election of officers, “the Designated Co-Chairperson shall be excluded from the nominations”. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)
- Work: Co-leads the council, prepares the agenda with the Elected Co-Chairperson, signs its communications and notices, discusses the council's direction with the School Head, and calls and presides over meetings “in the absence of the Elected Co-Chairperson”. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.E, item 1)
- Term and vacancy: Three school years. When the position falls vacant, the School Head selects another school representative with the same competencies. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.J and V.K)

**Elected Co-Chairperson** (an external stakeholder the council elects)

- Who: Chosen “from the external stakeholders within the council through voting”: a parent, a community member or another outside partner who sits as a voting member. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.C)
- How elected: By secret voting among the voting members, each voting for one candidate, with the School Head in the chair. The votes are counted in front of all members on the same day, and a tie is settled by a coin toss or by drawing lots. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.I)
- Work: Calls and presides over all meetings of the council. Where both co-chairpersons are present at a regular meeting, the Elected Co-Chairperson presides. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.E, item 2; Part V.M, Meetings)
- Term and vacancy: Three school years. A vacancy is filled by an election among the voting members within 15 days, and the new officer serves the remaining period. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.J and V.K)

**Elected Secretary** (a voting member the council elects)

- How elected: From the voting council members, in the same election as the Elected Co-Chairperson. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D and V.I)
- Notices and minutes: Issues the notice of a meeting to all members at least a week before it, records attendance, and gives every member a legible copy of the minutes within two weeks after the meeting. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.E, item 3)
- Records and reports: Keeps the minutes and all other records of the council within the school, and leads the quarterly reports of its activities for the school's Transparency Board and School Report Card. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.E, item 3; Part V.M, Storage of Documents)
- Term: Three school years, as for the two co-chairpersons. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.J)

**Other Council Members** (voting, and non-voting once the council expands)

- Who they are: Heads, presidents or assigned representatives of the school's other committees, associations and organizations, including school-based Alternative Learning System teachers and learners, reputable members of the community, and representatives of community organizations that government authorities recognize. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)
- Indigenous Cultural Communities: In a school in an ancestral domain, or with learners from Indigenous Cultural Communities, a community representative chosen by the community's customary governance structure, or in its customary way, “shall have a slot as a council member”. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)
- Two kinds: With expanded membership the council has voting and non-voting council members. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)

**Voting Council Members** (7 to 15, the three officers among them)

- How many: Seven to fifteen, as the four ex-officio members decide for the school's typology. The count includes the four ex-officio members, and the figure's note counts the three officers within it. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D; Part V.C, figure)
- The four ex-officio members: The Designated Co-Chairperson and one representative each from the student government, the Parents-Teachers Association, and the faculty club or its equivalent. A representative need not be the organization's president or chairperson. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)
- How the rest are chosen: The four ex-officio members select them “through a deliberative and consensus process”. The selection must be gender-responsive, non-discriminatory and inclusive. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)
- Vote and term: They vote on matters that need a consensus decision and elect the officers. A voting member holds office for at most three school years. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.F, item 1; Part V.J)

**Non-Voting Council Members** (additional members, with no vote)

- When: Only in an expanded council, and expansion “shall only be considered once the seven (7) to 15 SGC membership is complete”. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)
- Who: Former council members who wish to extend their membership and are still active in the organization they represented, and additional members whom the incumbent voting members select collectively. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)
- What they do: Attend meetings, raise the concerns of learners and stakeholders, propose agenda and link the school with partners. The order's list of their duties leaves out casting a vote and representing an organization in the council. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.F, item 2)
- After a term: A voting member or officer whose three school years have ended may stay in the council as a non-voting member, “to ensure continuity in the implementation of SIP”. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.J)

**How a council forms**

1. **The school head orients the school.** The School Head orients the school's internal stakeholders about the policy. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.H.2, item a)
2. **Four ex-officio members are named.** The School Head designates a school representative as Co-Chairperson and identifies the representatives of the student government, the PTA, and the faculty club or its equivalent. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.H.2, item b; Part V.D)
3. **The four complete the council.** The ex-officio members fix the number of members, from 7 to 15, and select the rest through a deliberative and consensus process. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.H.2, item c; Part V.D)
4. **The council elects its officers.** The voting members elect a Co-Chairperson from the external stakeholders and a Secretary, by secret voting chaired by the School Head, on or before the sixth week after the opening of classes. The Designated Co-Chairperson is not nominated. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.H.2, items d and e; Part V.I)
5. **The school inducts the council.** After the election and the completion of the membership, the school may formally induct the SGC. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.H.2, item f)
6. **The council may expand.** Once the 7 to 15 voting membership is complete, the council may add non-voting members: former members who stay on, and others the voting members select. (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D)

Four points explain the design.

**Two co-chairpersons, one from inside the school and one from outside.** "The Designated Co-Chairperson shall be a school representative chosen by the School Head, while the Elected Co-Chairperson shall be chosen from the external stakeholders within the council through voting" (Part V.C). DepEd's 2022 policy orientation gives the reason: shared governance and shared leadership "are strengthened by devolving power to school stakeholders by providing them spaces to lead".

**The elected one presides.** "In the conduct of regular meetings where both Co-Chairpersons are present, the Elected Co-Chairperson shall be the one to preside over such meetings" (Part V.M), and the Designated Co-Chairperson presides "in the absence of the Elected Co-Chairperson" (Part V.E, item 1). DepEd's "SGC at a Glance" infographic, Chapter 2, describes the two as sharing the chair "based on their agreed terms and arrangements on who presides meetings if both are present". The order's rule governs: an arrangement between the two cannot give the chair of a regular meeting to the Designated Co-Chairperson while the Elected Co-Chairperson is in the room.

**The school head is outside the council.** The order shows this in its figure and in the bar on representing any organization (Part V.D). The same infographic says it in words: "It must be stressed that the School Head (SH) is not a member of SGC", and the school head "cannot become a member of the council nor can he or she hold an office as an SGC officer". A school head therefore does not name themself Designated Co-Chairperson. The designation goes to "a school representative, who exhibits the leadership competencies reflected in Domain 6. Community Linkages and Professional Engagement of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers", adopted by [DepEd Order No. 42, s. 2017](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2017/08/11/do-42-s-2017-national-adoption-and-implementation-of-the-philippine-professional-standards-for-teachers/) (Part V.D).

**The three officers are voting members.** The officers are the Designated Co-Chairperson and the two elected officers (Part III, item 18), and the figure counts them within the 7 to 15 voting members. The Secretary may be any voting member, from inside or outside the school.

The council's name includes the school's: "School Governance Council of Jose Rizal Elementary School, or Jose Rizal Elementary School-School Governance Council" are the order's examples (Part V.G). An existing council whose name does not follow the pattern is renamed for the next school year (Part V.H.1, item d).

## Who the members of the SGC are

### The four ex-officio members

"There shall be four (4) ex-officio members of the SGC": the Designated Co-Chairperson and "representatives from the student government, PTA, and faculty club or its equivalent" (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D). Each organization appoints its own representative, "who may not necessarily be the incumbent president or chairperson". The school head identifies the four (Part V.H.2, item b).

The order defines ex-officio members as "the initial members of the council who shall select representatives of different school internal and external stakeholders who will complete the SGC" (Part III, item 7). Apart from the Designated Co-Chairperson, they hold no office unless the council elects them.

### How many members, and who may be chosen

The four ex-officio members "shall determine the total number of SGC members anywhere from seven (7) to fifteen (15) depending on the school typology", and then, "through a deliberative and consensus process", select the members who complete the council (Part V.D). The order does not define "school typology" and gives no scale that ties a number to a school's size; the four decide. DepEd's 2022 policy orientation adds that the total "Must be an odd number". The order does not require it.

The members they choose are:

- "heads/presidents/assigned representatives from other school committees/associations/organizations, including school-based Alternative Learning System (ALS) teachers and learners";
- "reputable members of the community"; and
- "representatives of community organizations duly recognized by government authorities", such as the alumni association, the education committee of the barangay, non-government organizations and religious organizations.

A prospective member "must be trustworthy, willing, or have a sincere desire to become members of the SGC, regardless of position", and driven to support the school. Before a name is confirmed, check it against the division's list of persons removed from a council, who may not sit in one for six years (Parts V.L and VI.B, item 7).

**Indigenous Cultural Communities.** "For schools located in ancestral domains and/or with learners belonging to Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs), a community representative duly chosen by the ICC's customary governance structure or chosen through the customary way of determining appropriate cultural representation shall have a slot as a council member" (Part V.D). The community chooses the person in its own way. The school does not choose for it.

**External stakeholders.** The Elected Co-Chairperson must come from the external stakeholders, so the council needs them among its voting members. Parents and guardians are external stakeholders under the order's definitions (Part III, item 8), and learners and school personnel are internal (item 10). The PTA's representative, when a parent, may therefore stand for Elected Co-Chairperson.

### What the school head does, and may not do, in forming the council

The school head "shall ensure that all school committees / organizations / associations and the external stakeholders are represented in the SGC and the selection process of the council members is gender-responsive, non-discriminatory, and inclusive". Prejudice in selecting members on grounds such as race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability or ethnic origin "shall not be tolerated" (Part V.D).

