School Board Agendas
Attended any board meetings that went late into the night? Sometimes that can’t be avoided, but if it happens on a regular basis, you may want to take a long look at how school board agendas are set. Consider adopting the following policy statements below:
A. The Principal and President (Chairperson) of the Board shall prepare the agenda for all Board meetings. Items of business may be suggested by any Board member, or by the administration of the school for inclusion on the agenda.
A school board agenda should be a team effort. Effective communications, both downward and upward, can only be achieved when the head administrator and the head of the board meet to prayerfully plan the agenda. Hastily constructed agendas without policies to guide the board meetings can contribute to board meetings where nothing is accomplished. Even that "nothing" takes too much time!
B. Items of business may not be suggested from the floor for discussion and/or action at the same meeting until all business scheduled on the agenda has been completed, and then only at the discretion of the President or the majority vote of the Board members present.
This issue here is one of concern for completing the items on the agenda in an orderly manner. Before the board meets, everyone will have received the agenda and had an opportunity to prepare for the board meeting. Items of business that are suggested from the floor for discussion and/or action could pressure the board to make a decision that may have needed more time and documentation. The key word is "discretion." The President (Chairperson) of the Board has the discretion to add to the agenda. If it is the school’s policy, that right may be by the majority vote of the board members present.
C. The agenda and supporting materials shall be distributed to Board members prior to the scheduled meeting.
Board meetings are not intended to be "first reading" libraries! By reading supporting materials prior to the meeting, a board member can help the meeting flow. If a board member must be absent, he/she will have the opportunity to consider an issue and submit a written statement that should be included in the board meeting. Even though the agenda was distributed prior to the meeting, it would be advisable to have copies of the agenda at the meeting.
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This page was last updated on: March 19, 2001