<![CDATA[ABSTRACT The effectiveness of school committees is determined not merely by their existence as an institutional element, but by the extent to which the working relationship between schools and communities can be translated into educational management practices. This study examines the implementation of this role in elementary schools in Labuhan Haji District, East Lombok Regency, while also mapping the conditions that support, hinder, and enable its strengthening. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed with five informants consisting of school principals, school committee members, teachers, and parents. Data were collected beginning in May 2025 through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings indicate that school committees perform advisory functions in program and policy planning, supporting functions in providing educational resources, controlling functions in monitoring programs and budgets, and mediating functions in communication between schools and communities. The implementation of these functions is supported by school leadership commitment, effective communication, transparency, and community support, but constrained by members’ limited understanding, human resource capacity, participation, and coordination. Strengthening institutional capacity, participatory partnerships, and continuous development is therefore a relevant strategic direction for fostering elementary education governance that is more participatory, transparent, and responsive to local community needs. ABSTRAK Efektivitas komite sekolah tidak hanya ditentukan oleh keberadaannya sebagai unsur kelembagaan, tetapi oleh sejauh mana hubungan kerja antara sekolah dan masyarakat mampu diterjemahkan ke dalam praktik pengelolaan pendidikan. Penelitian ini menelaah pelaksanaan peran tersebut di sekolah dasar Kecamatan Labuhan Haji, Kabupaten Lombok Timur, sekaligus memetakan kondisi yang mendukung, menghambat, dan memungkinkan penguatannya. Pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif digunakan dengan lima informan yang terdiri atas kepala sekolah, pengurus komite, guru, dan orang tua peserta didik. Data diperoleh sejak Mei 2025 melalui observasi partisipatif, wawancara mendalam, dan dokumentasi, lalu ditelaah menggunakan model interaktif Miles, Huberman, dan Saldaña melalui kondensasi data, penyajian data, serta penarikan dan verifikasi kesimpulan. Temuan memperlihatkan bahwa komite menjalankan fungsi pemberi pertimbangan dalam perencanaan program dan kebijakan, pendukung dalam penyediaan sumber daya, pengontrol dalam pemantauan program dan anggaran, serta mediator dalam komunikasi sekolah dengan masyarakat. Keterlaksanaan fungsi tersebut ditopang komitmen kepala sekolah, komunikasi, transparansi, dan dukungan masyarakat, tetapi dibatasi pemahaman anggota, kapasitas sumber daya manusia, partisipasi, dan koordinasi. Penguatan kapasitas kelembagaan, kemitraan partisipatif, dan pembinaan berkelanjutan menjadi arah strategis yang relevan untuk memperkuat tata kelola pendidikan dasar yang lebih partisipatif, transparan, dan responsif terhadap kebutuhan masyarakat setempat.]]>