The school head does not sit for any organization: "The School Head shall not be authorized to represent any of the school committees/associations/organizations in the SGC regardless of the school size." The selection of the other members belongs to the four ex-officio members. The school head sees that it is done, and done fairly.

### Small schools and multiple representation

"In the case of small schools, the authority of multiple representations of school committees/associations/organizations in the SGC shall only be given to the teachers and other council members" (Part V.D). A teacher in a three-teacher school may thus sit for both the faculty and, say, the school's disaster risk reduction committee. The order does not define a small school, and it does not lower the minimum of seven voting members for one.

In its briefing to regional coordinators on January 19, 2026, DepEd's School Effectiveness Division answered a question about the hardest case: a school with one teacher, a cluster school head, nine learners and seven parents. Its answer was that a council "may still be organized by maximizing available stakeholders and ensuring minimum functional representation", and that "Flexibility is allowed in organizing the SGC in small, multigrade, or last-mile schools, as long as the composition remains inclusive, representative, and aligned with the intent of the policy". The same answer says "one individual may represent only one sector". The order says otherwise for small schools, and the order governs. Where a school cannot fill seven seats with seven people, the order gives no formula. Ask the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) of the SDO, which must give schools technical assistance on the policy (Part VI.B, item 8), and record the arrangement in a council resolution.

### Expanded membership: voting and non-voting members

"The SGC is encouraged to expand its membership", but "this shall only be considered once the seven (7) to 15 SGC membership is complete" (Part V.D). An expanded council has two kinds of members. Non-voting members are former council members who wish to stay and are still active in the organization they represented, and additional members "who are collectively selected by the incumbent, voting SGC members". A school whose council existed before the order may bring its former members in this way (Part V.H.1, item e).

| A member's work (Part V.F) | Voting member | Non-voting member |
|---|---|---|
| Attend meetings regularly | Yes | Yes |
| Participate in, promote and support SGC activities | Yes | Yes |
| Raise the concerns and needs of learners and other stakeholders | Yes | Yes |
| Propose agenda for the Elected Co-Chairperson's consideration | Yes | Yes |
| Help link other stakeholders to the school's priority improvement areas | Yes | Yes |
| Advocate the council's activities | Yes | Yes |
| Represent their committee, association or organization in the council | Yes | Not listed |
| "cast a vote on matters that need consensus decision" | Yes | Not listed |

All members "are expected to use respectful, gender-fair, inclusive, and culture-sensitive language" in meetings (Part V.F).

## How the officers of the SGC are elected

The school head calls the election of two officers, the Elected Co-Chairperson and the Secretary, and the order fixes a day for each step around it (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.I). Enter the first day of classes and the election day in the planner to see those days for your school.

**Planner. The dates around an SGC election.** On the page, a reader enters the first day of classes and the election day, and the planner works out the dates DepEd Order No. 026, s. 2022, Part V.I fixes around the election. The rules it applies:

- Two weeks before the election: The school head calls the election publicly and posts the notice in public areas (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.I, par. 1).
- One week before the election: Candidates file their candidacy by official communication addressed to the school head (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.I, par. 2).
- Three days before the election: Deadline for filing of candidacy (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.I, par. 2).
- Before the election; the order sets no day: The schedule of election activities and the names of candidates are posted on the transparency board and in other public areas of the school (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.I, par. 2).
- On or before the sixth week after the opening of classes: Election by secret voting, chaired by the school head; it can also serve as the council’s first meeting (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.I, pars. 1 and 3).
- The same day as the election: Canvassing in front of all members and proclamation of the officers-elect (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.I, par. 3).
- After the proclamation; the order sets no day: The resolution proclaiming the officers-elect, signed by the school head, goes to the Schools Division Office and is posted on the transparency board (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.I, par. 4).

A vacancy in the Elected Co-Chairperson or Secretary position is filled by an election among the voting members within 15 days from the day the position is vacant (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.K). The planner counts the opening day as the first day of the first week, so the sixth week ends 41 days after it; the order prints no day count.

**After the other elections.** The council's election "shall happen after the elections of other committees/associations/organizations internal to the school (for example Teachers' Association, SSG/SPG, etc.) and PTA". PTA elections are held "within thirty (30) calendar days from the first day of classes" (DO 013, s. 2022, Sec. 10.4.1), so the council's election falls between the PTA's election and the end of the sixth week. The election day "can also serve as the first meeting of the council".

**The candidates.** They "shall come from the voting council members". The Designated Co-Chairperson "shall be excluded from the nominations" (Part V.D). The co-chairperson to be elected comes from the external stakeholders. A candidate files "through official communication addressed to the school head", from one week before the election until the deadline three days before it.

**The vote.** "The election shall be done through secret voting wherein the school head shall chair the election and shall lead the canvassing of votes." Each voting member votes for one candidate for each position, and "All voting council members shall exercise their right to vote" (Part V.D). The votes are "counted in front of all SGC members" on the same day. "The candidate who garnered the highest number of votes for the position shall be declared the officer-elect", so a plurality is enough. "In case of a tie, the officer-elect will be determined through a toss coin or draw lots."

**The result.** "The resolution proclaiming the officers-elect, signed by the School Head, shall be submitted to the SDO. The submitted resolution shall be final and executory and shall not be subject to election protest." It is also posted on the transparency board and in other public areas of the school. The SGOD keeps a database of officers-elect and helps schools resolve issues raised about the election (Part VI.B, items 3 and 4). After the election, "the school may now formally induct the SGC" (Part V.H.2, item f).

**Indigenous Peoples communities.** "In Indigenous Peoples communities, election processes must be culturally sensitive and responsive to indigenous customary processes or practices that the community representatives may wish to observe. The School Head may determine the appropriate proceedings for the conduct of elections."

### Counting the sixth week

The order says "on or before the sixth week after the opening of classes" and prints no day count. More than one reading is possible. Counting the opening day as the first day of the first week, as the planner does, the sixth week ends 41 days after the opening. Counting six full weeks after the opening day gives one day more. Counting by calendar weeks gives the planner's day when classes open on a Monday, and an earlier day when they open midweek. The earliest day satisfies every reading, so plan for it.

School Year 2026-2027 opened on Monday, June 8, 2026 (DO 009, s. 2026). On the first reading, and by calendar weeks, its sixth week ended on Sunday, July 19, 2026, and the last class day in it was Friday, July 17. Counting six full weeks, the last day was Monday, July 20. With the election on Friday, July 17, the notice would have gone up by July 3, candidacies would have opened on July 10 and closed on July 14, and the PTA, whose own election was due within 30 calendar days of June 8, would already have named its representative.

DepEd's "SGC at a Glance" infographic, Chapter 2, repeats the order's words, "On or before the 6th week after the opening of classes", and adds no count.

### How often the election is held

The officers serve three school years, so the full election comes once in three years, not every year. A council organized in School Year 2022-2023 completed its first three school years in School Year 2024-2025. In the years between, the only elections are those that fill a vacancy.

## Terms, vacancies and removal of SGC members

### Three school years

"All voting SGC members shall hold office for a maximum of three (3) School Years (SY). Accordingly, all SGC officers (Designated Co-Chairperson, Elected Co-Chairperson, and Secretary) shall serve and assume their positions for three (3) SYs" (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.J). The term matches the SIP, which the order defines as "a three-year roadmap" (Part III, item 15). After the term, a member "may continue to be a part of the council and participate in the council's activities as non-voting members to ensure continuity in the implementation of SIP". The order sets a maximum of three school years for a voting member and provides one road after it, non-voting membership.

Terms inside the member organizations are shorter. PTA officers serve one year (DO 013, s. 2022, Sec. 11.5.1), and learner governments are elected every year. DO 026 expects this: a representative need not be an organization's president. DepEd's FAQ decks on the assessment tool, issued in November 2023, January 2024 and April 2024, answer the common case. Asked whether a school must elect a new Elected Co-Chairperson when that officer's term as PTA president ends, they say no: "All elected SGC officers shall hold office for three consecutive school years. In the event that the PTA president will be elected as an SGC Officer, he/ she shall relinquish his/her post as member of the PTA in the SGC. He/she shall be replaced by another PTA representative." The order contains no such rule. The answer is DepEd's own reading, and it keeps the PTA's seat filled while the officer serves out the term. A council that follows it should keep its voting members within fifteen. [SELG and SSLG: The Learner Government in Public Schools](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-learner-government-selg-sslg) covers how the learner government is elected and who its officers are.

### Vacancies

| Vacant seat | Who fills it | How |
|---|---|---|
| Elected Co-Chairperson or Secretary | The voting members | The school head opens nominations from the voting members and holds an election "within (15) days from the day the position is rendered or considered vacant". The new officer "shall immediately assume the position and serve the remaining period" |
| Designated Co-Chairperson | The school head | The school head selects another school representative with the same Domain 6 competencies. The order sets no period |
| Any other voting member | The ex-officio members | "through a consensus process". The replacement serves "for the duration of the unexpired term" |

*Source: DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.K.*

When the school head changes in the middle of a school year, the outgoing head orients the two co-chairpersons on the council's updates and activities and turns over all SGC documents (Part VI.A, item 6).

