1130 - Standing Board Committees Policy

Policy 1130

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Standing Board Committees

Standing Board Committees may be created by a majority of the board. No more than two board members will serve on any board appointed committee. The purpose and terms of each committee will be determined by a majority vote of the board. The board will identify the committee as a temporary committee or a standing committee. The board will provide an end date for the existence of any temporary committee; such a date may be a calendar date or the completion of a particular project. Standing committees will continue to operate until the board votes to discontinue them. Committees will include two board members and may also include one or more staff and/or community members as appropriate to the purpose of the committee.

The Board will maintain a Procedure (1130P) that identifies all standing committees and their purpose and a summary of the Board’s expectations of the scope of the committee’s work.

Neither the board nor the district will be bound in any way by any action taken, or statement made, by a board committee, unless approved by a quorum of the board.

Designation of Committee Members
Designation of the Board committee members will be made by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Designations to standing committees will be made at the Annual Organizational Meeting (see Policy 1120) and will be posted publicly on the district website. The default terms for appointment will be one year. While there is no formal limit to the number of consecutive terms a board member may serve on a committee, if other board members are interested in the position, those who have already served two or more consecutive years in the position are strongly encouraged to not seek re-appointment at that time. To provide stability to the ongoing operation of committees, to the degree practical, board members are encouraged to organize new appointments to a committee such that one board member stays constant when another board member is newly appointed. When new committees (standing or temporary) are established outside of the Annual Organizing Meeting, the Board will identify the initial term of Appointment, which shall not exceed two years, with subsequent terms following the default term and schedule of appointment unless otherwise specified.

Each committee will establish, with input from the Superintendent, and approval of the Board, the description of members who will serve on the committee. The membership of each committee will be documented in Procedure 1131P and may be changed with input from the Superintendent and the approval of the Board. The Superintendent will appoint any staff members who will serve on a committee, consistent with membership requirements described in Procedure 1131P. Committees must be staffed or shall be dissolved.

Community members may be identified to temporarily support a committee for specific purposes, as described in Procedure 1131P. The board may in certain circumstances make 1130 Page 2 of 3 recommendations for committee members. The Board will work with the Superintendent or designee to select any community members to support the given committee.

Committee Operations
Each Standing Committee will provide a summary plan to the Board by the second June meeting to outline its plan for the upcoming school year. Temporary committees shall provide a plan when appointed. The plan will align with the outrageous outcomes and goals and will include:

• committee goals for the year,
• any significant or sizable work items/projects the committee will pursue to support its purpose
• any intent to engage formally with the community on a significant scale (e.g., formation of an advisory group, holding of community forums, etc.)
• a rough timeline for work.

By the second June meeting of the Board, board members will review standing committee plans and will formally approve any changes in scope (standing or temporary) of the committee’s work and provide feedback to the committee. If necessary, the board may request that a committee bring an updated plan for the Board to consider. Standing committee plans must be approved by the Board by the second August Board June Board meeting. The Board Report Calendar (see Policy 1260P) will be updated to reflect committee needs for reporting to and working with the Board. Committee plans will carry over from one calendar year to the next until or unless they are officially updated or replaced by a new plan. Outcomes, recommendations, and any other products created from direction of committee plans do not constitute final action by the Board and are subject to full Board review.

By the first December meeting of the Board, All Board committees will present a progress report on their plans. By the second meeting in January, all Board committees will either confirm their plans, or, if necessary, submit an updated committee plan for approval by the Board.

Prior to a Board committee initiating any formal community engagement on a significant scale, the committee must present to the Board a community engagement plan that includes clear descriptions of

• need for the engagement,
• purpose of the engagement,
• mode(s) of engagement (e.g., formation of and/or interaction with advisory group(s), community forums, focus groups, surveys, etc.),
• stakeholders to be included (including specific composition of any advisory groups, if they are being used),
• timeline for engagement,
• specific deliverables from the community engagement process,
• Board outcomes in follow up of the community engagement
• Timeline for reporting the work, and
• opportunities for board members to participate in any portion of the Engagement as well as to interact directly with the stakeholders or others involved in the process,

To the degree practical, advisory groups should report deliverables to the full Board so that the Board can interact directly with the advisory group and can ask questions and provide feedback prior to the committee taking action on the advisory group outputs.

The Board must review and approve a Board committee’s community engagement plan prior to the start of the engagement. Informal or small-scale community engagement by a Board committee does not require approval of the Board. Outcomes, recommendations, and any other products created from direction of committee community engagement plans do not constitute final action by the Board and are subject to full Board review.

Each committee will establish its own schedule of meetings and processes of operation. Any formal reports published by a committee must be published on the district website.

Cross Reference:
Board Policy 1131 Board Advisory Committee
Board Policy 1132 Board Community Advisory Committee
Board Policy 1240 Duties of Individual Board Members

Legal Reference: RCW 28A.320.040 Directors — Bylaws for board and school government

Adoption Date: September 28, 2021