Boulder Valley School District
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BC-E

  • B
  • Board Governance and Operations
BC-E

Adopted:  April 9, 2024


SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND NORMS

Board Meetings

  • Board meetings inform the public and provide important transparency into the work of the School District, including to language diverse families through interpretation services provided during the meetings.
  • The Board may exercise flexibility in scheduling and structuring the agenda for meetings to accomplish the Board’s business and facilitate increased community participation.
  • Work to keep meetings efficient, focused, and accessible.
  • Prioritize meaningful discussion of issues during Board meetings.
  • Be respectful to one another, the administration, staff, and the public at all times, particularly when there is disagreement.
  • Limit the use of personal technology during Board meetings; Personal devices should never be used during executive or privileged meetings.

Engaging with School District Staff

  • The Superintendent is the sole employee of the Board and it is the Superintendent’s job to manage and communicate with School District staff.
  • If Board Members have questions/clarifications on pertinent topics for School District staff, it is appropriate to engage them casually at dinner before Board meetings.
  • Board Member school visits will be scheduled through the Board Secretary.
  • The School District’s Legal Counsel and the Board Secretary are available to answer Board Member questions.

Board Requests for Information

  • All substantive requests for information shall be made to the Superintendent or through the Request For Information (RFI) process.
  • RFI responses requiring less than three hours shall be prepared in a timely manner, considering the nature of the request and the press of School District business. RFI responses, including responsive documents, will be provided to all Board Members.
  • Individual Board Members will use the Board’s prioritization process to raise issues for Board consideration and staff focus that are beyond the scope of the RFI process. Only the Board itself may authorize such requests requiring more than three hours of staff time.

Board Committees

  • Board Members will provide their fellow Board Members with a brief synopsis of meetings they attend to help ensure all Board Members have access to the information.
  • Board Members shall represent the interests of the Board and BVSD community during committee meetings.

Communications

  • Information will be shared contemporaneously with all Board Members.
  • Board Members will inform the Superintendent and/or Board President in a timely manner of events or information that may require the Superintendent’s attention or Board action.
  • The Board functions in a judicial role for staff, students and the public with respect to fair implementation of Board Policies. For this reason, Board Members are cautioned to avoid seeking or discussing detailed and/or confidential information about pending matters involving staff, students or community members.

Speaking of Behalf of the Board/District vs. Speaking as an Individual

  • The Board President serves as the spokesperson for the Board on items the Board has or will take action on. Board Members will send media requests regarding decisions made by the Board to both the Board President and the Superintendent for response.
  • Individual Board Members are able to speak on topics in their role as elected officials, including to the media, but will always clarify that they are speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the School District or the Board.
  • All Board Members will notify the Board President and Superintendent if they have engaged/spoken with the media on a topic relevant to the Board’s active work.
  • Board Members will not share Board/School District news that has not been publicly released.

Guidelines around the use of Social Media

  • Accounts that identify an individual as a school Board Member will clarify in the description that all opinions/views are the person’s own and do not represent the School District or Board.
  • Board Members will refrain from using their private accounts to share opinions and information about Board business, but may share School District information that is publicly available .

Constituent Engagement - Responding to emails, CORA and Chain of Command

  • The Board President/Superintendent will take the lead in responding to any emails that are addressed to the entire Board.
  • Often emails sent to individual Board Members are sent to all Board Members, individually. Consider checking in with the Board President to see if this is the case and how the Board President, and/or the Superintendent, have responded.
  • Individual Board Members may or may not respond to individual constituent emails. Issues that need to be directed to staff are to be forwarded to the Superintendent if the Superintendent is not copied on the original email. If responding, Board Members are encouraged to:
    • Say something like, “I have received and read your email. In BVSD, it is our practice for the Board President or Superintendent to respond. If you do not receive a response in a timely manner, you are welcome to follow up with me. 
    • Create a response that: thanks the author for their concern for our district/ staff/students, acknowledges our shared mission of achieving positive educational experiences for all students, families and staff, and invites them to participate in other forms or events in the community as appropriate - i.e. BVSD Connects, DAC, PTO, Community Leadership Academy, etc.
  • Never “reply all” to emails to the Board, or send/share emails with more than 1 other Board Member, as this communication may constitute a Board Meeting and be subject to Open Meetings Law requirements.
  • Remember that email and even text conversations can be subject to CORA requests.

Advocacy and Legislative Involvement

  • Each year, Board Members contribute to and vote to approve the official BVSD Advocacy Platform. This document serves as a guide to both Board and Staff on how to engage on behalf of the School District on legislative topics.
  • Individual Board Members are able to advocate as individuals on topics outside the BVSD Advocacy Platform, but will always clarify that they are speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the School District or the Board .
  • Individual Board Members who are working on legislation or advocating for an education action or change not addressed within the Board’s Advocacy Platform will notify the Superintendent and Board President of their individual advocacy.

Engaging with Other Elected Officials

  • Staff will schedule sessions with other elected officials on a regular basis, including an annual legislative meeting at the Capitol, Board meetings with other municipalities across the district, and a Quarterly Meeting with the City of Boulder, Boulder County and CU.
  • Individual Board Members are not able to commit district resources or facilities to other municipalities. Those requests will should follow our partnership/facility rental process

End of File: BC-E