### Removal: the nine grounds

A member "shall be removed from the council" for any of nine acts (Part V.L):

1. **Misrepresentation of the SGC:** entering into a contract or an activity "using his/her membership of the SGC as an edge for personal gain", or representing the council beyond what the member is authorized to.
2. **Solicitation of financial resources:** seeking money from any person or group "using the council and/or the school as the beneficiaries for personal gain".
3. **Acts that go against the interest of the school and learners:** leading or joining an activity that is not in accordance with the school's identified needs or directions, or that prejudices the interest of learners.
4. **Gross negligence:** "a conscious disregard of safety precautions or standard operating procedures resulting to grave damage, injury, or harm".
5. **Fostering disunity in the school:** joining activities or gathering people "with the intention to create hostility, enmity, animosity against the school".
6. **Committing or supporting unlawful acts:** taking part in any activity that violates laws and DepEd policies.
7. **Acts of discrimination and gender violence** under the applicable laws and rules.
8. **Abuse of authority:** "use or misuse of authority in deliberate and capricious manner".
9. **Other acts or omissions analogous** to these.

### Removal: due process, the vote and the appeal

"The removal from SGC of any member shall only be implemented after the accused member has been accorded with due process" (Part V.L). The steps are fixed:

1. Any member files a written motion or complaint addressed to the Elected Co-Chairperson. It names the member, states the prohibited act and its circumstances, and attaches supporting documents if there are any.
2. The Elected Co-Chairperson conducts special meetings, with notice to the parties.
3. The member complained of may respond in writing within three days from receipt of the notice, "or before the School Head who shall call a special meeting with the council to discuss the matter".
4. The voting members discuss the case and decide by voting "no later than seven (7) days from the receipt of the written motion/complaint". Removal requires "a two-thirds (2/3) consensus vote of all SGC members".
5. The decision is put in writing, signed by the SGC officers, and given to the member, with a copy to the SGOD of the SDO.

A decision to remove "shall be immediately executory", and the member "shall be suspended from being an SGC member for a period of six (6) years". The SGOD keeps the list of disqualified members "for ready reference of schools".

The member may appeal to the SDS "within a period of fifteen days (15) from receipt of the decision". The SGOD reports its findings and recommendations to the superintendent, and "The decision of the SDS shall be final."

The school head neither removes a member nor votes. The school head's part is to see that the steps are kept: the complaint in writing, the notice, the three days to answer, the vote of the voting members, the written decision and the copy to the SGOD. The order routes every complaint through the Elected Co-Chairperson and does not say who acts when that officer is the one complained of. In that case, ask the SGOD, which must "ensure compliance of procedures in the removal from office of SGC members" (Part VI.B, item 6).

Removal ends council membership. It is not an administrative case. For irregularities and violations of the guidelines that call for discipline, the council's report goes to "the proper disciplining authority" (Specific Functions, item 9).

## How the SGC works through a school year

DO 026, s. 2022 sets how the council meets, decides, spends and keeps its records (Part V.M). DepEd's SGC To-Do Calendar, released by Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2025-1774 on June 30, 2025, lays that work over four quarters, once for a school with no council yet and once for a school with one, and names the document each activity should leave behind. Choose your case below.

**Figure. A council’s year, quarter by quarter.** On the page, the SGC To-Do Calendar (Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2025-1774) is set out by quarter for a school with no council yet and a school with one; each activity shows the functionality indicators it leaves a minimum means of verification (MOV) for. DepEd’s SGC To-Do Calendar sets a council’s activities by quarter and names the document each one leaves behind. In a quarter of routine work, five activities leave a minimum means of verification for all twelve functionality indicators.

**For Schools with no existing SGC**

- Quarter 1 (indicators covered: FI1, FI8):
  - Opening of Classes
  - Election of School Organizations
  - Call for Elections. Leaves: FI1: Notice of Meeting
  - Filing of Candidacy
  - Election Proper. Leaves: FI1: Notice of Meeting
  - Induction of SGC Members. Leaves: FI8: SGC Resolution on involving various sectors
- Quarter 2 (indicators covered: FI1, FI2, FI3, FI4, FI5, FI6, FI7, FI8, FI9, FI10, FI11, FI12):
  - SGC Regular Meetings. Leaves: FI1: Notice of Meeting | FI3: SGC Resolution on applicable recommendation | FI5: Copy of the communication/ transmital letter to the School Head reflecting the direction of the SGC | FI7: SGC Resolution recommending the SIP to LSB; Any document recommending policy/ program to the LSB, based on the SIP
  - Participation in the Regular Meeting with SPT. Leaves: FI1: Notice of Meeting | FI2: Minutes of the Meeting with SPT on SIP; SGC Quarterly Progress Report | FI5: Copy of the communication/ transmital letter to the School Head reflecting the direction of the SGC | FI7: SGC Resolution recommending the SIP to LSB; Any document recommending policy/ program to the LSB, based on the SIP | FI9: SGC Report on the issues/concerns raised during school activities/events | FI12: SGC Resolution on the recommendation on ways of improving the quality of SIP, AIP and other DepEd Programs
  - SGC meeting/ discussions/ forums with different school stakeholders. Leaves: FI1: Notice of Meeting | FI4: Minutes of the Meeting with stakeholders on programs, projects, and activities | FI5: Copy of the communication/ transmital letter to the School Head reflecting the direction of the SGC | FI8: SGC Resolution on involving various sectors | FI10: Documentation of the organized/conducted program
  - Involvement/ Participation to stakeholder Initiated programs. Leaves: FI6: Minutes of the Meeting with stakeholders on stakeholder-intiated programs and activities | FI9: SGC Report on the issues/concerns raised during school activities/events
  - Promotion to access to school data and information through the Transparency Board, SRC and other reports. Leaves: FI11: SGC Resolution on access to information (school data and information); SGC Action Plan on promoting access to information
- Quarter 3: the same activities as Quarter 2.
- Quarter 4: the same activities as Quarter 3.

**For Schools with existing SGC**

- Quarter 1 (indicators covered: FI1, FI2, FI3, FI4, FI5, FI6, FI7, FI8, FI9, FI10, FI11, FI12):
  - SGC Regular Meetings. Leaves: FI1: Notice of Meeting | FI3: SGC Resolution on applicable recommendation | FI5: Copy of the communication/ transmital letter to the School Head reflecting the direction of the SGC | FI7: SGC Resolution recommending the SIP to LSB; Any document recommending policy/ program to the LSB, based on the SIP
  - Participation in the Regular Meeting with SPT. Leaves: FI1: Notice of Meeting | FI2: Minutes of the Meeting with SPT on SIP; SGC Quarterly Progress Report | FI5: Copy of the communication/ transmital letter to the School Head reflecting the direction of the SGC | FI7: SGC Resolution recommending the SIP to LSB; Any document recommending policy/ program to the LSB, based on the SIP | FI9: SGC Report on the issues/concerns raised during school activities/events | FI12: SGC Resolution on the recommendation on ways of improving the quality of SIP, AIP and other DepEd Programs
  - SGC meeting/ discussions/ forums with different school stakeholders. Leaves: FI1: Notice of Meeting | FI4: Minutes of the Meeting with stakeholders on programs, projects, and activities | FI5: Copy of the communication/ transmital letter to the School Head reflecting the direction of the SGC | FI8: SGC Resolution on involving various sectors | FI10: Documentation of the organized/conducted program
  - Involvement/ Participation to stakeholder Initiated programs. Leaves: FI6: Minutes of the Meeting with stakeholders on stakeholder-intiated programs and activities | FI9: SGC Report on the issues/concerns raised during school activities/events
  - Promotion to access to school data and information through the Transparency Board, SRC and other reports. Leaves: FI11: SGC Resolution on access to information (school data and information); SGC Action Plan on promoting access to information
- Quarter 2: the same activities as Quarter 1.
- Quarter 3: the same activities as Quarter 2.
- Quarter 4: the same activities as Quarter 3.

The calendar is an advocacy material. Its memorandum calls it "a personalized tool that SGCs may customize by setting up activities based on their preferred dates and specific tasks", and advises councils "to align the activities set for each quarter and prepare the necessary Means of Verification (MOV) to accurately document progress". A school with no council spends the first quarter forming one. Every quarter after that, and every quarter for a school that has a council, carries the same five activities: a regular meeting, the SPT's regular meeting, a meeting or forum with other stakeholders, a stakeholder-initiated program, and the release of school data through the Transparency Board and the SRC. The rules under each activity are the order's, and they follow.

### Meetings

- **How often.** "At the minimum, SGC meetings shall be held quarterly except for special meetings due to urgency." DO 009, s. 2026 divides School Year 2026-2027 into three terms, but DO 026 still says quarterly, and DepEd's assessment tool counts four regular meetings in a year. Plan four.
- **Where and when.** The council holds "virtual or in-person meetings at the school premises, or in such places as may be determined by the Elected Co-Chairperson for safety or other valid reasons and scheduled at a time convenient for everyone, especially for the student representative".
- **Who presides.** The Elected Co-Chairperson, when both co-chairpersons are present at a regular meeting.
- **Special meetings.** "any of the Co-Chairpersons, in consultation with the School Head, can call special meetings as the need arises".
- **Outside the school or on a weekend.** "Special meetings can be held outside the school premises or during the weekends provided that the SGC secures prior written approval from the SDS." The Elected Co-Chairperson, "through the School Head", sends the superintendent the request, with the justification, the agenda, the prospective attendees, and the time and place.
- **Notice.** "Notice of meetings for both regular and special meetings shall be issued by the Secretary to all SGC members at least a week prior to the said meeting." The co-chairpersons sign notices (Part V.E).
- **Learner members.** Members from learner organizations "may be accompanied by their respective committee's/association's/organization's adviser".
- **Resource persons.** The council may invite them for technical inputs. The order's example is a disaster risk reduction specialist when the agenda is disaster preparedness.

### The minimum procedure of a regular meeting

The order lists ten steps, in this sequence (Part V.M):

1. The Elected Co-Chairperson calls the meeting to order.
2. The Secretary calls the attendance and determines whether there is a quorum.
3. Reading and approval of the minutes.
4. Deliberation of the agenda and of unfinished issues from the previous meeting.
5. The Secretary reads or presents the agenda.
6. Approval of the agenda.
7. Discussion of the agenda.
8. Other matters.
9. Setting of the next meeting, and adjournment.
10. The minutes are made available "within two weeks after the conduct of the meeting".

### Quorum: "50% + 1 of the total SGC membership"

"In order to conduct meetings, there should be a quorum of 50% + 1 of the total SGC membership" (Part V.M). Two questions follow, and the order answers neither.

The first is whether non-voting members count. The order says "total SGC membership". DepEd's assessment tool counts differently: its sub-indicator asks whether "All regular meetings have been conducted with a quorum of 50%+1 of the total SGC voting membership", shown by "Minutes of Meetings specifying required quorum". The second is how a fraction is treated: half of seven members plus one is 4.5.

A council that rounds up and counts both ways is safe on every reading. Have the Secretary record in the minutes how many voting members there are and how many are present, and the same two numbers for the whole membership when the council has non-voting members. The table gives the counts for the voting members.

| Voting members | Half plus one | Present, rounded up | Two-thirds | Votes, rounded up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.67 | 5 |
| 8 | 5 | 5 | 5.33 | 6 |
| 9 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 10 | 6 | 6 | 6.67 | 7 |
| 11 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.33 | 8 |
| 12 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| 13 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.67 | 9 |
| 14 | 8 | 8 | 9.33 | 10 |
| 15 | 8.5 | 9 | 10 | 10 |

*The order prints no such table and does not say that fractions are rounded up. The rounded columns are the smallest whole numbers that meet the order's fractions.*

### Decisions, and what happens to a resolution

"All recommendations of the SGC shall be made by two-thirds (2/3) consensus of all SGC members and shall be binding on all council members and on the school organizations and committees they represent" (Part V.M, Decisions).

The fraction is of all members, not of those present. The order does not say whether "all SGC members" takes in non-voting members, who have no vote. Read with the rest of the order, the members who count are the voting members: only they "cast a vote on matters that need consensus decision" (Part V.F), DepEd's 2022 policy orientation says a non-voting member "cannot cast a vote on matters that need consensus decision", and in a removal case it is "The voting SGC members" who decide. A council of nine voting members thus needs six in favor, whether nine or six attend.

A resolution then takes this path:

1. **It is written and signed.** "The decision shall be in writing, signed by the SGC members and posted on the transparency board." DepEd's tool asks for a resolution "signed by all SGC voting members". The 2026 User Guide goes further: a resolution is valid only when it is "duly approved and signed by the voting members and the School Head using wet signatures" (Vol. 2, p. 9). The order asks for no signature from the school head, who is not a member. A resolution that every voting member signs by hand, and that the school head also signs, meets all three.
2. **Copies go out.** "The Secretary shall ensure that the different internal and external organizations and stakeholders are provided with a copy of the SGC resolution at least a week after the approval."
3. **The school head acts on it.** A recommendation binds the council's members and their organizations. It does not bind the school head, who approves, partly approves, modifies or disapproves it, and who must "explain to the SGC members the reasons, potential risks, or effects of matters in case of disapproval, partial approval or modification of the recommendations" (Part VI.A, item 1). DepEd's 2022 policy orientation draws the same sequence: members consult stakeholders, the council decides and recommends, and the "School Head decides on the proposal and/or recommendation of the SGC".
4. **It is carried out by the body with the mandate.** The school head refers an approved recommendation "to the appropriate committee/association/organization or office/person, as may be warranted, for its implementation or appropriate action" (Part VI.A, item 5). The council does not carry out its own resolutions.

### Budget: MOOE, canteen funds and grants

"Budget for meetings and other SGC activities shall be charged to the school operating budget or other local funds such as school MOOE or Canteen Funds. Expenses of SGC shall be subject to regular accounting and auditing rules and regulations" (Part V.M, Budget). The order gives the council no fund of its own: its meeting costs are school expenses, programmed and liquidated like any other. [DepEd School MOOE: Allowable Expenses and Liquidation](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-mooe) and [DepEd School Canteen Guidelines: Operations and Funds](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-canteen-operations-funds) cover the two funds.

"The SGCs may avail grants from donors provided that the availment of grants and disbursement of funds shall be in accordance with the existing policies on partnership and donations (e.g. DO 24, s. 2016, DO 40, s. 2015, among others)." In the order's definitions, to avail of a grant is for the school to receive it "as represented by the School Head" (Part III, item 1).

DepEd's 2022 policy orientation adds a point the order does not state in so many words: "the SGC is not authorized to raise funds for its operations", though it may tap organizations such as the PTA or the alumni association "to lead resource mobilization". This fits the order, which lets the council act only through the school head and makes soliciting money for personal gain a ground for removal.

### Records, and public access to them

- **Who keeps them.** "The SGC documents, decisions/resolutions, and minutes of meetings shall be stored, maintained, and secured within the school premises by the incumbent SGC Secretary" (Part V.M, Storage of Documents).
- **Digital copies.** All of them "shall have digital copies and shall be accessible to the school administrator for easy consolidation and retrieval".
- **Posting.** Resolutions and decisions go on the transparency or bulletin board.
- **Minutes.** The Secretary gives every member a legible copy "within two weeks after the conduct of meeting" (Part V.E, item 3).
- **Reports.** The Secretary prepares quarterly reports of the council's activities for the Transparency Board and the SRC. These feed the semi-annual accomplishment report that goes, with the school head's approval, to the SDS and the LGUs (Part V.E, item 3; Specific Functions, item 5).
- **Public access.** SGC documents and minutes "shall be made accessible to the public upon submission of a written request, indicating the purpose, addressed to the SGC Secretary who shall validate the request". The Secretary then informs the school administrator, who releases the document. "However, the SGC shall not release highly confidential information as provided by law and DepEd policies."

### Partners, and who signs agreements

Council members are encouraged to look for partners. Once a partner is interested in supporting the SIP, "the concerned SGC members shall immediately refer them to the School Head who is authorized to formalize agreements with partners" (Part V.M, External Partnership). The agreement is "a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), Deed of Donations (DOD), Deed of Acceptance (DOA), or other types of partnership agreement".

[DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2015](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2015/08/28/do-40-s-2015-guidelines-on-k-to-12-partnerships/) requires that "All partnerships at the school level must be covered by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)" (Sec. D, item 3) and makes school heads "the official signatories of partnership agreements" entered into by schools (Sec. E). Donations follow [DepEd Order No. 24, s. 2016](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2016/04/25/do-24-s-2016-guidelines-on-accepting-donations-and-on-processing-applications-for-the-availment-of-tax-incentives-by-private-donor-partners-supporting-the-k-to-12-program/). The steps, and the partners a school may not accept, are in [School Governance Council, PTA and Partners: A Guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-governance-council-pta-partnerships).

## The seven limits of the SGC's authority

"As a collective and consultative body, the following are the limitations of the SGC" (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.M, Limitations of SGC Authority):

| Limit | In the order's words | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "It shall not directly manage the school because it is the responsibility of the School Head" | The council recommends. It gives no instruction to teachers or staff |
| 2 | "It shall act as one body and not individually in performing its functions and responsibilities" | No member, and no officer alone, speaks or acts for the council without its decision |
| 3 | "It shall always coordinate and act through the School Head in the conduct of its affairs and shall not act on its own in any transactions involving the school" | Letters to the SDS, the LGU and partners pass through the school head |
| 4 | "It shall not enter into or be bound by any contractual transactions for and on behalf of the school" | A co-chairperson's signature commits the school to nothing |
| 5 | "All recommendations and decisions of the SGC shall conform to existing laws and policies and regulations of DepEd. It shall conduct its affairs in keeping with the schools' decision-making process" | A two-thirds vote cannot make a prohibited act lawful |
| 6 | "The SGC shall respect the grievance procedures or mechanisms by the committees/associations/organizations within the school" | A dispute inside the PTA or the faculty club is settled under that body's own rules |
| 7 | "It shall not disclose confidential data such as learner records and other personal information pursuant to the data privacy act and other related issuances" | Data given to the council is in totals. Names, grades and case records stay out |

The act named in the seventh limit is [Republic Act No. 10173](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/08/15/republic-act-no-10173/), the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

## What the school head must do for the SGC

"The School Head shall ensure that all decisions, directions, and initiatives of the council are aligned with and responsive to the school's needs, priorities, and context" (DO 026, s. 2022, Part VI.A). The order then lists seven tasks. The school head shall:

1. "explain to the SGC members the reasons, potential risks, or effects of matters in case of disapproval, partial approval or modification of the recommendations, or as may be requested by the SGC as part of the consultation process";
2. "implement policies in partnership with SGC that are in accordance with DepEd policies, administrative instructions, and government legislation";
3. "provide proper and timely information on the progress of the implementation of activities supportive of SIP";
4. "establish inclusive school and community networks by encouraging activity involvement and representation of school stakeholders from all backgrounds or sectors in the school improvement process";
5. "refer the approved SGC recommendations to the appropriate committee/association/organization or office/person, as may be warranted, for its implementation or appropriate action";
6. "orient the Designated and Elected Co-Chairpersons about SGC updates and activities and properly turn-over all SGC documents in case there is a change of school leadership in the middle of the school year"; and
7. "chair the SGC election for the positions of Co-Chairperson and Secretary and canvass the votes in front of the SGC members".

Other parts of the order add to the list.

| The school head also | Part |
|---|---|
| Orients the school's internal stakeholders, or the existing council, on the policy | V.H |
| Designates the Designated Co-Chairperson, and a new one when the seat falls vacant | V.C, V.D, V.K |
| Identifies the four ex-officio members, and sees that every organization and the external stakeholders are represented | V.D, V.H.2 |
| Calls the election, receives the candidacies, and signs the resolution proclaiming the officers-elect, which goes to the SDO | V.I |
| Holds an election within 15 days when the Elected Co-Chairperson's or the Secretary's seat falls vacant | V.K |
| Is consulted before a co-chairperson calls a special meeting, and forwards requests for meetings outside the school or on weekends to the SDS | V.M |
| Approves the semi-annual accomplishment report before it goes to the SDS and the LGUs | Specific Functions, item 5 |
| Signs agreements with partners the council refers | V.M, External Partnership |

### What the division, the region and the Central Office do

| Level and office | What it does for the SGC | Part |
|---|---|---|
| Schools Division Office, through the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) | Orients and trains school heads and other personnel. Writes operational guidelines or implementation plans. Helps schools resolve issues about the election. Keeps a database of officers-elect. Assesses schools' situation and needs. Ensures the removal procedure is followed, and keeps the list of disqualified members. Gives schools technical assistance, and tracks its results. Monitors the councils' performance and the implementation of the guidelines | VI.B, items 1 to 11 |
| Schools Division Superintendent | Approves in writing, beforehand, special meetings held outside the school or on weekends. Receives the semi-annual accomplishment report. Decides appeals from removal, and the decision is final | V.M; Specific Functions, item 5; V.L |
| Regional Office, through the Field Technical Assistance Division (FTAD) | Writes operational guidelines or implementation plans consistent with national policies. Analyzes what SDOs need to supervise the policy. Assures quality. Keeps a record and database of the councils' programs, their impact and best practices in the region. Gives SDOs technical assistance, and monitors and evaluates it | VI.C, items 1 to 6 |
| Central Office, through the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-School Effectiveness Division (BHROD-SED) | Provides policy directions. Orients focal persons. Builds capacity. Develops and releases advocacy and communication materials: the policy orientation, a manual, instructional videos, and supplemental materials such as a calendar of activities and FAQs. Monitors and evaluates the policy. Conducts policy reviews. Gives technical assistance to regions | VI.D, items 1 to 7 |

What the SGOD and the FTAD do beyond the council is in [Schools Division Office Functions: OSDS, CID and SGOD](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-schools-division-office-functions) and [DepEd Regional Office Functions: What Each Division Does](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-regional-office-functions). [Who Decides What in DepEd? RA 9155's Five Levels](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-governance-levels-who-decides) sets the levels side by side.

## How the SGC connects to SBM, the SIP, the School Report Card, child protection and the Local School Board

**School-Based Management.** DO 026 calls SBM "the face of shared governance in schools" and expects the council to "contribute in strengthening the implementation of School-Based Management". Under [DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/05/20/may-16-2024-do-007-s-2024-policy-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-revised-school-based-management-sbm-system/), which repealed the 2012 SBM order, a school rates itself on "The school has a functional School Governance Council (SGC)" (Annex A, indicator 24, under Governance and Accountability), from "Not yet manifested" to "Always manifested". DO 007 does not say what makes a council functional. DO 026, Part VII does, and [DepEd Revised SBM: DO 007, s. 2024 and the Self-Assessment](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-based-management) covers the rest of the checklist.

**The SIP and the AIP.** Three of the thirteen functions tie the council to the plan: taking part in formulating and carrying out the SIP, bringing stakeholders' feedback on the SIP and AIP to the SPT, and working with the SPT on programs (functions 1, 2 and 13). DO 44, s. 2015 ties the team to the council from its side: "at least one of your members should be a member of the School Governing Council (SGC)". The council's three-year term runs with the plan's three years. [DepEd School Improvement Plan (SIP): Steps, AIP and SRC](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-improvement-plan) follows the cycle.

**The School Report Card and the transparency board.** The council's semi-annual report is integrated in the SRC, its Secretary publishes quarterly reports on the Transparency Board and the SRC, and its resolutions are posted on the board. DO 44, s. 2015 has the SRC signed by, among others, "the School Governing Council Chair". DO 008, s. 2019 has the school post "the sources, intended use and actual utilization of school funds" on a Transparency Board "updated every three (3) months" and present the sources and uses of school funds through the SRC to the faculty, the PTA, the SGC and active local partners (Sec. VI.A). The council is thus both an audience for the school's financial report and a body that may report irregularities in it. [School Report Card and Transparency Board: DepEd Rules](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-report-card-transparency-board) sets out what each must show and when.

**Child protection.** The council works with the Child Protection Committee on programs (function 12) and with DepEd's child rights and child protection offices (function 11). It does not sit in the committee's cases, and the seventh limit keeps learner records out of its hands. [DepEd Order No. 006, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/03/24/march-24-2026-do-006-s-2026-guidelines-on-ensuring-a-safe-and-motivating-learning-environment-esmle/) tells schools to "Empower the School Governance Council and Child Protection Committee" (Part IX.D, item 9). The committee's own work is in [DepEd Child Protection and Anti-Bullying: School Head Duties](https://nash.com.ph/blog/child-protection-anti-bullying-school-heads).

**The Local School Board.** The council recommends local programs and projects "to the LGU through the Local School Board (LSB) to strengthen support of and relationship with the LGU" (function 3), and doing so is one of the indicators of a functional council. The board is a body of the province, city or municipality under the Local Government Code, and it budgets the Special Education Fund. [Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/CTC_JC-NO-1-S2025.pdf) requires boards to adopt "a multistakeholder approach to planning and budgeting" that includes the school governance council (Sec. 5.3). A recommendation to the board goes through the school head, like every other act of the council. [Local School Boards and the Special Education Fund](https://nash.com.ph/blog/local-school-board-special-education-fund) explains the board and the fund.

**Other programs.** Later orders give the council a named part. [DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/07/august-7-2025-do-022-s-2025-policy-guidelines-on-the-institutionalization-of-the-school-sports-club-in-public-schools/), on the School Sports Club, requires that the council "be engaged and consulted" in developing the club's action plan, and that the plan go to the SDO "together with the SGC Resolution for the Approval of the Establishment and Budget of the SSC" (Part V.D).

## When is an SGC "functional"?

DO 026, s. 2022 lists twelve indicators of functionality, eight under the first purpose and four under the second (Part VII). BHROD-SED uses them to evaluate councils.

| As a structure for shared governance, a council is functional when it | As a feedback mechanism, a council is functional when it |
|---|---|
| 1. "has members who are informed of and given the opportunity to exercise their roles and responsibilities in the council" | 9. "participates in school general assemblies, PTA conferences, stakeholder convergence, SOSA, and other stakeholder engagement activities and initiatives" |
| 2. "establishes position as a consultative body in developing school policies" | 10. "organizes discussions and forums that invite and inspire stakeholders to engage and participate" |
| 3. "conducts regular SGC meetings as prescribed herein to discuss matters concerning SIP, AIP, and other DepEd programs, projects, and activities" | 11. "assists the school in communicating information to the school stakeholders through the SRC, transparency board, etc." |
| 4. "organizes meetings with and attends meetings by different school committees and organizations to ensure alignment of work" | 12. "suggests ways of improving the quality of SIP, AIP, and other DepEd programs, projects, and activities" |
| 5. "coordinates with the School Head the concerns of the different school committees and organizations to synchronize programs, projects, and activities in the school" | |
| 6. "partakes in the conduct of needs-based and appropriate stakeholder-initiated programs and activities i.e., Brigada Eskwela, Gulayan Sa Paaralan, etc." | |
| 7. "recommends policies and programs to the Local School Board (LSB) to strengthen support of and relationship with the LGU" | |
| 8. "involves the different sectors to ensure inclusive representation of stakeholders in the council" | |

*The order numbers the second group 1 to 4. The numbers 9 to 12 are those of DepEd's assessment tool.*

The order gives the indicators and no passing mark. The mark comes from the SGC Functionality Assessment Tool, issued by memorandum of the Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development: a council is functional when it complies "with at least 10 out of the 12 (at least 80%) Functionality Indicators based on the minimum MOVs submitted". The tool implements Part VII and does not amend the order. Its sub-indicators, its documents and the way a submission is validated are in [SGC Functionality Assessment Tool: Indicators and MOVs](https://nash.com.ph/blog/sgc-functionality-assessment-tool).

## What DepEd's FAQs and materials add to the order

BHROD-SED's slide decks, infographics, FAQ decks and calendar explain the order. They are not the order. Where one says more than the order, treat it as DepEd's guidance. Where one says something different, the order governs. The 2026 User Guide is an enclosure of the roll-out memorandum: it decides what the assessment accepts, and it does not amend the order.

| Question | DepEd's material says | The order says | Which to follow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Must a school elect a new Elected Co-Chairperson when that officer's term as PTA president ends? | No. Elected officers hold office for three consecutive school years. A PTA president elected as an SGC officer gives up the PTA's seat, and the PTA names another representative (FAQ decks of November 13, 2023; January 2024; April 15, 2024) | Officers serve three school years (Part V.J). It has no rule on the seat | The FAQ, as guidance. Keep the voting members within fifteen |
| Does the principal sign the notice of meeting? | No. Before the council is organized, the principal may call a meeting to orient stakeholders and sign its notice. "Once the SGC is organized, the co-chairpersons must approve the Notice of Meeting, and may be 'Noted by the principal'" (FAQ decks of January 2024 and April 15, 2024) | The Secretary issues the notice, and the co-chairpersons sign notices (Parts V.E and V.M) | Both agree |
| May a school use its own templates for the documents it submits in the assessment? | For the secondary school assessment of 2023 to 2024, no: schools "need to use the prescribed template of BHROD-SED", though templates validated in the baseline could be used again (the same FAQ decks). For the 2026 assessment of elementary schools, "the sample format of the MOVs may be modified and contextualized in accordance with the preferences of the SGCs" (User Guide, Vol. 1, p. 5) | Nothing. The order prescribes no templates | The 2026 User Guide, for elementary schools |
| Who signs a resolution? | "all SGC voting members" (assessment tool); the voting members and the School Head, "using wet signatures" (2026 User Guide, Vol. 2, p. 9) | "signed by the SGC members" (Part V.M) | For the assessment, every voting member and the school head, by hand |
| Is the school head a member? | "the School Head (SH) is not a member of SGC" and cannot be an officer ("SGC at a Glance", Chapter 2) | The figure places the school head outside the council, and the school head may represent no organization (Parts V.C and V.D) | Both agree |
| Who presides when both co-chairpersons are present? | They share the chair "based on their agreed terms and arrangements" ("SGC at a Glance", Chapter 2) | The Elected Co-Chairperson presides (Part V.M) | The order |
| Must the number of members be odd? | Yes: "Must be an odd number" (2022 policy orientation) | Seven to fifteen, with no such condition (Part V.D) | The order. An odd number is advice |
| May the council raise funds? | "the SGC is not authorized to raise funds for its operations"; it may ask the PTA or the alumni association to lead resource mobilization (2022 policy orientation) | Costs are charged to school funds, grants follow the donation rules, and the council acts through the school head (Part V.M) | Both, read together |
| Do members stay on after three school years until successors are chosen? | Voting members "will stay for a capacity until the selection of new members and election of new officers" (2022 policy orientation) | A maximum of three school years, then non-voting membership (Part V.J). It has no holdover clause | The order sets the maximum. The deck's line is DepEd's guidance for the weeks between the end of the third school year and the next election; hold that election as early as Part V.I allows |
| Does a school with several curricular offerings organize one council? | Yes, "only one (1) SGC shall be organized" ("SGC at a Glance", Chapter 1). Two schools with separate school IDs organize two (briefing of January 19, 2026) | Each council carries its school's name (Part V.G) | The material, as guidance |
| In a very small school, may one person hold two seats? | "one individual may represent only one sector" (briefing of January 19, 2026) | Teachers and other council members may hold multiple representations in small schools (Part V.D) | The order |
| Whose presence makes a quorum? | "50%+1 of the total SGC voting membership" (assessment tool) | "50% + 1 of the total SGC membership" (Part V.M) | Meet both counts |

## The SGC as of November 13, 2026

**The order stands as issued.** As of November 13, 2026, no DepEd order has amended, suspended or replaced DO 026, s. 2022. Part VII directs BHROD-SED to "conduct a periodic policy review every three years"; more than four years after the order was issued, its text is unchanged.

**The assessment has run in two rounds for secondary schools and has begun for elementary schools.**

| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| June 17, 2022 | DO 026, s. 2022 is issued | DO 026, s. 2022 |
| September 2022 to March 2023 | Baseline assessment of councils in public secondary schools. Of 10,100 schools, 9,869 responded, and 12 councils were found functional | Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2025-0349 (period); BHROD-SED briefing to regional coordinators, January 19, 2026 (figures) |
| September 25, 2023 to June 21, 2024 | Endline assessment of the same schools. Submissions stopped on March 8, 2024 when DepEd's Google workspace storage ran out; a revised tool and new links followed | [Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2024-0696](https://deped-muntinlupa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NUM-2024-145.pdf), April 11, 2024 |
| February 11, 2025 | Results of the endline: across 217 divisions and 16 regions, 9,498 of 10,096 public secondary schools (94%) took part, and 4,649 (49%) had functional councils | Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2025-0349 |
| June 30, 2025 | The SGC To-Do Calendar is released | Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2025-1774 |
| March 12 to April 16, 2026 | Online consultations on a tool for public elementary schools, in three phases | Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2026-0365, February 10, 2026 |
| May 8 to 29, 2026 | Pilot test set for 85 public elementary schools: five schools in one division of each of 17 regions | [Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-1520](https://region8.deped.gov.ph/2026/05/06/may-6-2026-rm-no-551-s-2026-pilot-testing-of-the-school-governance-council-sgc-functionality-assessment-tool-in-public-elementary-schools/), April 24, 2026 |
| September 29, 2026 | Roll-out of the tool for public elementary schools. The online form closes on March 31, 2027; division certifications are due on May 5, 2027 and regional certifications on May 14, 2027 | [Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-3750](https://region8.deped.gov.ph/2026/10/12/oct-6-2026-rm-no-1310-s-2026-roll-out-of-the-school-governance-council-sgc-functionality-assessment-tool-for-public-elementary-schools/), September 22, 2026 |

The roll-out memorandum says "For 2026, the SGC Functionality Assessment Tool shall be implemented exclusively for public elementary schools". For public secondary schools, regional and division teams continue technical assistance, validation and monitoring. The assessment of elementary schools is meant "to generate baseline information", so no national figure for elementary school councils exists yet.

The 2026 User Guide classes a validated school as Functional, Partially Functional or Data Unsupported, and lists a school that has not answered the online form under "No Existing SGC" (Vol. 2, p. 17). Only documents "produced or created from School Year 2022–2023 onward" count (Vol. 1, p. 7). The rest of the guide is in [SGC Functionality Assessment Tool: Indicators and MOVs](https://nash.com.ph/blog/sgc-functionality-assessment-tool). An elementary school's own steps are in [How to Submit the SGC Functionality Assessment Tool](https://nash.com.ph/blog/how-to-submit-sgc-functionality-assessment-tool), and the way its documents are judged is in [SGC MOV Validation: Why Documents Are Marked Invalid](https://nash.com.ph/blog/sgc-mov-validation).

**The target is every school.** DepEd now plans under the [Quality Basic Education Development Plan 2025-2035](https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/Quality-Basic-Education-Development-Plan-QBEDP-2025-to-2035-29-July-2025.pdf), which DO 009, s. 2026 names. The plan's Annex 6 puts the "Percentage of public schools with a functional school governing council" at 9.69% in the 2023-2024 baseline, with a target of 100% at its first checkpoint, Basecamp 1, in 2028 (p. 41). That is a target, not a result. [Q-BEDP 2025-2035: DepEd's 10-Year Plan and the PDP](https://nash.com.ph/blog/q-bedp-2025-2035) sets out the plan's other targets.

## What this means for school heads

### A checklist through the school year

1. **Before classes open, know where your council stands.** Find the resolution that proclaimed its officers and count the school years served. If this is the third, the term ends with this school year. Check the roster against the organizations: has the learner representative graduated, has the PTA changed its representative, has a member left the barangay?
2. **In the first weeks, fill the seats.** Ask the learner government, the PTA and the faculty club for their representatives once each has held its own election. Designate, or confirm, the Designated Co-Chairperson. Let the ex-officio members fill any other vacant seat by consensus.
3. **In an election year, hold the election by the end of the sixth week.** Post the notice two weeks before, receive candidacies from a week before until three days before, chair the secret vote, canvass in front of the members, sign the resolution and send it to the SDO. In other years, hold an election within 15 days of a vacancy in an elected office.
4. **Induct and orient the members.** Go through their roles, the seven limits and the year's calendar.
5. **Every quarter, see that the council meets.** The Secretary sends the notice a week ahead, the Elected Co-Chairperson presides, and the minutes record the quorum. Give the council "proper and timely information" on the SIP.
6. **After each resolution, decide and explain.** Approve, modify or disapprove. When you do not approve in full, state the reasons and the risks, and refer what you approve to the body that will carry it out. The order does not require writing; a written action is the record to keep.
7. **Twice a year, review and approve the accomplishment report** before it goes to the SDS and the LGUs, and see that it enters the SRC.
8. **Before any meeting outside the school or on a weekend, get the SDS's written approval.**
9. **When a partner appears, take over.** The member refers the partner to you. You sign the agreement, after the review DepEd's partnership rules require.
10. **At the year's end, rate SBM indicator 24 with stakeholders,** using the twelve indicators and the documents the council produced during the year.
11. **If you are transferred mid-year,** orient the co-chairpersons and turn over every SGC document to the incoming school head.

### The records to keep

The Secretary keeps the council's records in the school, with digital copies the school can reach. [SGC Minutes, Resolutions and Notices: How to Write Them](https://nash.com.ph/blog/sgc-minutes-resolutions-notices) takes each paper part by part, with a worked example of the notice, the minutes and the resolution. A complete file holds:

- the roster of voting and non-voting members, with the organization each represents and the school year each began;
- the designation of the Designated Co-Chairperson and the appointments from the member organizations;
- the election papers: the posted notice, the candidacies, the tally and the resolution proclaiming the officers-elect, with proof of submission to the SDO;
- notices of meetings, attendance sheets and minutes that state the quorum;
- resolutions, each signed by hand by the voting members and the school head, with the school head's written action on it and the referral for its implementation;
- the quarterly reports and the two semi-annual accomplishment reports with the action plan;
- the SDS's written approvals for special meetings outside the school or on weekends;
- written requests for documents and the action taken on each; and
- in a removal case, the complaint, the notices, the member's answer, the vote, the written decision and the copy sent to the SGOD.

### Common mistakes

| Mistake | The rule |
|---|---|
| The school head chairs the council, or sits as the faculty's or the PTA's representative | The school head is outside the council and may represent no organization (Part V.D) |
| The Designated Co-Chairperson is nominated for Elected Co-Chairperson or Secretary | The Designated Co-Chairperson "shall be excluded from the nominations" (Part V.D) |
| A teacher is elected to the co-chairperson's seat reserved for the external stakeholders | School personnel are internal stakeholders (Part III, item 10) |
| Officers are chosen by acclamation or by a show of hands | "The election shall be done through secret voting" (Part V.I) |
| Non-voting members are added before the council has seven voting members | Expansion "shall only be considered once the seven (7) to 15 SGC membership is complete" (Part V.D) |
| A resolution is treated as an order to the school head | It binds members and their organizations; the school head decides and explains (Parts V.M and VI.A) |
| A co-chairperson signs an agreement with a donor | The council "shall not enter into or be bound by any contractual transactions for and on behalf of the school" (Limitations, item 4) |
| A member is dropped by the school head, or by a quick vote at a regular meeting | Removal needs a written complaint, notice, three days to answer and a two-thirds vote of all members (Part V.L) |
| A weekend planning session is held at a resort without the SDS's written approval | Prior written approval is required (Part V.M) |
| Lists of learners with their grades or case details are handed to the council | The council may not disclose learner records and other personal information (Limitations, item 7) |
| The council collects money for its own activities | Its costs are school expenses, and soliciting for personal gain is a ground for removal (Parts V.M and V.L) |

### The standards this work serves

Working with the council is the practice of Domain 5 of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH), adopted by [DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2020/09/07/september-7-2020-do-024-s-2020-national-adoption-and-implementation-of-the-philippine-professional-standards-for-school-heads/): strand 5.1 on managing diverse relationships, strand 5.2 on managing school organizations, and strand 5.5 on community engagement. [PPSSH Domain 5 for the NASH: Building Connections](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ppssh-domain-5-building-connections) covers the domain. The learner's seat in the council serves strand 1.6, learner voice, in [PPSSH Domain 1 for the NASH: Leading Strategically](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ppssh-domain-1-leading-strategically). To decide which groups and persons to bring into the council, see [Stakeholder Analysis for DepEd School Heads: A Guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/stakeholder-analysis-school-heads).

## How the NASH may test this

The items below are original practice items, scored 3 (Relational), 2 (Multistructural), 1 (Unistructural) or 0 (Prestructural). An option that breaks a rule scores 0.

### Question 1

*Indicator 5.2.2, Management of school organizations. Career Stage 2, Situational, Difficult.*

You are the school head of a public junior high school. A voting member of the School Governance Council files a written complaint with the Elected Co-Chairperson: another voting member, a community representative, allegedly collected money from store owners in the council's name and kept it. The Elected Co-Chairperson asks you to drop the member from the council today to protect the school's name. What is the most appropriate action?

- **A.** Tell the Elected Co-Chairperson that removal is the council's own affair, and wait for its written decision before taking any step on the complaint yourself.
- **B.** Advise the Elected Co-Chairperson to call a special meeting with notice, give the member three days to answer in writing, and let the voting members decide by two-thirds of all members.
- **C.** Issue a memorandum that drops the member from the council today, and inform the division office afterward so that its list of disqualified members can be updated.
- **D.** Ask the Elected Co-Chairperson to notify the member, receive the member's written answer within three days, and have the council's three officers decide the complaint at a special meeting they call.

**Answer and explanation**

**Best answer: B.** Points: A = 1, B = 3, C = 0, D = 2.

- **A (1 point, Unistructural).** It is right that the council, not the school head, decides. It leaves the council without guidance on a procedure with fixed steps and short periods, which the school head is expected to see followed.
- **B (3 points, Relational).** It keeps every step in order: the special meeting with notice, the member's written answer within three days, and a decision by the voting members, which needs two-thirds of all members.
- **C (0 points, Prestructural).** The school head has no power to remove a member, and removal "shall only be implemented after the accused member has been accorded with due process".
- **D (2 points, Multistructural).** The notice and the written answer are right, but the decision belongs to the voting members; the officers only sign the written decision.

**Why.** This aligns with Career Stage 2 expectations because indicator 5.2.2 asks a school head to manage school organizations by applying the relevant policies. DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.L sets the steps: a written complaint to the Elected Co-Chairperson, special meetings with notice, a written response within three days, and a vote of the voting members within seven days that needs two-thirds of all members. The option that lets the three officers decide keeps the notice and the answer but gives the decision to the wrong body.

*Indicator 5.2.2: Manage school organizations, such as learner organizations, faculty clubs and parent-teacher associations, by applying relevant policies and guidelines to support the attainment of institutional goals.*

*Sources: DepEd Order No. 026, s. 2022, Parts V.L and VI.B; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.*

### Question 2

*Indicator 5.1.2, Management of diverse relationships. Career Stage 2, Situational, Moderate.*

You are the school head of an elementary school in an upland barangay. By two-thirds of all its members, the School Governance Council adopts a resolution with two parts: a Saturday reading program run by parent volunteers, which fits the school improvement plan, and the posting of the names and reading levels of struggling readers on the transparency board so that the community can help them. The Elected Co-Chairperson asks when both will start. What is the most appropriate action?

- **A.** Start the reading program with the parent volunteers, and keep learners' names off the transparency board as a matter the school can settle without going back to the council.
- **B.** Carry out both parts of the resolution as adopted, since a recommendation passed by two-thirds of all the members binds the school head and the school.
- **C.** Approve the reading program, refer it to the team that will run it, decline the posting of names, and explain to the council why posting them would put learners at risk.
- **D.** Hold the whole resolution, reading program included, until the council rewrites it at its next quarterly meeting, so that no learner is put at risk in the meantime.

**Answer and explanation**

**Best answer: C.** Points: A = 2, B = 0, C = 3, D = 1.

- **A (2 points, Multistructural).** Both decisions are right, but a partial approval calls for an explanation to the members. Settling one part without them leaves the council uninformed and weakens its trust in the school head.
- **B (0 points, Prestructural).** A recommendation binds the council's members and their organizations, not the school head, and posting learners' names and reading levels discloses learner records, which the council "shall not disclose".
- **C (3 points, Relational).** It approves what serves learners, refers it for implementation, declines what the rules bar, and explains the reasons and the risks, as the order requires in a partial approval.
- **D (1 point, Unistructural).** It sees that one part cannot stand. It holds back a program that fits the plan for up to a quarter, approves nothing and explains nothing.

**Why.** This aligns with Career Stage 2 expectations because indicator 5.1.2 asks a school head to build constructive relationships with parents and other stakeholders for the good of learners. DO 026, s. 2022, Part VI.A, items 1 and 5 require the school head to explain "the reasons, potential risks, or effects" of a partial approval and to refer approved recommendations for implementation, and the seventh limit on the council's authority bars the disclosure of learner records. The option that settles the posting without the council decides correctly but skips the explanation the council is owed.

*Indicator 5.1.2: Build constructive relationships with authorities, colleagues, parents and other stakeholders to foster an enabling and supportive environment for learners.*

*Sources: DepEd Order No. 026, s. 2022, Part V.M (Decisions; Limitations of SGC Authority, items 5 and 7) and Part VI.A, items 1 and 5; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.*

Nothing in this guide reproduces or predicts examination content.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the school head a member of the School Governance Council?

No. DO 026, s. 2022 places the school head outside the council in its figure (Part V.C) and bars the school head from representing any organization in it (Part V.D). DepEd's "SGC at a Glance" infographic says the school head "is not a member of SGC" and cannot be one of its officers. The school head designates one co-chairperson, chairs the election of the other officers, and decides on the council's recommendations.

### Who are the members of the SGC, and how many are there?

Seven to fifteen voting members. Four are ex-officio: the Designated Co-Chairperson and one representative each of the learner government, the PTA and the faculty club or its equivalent. These four fix the number and choose the rest by consensus from other school organizations, the community and recognized community organizations (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.D). Non-voting members may be added once the voting membership is complete.

### What is the difference between the SGC and the PTA?

The PTA is an association of parents and school personnel under DO 013, s. 2022, with its own officers, funds and projects. The SGC is a council of representatives, the PTA's among them, that the school consults and that coordinates all school organizations. The order gives it no fund of its own, and it "shall not replace" the PTA (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V).

### How often must the SGC meet, and what is a quorum?

At least quarterly, with special meetings when a matter is urgent. A quorum is "50% + 1 of the total SGC membership", and recommendations need "two-thirds (2/3) consensus of all SGC members" (DO 026, s. 2022, Part V.M). The order does not say how a fraction is counted, so round up: five of seven voting members, for example, both to meet and to recommend.

### Can the SGC sign contracts, accept donations or collect money?

No. The council "shall not enter into or be bound by any contractual transactions for and on behalf of the school" (DO 026, s. 2022, Limitations, item 4). Members refer an interested partner to the school head, "who is authorized to formalize agreements with partners", and donations follow DO 24, s. 2016 and DO 40, s. 2015. The council's own costs are charged to school funds such as MOOE or canteen funds.

## Sources

DepEd issuances on the council:

- [DepEd Order No. 026, s. 2022](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2022/06/17/june-17-2022-do-026-s-2022-implementing-guidelines-on-the-establishment-of-school-governance-council/), Implementing Guidelines on the Establishment of School Governance Council, June 17, 2022: items 1 to 4 and Parts II to VIII.
- [Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2024-0696](https://deped-muntinlupa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NUM-2024-145.pdf), Revised SGC Functionality Assessment Tool for Secondary Schools, Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development, April 11, 2024: the memorandum and Enclosure No. 1.
- Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2025-0349, Results of the SGC Endline Data Collection, February 11, 2025.
- Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2025-1774, Release of SGC Advocacy Material: To-Do Calendar, June 30, 2025, with the calendars for schools with no existing SGC and with an existing SGC.
- Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2026-0365, Online Consultation on the Development of SGC Functionality Assessment Tool for Elementary Schools, February 10, 2026.
- [Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-1520](https://region8.deped.gov.ph/2026/05/06/may-6-2026-rm-no-551-s-2026-pilot-testing-of-the-school-governance-council-sgc-functionality-assessment-tool-in-public-elementary-schools/), Pilot Testing of the School Governance Council (SGC) Functionality Assessment Tool in Public Elementary Schools, April 24, 2026: Annexes A and B.
- [Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-3750](https://region8.deped.gov.ph/2026/10/12/oct-6-2026-rm-no-1310-s-2026-roll-out-of-the-school-governance-council-sgc-functionality-assessment-tool-for-public-elementary-schools/), Roll-Out of the School Governance Council (SGC) Functionality Assessment Tool for Public Elementary Schools, September 22, 2026: the memorandum, Enclosure No. 1 (SGC Functionality Assessment Tool User Guide, Volume 1, "Prepare and Respond", and Volume 2, "Validate and Monitor", Version 2, as posted in October 2026) and Enclosure Nos. 2 and 8.

DepEd's explanatory materials, by the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-School Effectiveness Division:

- The SGC Policy, policy orientation slide deck, 2022.
- "SGC at a Glance" infographics, Chapters 1 to 4.
- SGC Functionality Assessment Tool FAQs, as of November 13, 2023; January 2024; and April 15, 2024.
- Briefing to regional School-Based Management coordinators, January 19, 2026.

Related DepEd issuances:

- [DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/05/20/may-16-2024-do-007-s-2024-policy-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-revised-school-based-management-sbm-system/), Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of the Revised School-Based Management (SBM) System, May 16, 2024: Annex A, indicator 24.
- [DepEd Order No. 44, s. 2015](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2015/09/29/do-44-s-2015-guidelines-on-the-enhanced-school-improvement-planning-sip-process-and-the-school-report-card-src/), Guidelines on the Enhanced School Improvement Planning (SIP) Process and the School Report Card (SRC), September 29, 2015.
- [DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2022](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2022/03/18/march-18-2022-do-013-s-2022-omnibus-guidelines-on-the-regulation-of-operations-of-the-parent-teacher-associations/), Omnibus Guidelines on the Regulation of Operations of the Parent-Teacher Associations, March 18, 2022: Secs. 8.3, 10.4.1, 11.5.1 and 23.1.3.1.
- [DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2012/05/14/do-40-s-2012-deped-child-protection-policy/), DepEd Child Protection Policy, May 14, 2012: Sec. 10.
- [DepEd Order No. 006, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/03/24/march-24-2026-do-006-s-2026-guidelines-on-ensuring-a-safe-and-motivating-learning-environment-esmle/), Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment, March 24, 2026: Part IX.D.
- [DepEd Order No. 008, s. 2019](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2019/05/02/may-2-2019-do-008-s-2019-revised-implementing-guidelines-on-the-direct-release-use-monitoring-and-reporting-of-maintenance-and-other-operating-expenses-allocation-of-schools-including-other-fu/), Revised Implementing Guidelines on the Direct Release, Use, Monitoring and Reporting of MOOE Allocation of Schools, May 2, 2019: Secs. VI.A and VIII.
- [DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2015](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2015/08/28/do-40-s-2015-guidelines-on-k-to-12-partnerships/), Guidelines on K to 12 Partnerships, August 28, 2015: Secs. D and E.
- [DepEd Order No. 24, s. 2016](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2016/04/25/do-24-s-2016-guidelines-on-accepting-donations-and-on-processing-applications-for-the-availment-of-tax-incentives-by-private-donor-partners-supporting-the-k-to-12-program/), Guidelines on Accepting Donations and on Processing Applications for the Availment of Tax Incentives by Private Donor-Partners Supporting the K to 12 Program, April 25, 2016.
- [DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/07/august-7-2025-do-022-s-2025-policy-guidelines-on-the-institutionalization-of-the-school-sports-club-in-public-schools/), Policy Guidelines on the Institutionalization of the School Sports Club in Public Schools, August 7, 2025: Part V.D.
- [DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/04/16/april-16-2026-do-009-s-2026-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-three-term-school-calendar-in-basic-education/), Guidelines on the Implementation of the Three-Term School Calendar in Basic Education, April 16, 2026.
- [DepEd Order No. 42, s. 2017](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2017/08/11/do-42-s-2017-national-adoption-and-implementation-of-the-philippine-professional-standards-for-teachers/), National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers, August 11, 2017: Domain 6.
- [DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2020/09/07/september-7-2020-do-024-s-2020-national-adoption-and-implementation-of-the-philippine-professional-standards-for-school-heads/), National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads, September 7, 2020: strands 1.6, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.5.
- [Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/CTC_JC-NO-1-S2025.pdf) of DepEd, the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Finance, on the Special Education Fund: Sec. 5.3.
- Office of the Undersecretary for Operations, [Interim Guidelines of the Learner Government Program (LGP) for School Year 2023-2024](https://region8.deped.gov.ph/2023/05/30/may-30-2023-rm-518-s-2023-interim-guidelines-of-the-learner-government-program-lgp-for-school-year-2023-2024/), memorandum of May 5, 2023.
- DepEd, [Quality Basic Education Development Plan 2025-2035](https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/Quality-Basic-Education-Development-Plan-QBEDP-2025-to-2035-29-July-2025.pdf), July 29, 2025: Annex 6, p. 41.

Laws:

- [Republic Act No. 9155](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/08/11/republic-act-no-9155/), Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001: Secs. 5 and 7(E).
- [Republic Act No. 11054](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2018/07/27/republic-act-no-11054/), Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Art. IX, Sec. 16.
- [Republic Act No. 7160](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1991/10/10/republic-act-no-7160/), Local Government Code of 1991: Secs. 98 and 99.
- [Republic Act No. 10173](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/08/15/republic-act-no-10173/), Data Privacy Act of 2012.

## School Governance Council series

- School Governance Council (SGC): Complete DepEd Guide (this post)
- [SGC Functionality Assessment Tool: Indicators and MOVs](https://nash.com.ph/blog/sgc-functionality-assessment-tool)
- [How to Submit the SGC Functionality Assessment Tool](https://nash.com.ph/blog/how-to-submit-sgc-functionality-assessment-tool)
- [SGC MOV Validation: Why Documents Are Marked Invalid](https://nash.com.ph/blog/sgc-mov-validation)
- [SGC Minutes, Resolutions and Notices: How to Write Them](https://nash.com.ph/blog/sgc-minutes-resolutions-notices)

*Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: DepEd Order No. 026, s. 2022; Memoranda DM-OUHROD-2024-0696, DM-OUHROD-2025-0349, DM-OUHROD-2025-1774, DM-OUHROD-2026-0365, DM-OUHRODI-2026-1520 and DM-OUHRODI-2026-3750; DepEd Orders No. 007, s. 2024, No. 44, s. 2015, No. 013, s. 2022, No. 40, s. 2012, No. 008, s. 2019, No. 40, s. 2015, No. 24, s. 2016, No. 022, s. 2025, No. 006 and No. 009, s. 2026, No. 42, s. 2017 and No. 024, s. 2020; Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2025; the Quality Basic Education Development Plan 2025-2035; Republic Acts No. 9155, No. 7160, No. 10173 and No. 11054.*

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