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Category: Board Policy

Published on

Effective: 9/25/2012
Revision: 1/28/2014
Reviewed: 2/24/2015

To accomplish its job with a governance style consistent with Board policies, the Board of Education will follow an annual agenda, which completes a re-exploration of Ends policies annually, and continually improves Board performance through Board education and enriched input and deliberation.

Accordingly, the Board will:

  1. Evaluate and review a perpetual calendar that includes a schedule of monitoring reports, regular board meetings, monthly governance policy reviews, Superintendent and Business Administrator evaluations and reviews, community connection activities, Town Hall meetings, Board assessment, Board and staff training, policy related briefings and analysis, public policy reviews, and other relevant issues. The perpetual calendar will reflect the outline of governance activities. The annual calendar will determine specific information.
  2. Finalize its Ends for the following year by the last day of December so that administrative planning and budgeting can take place.
  3. Develop the Board’s agenda for the next year by engaging in consultations with selected groups in Jordan School District or other methods of gaining input from the owners of Jordan School District. Governance education and education related to Ends determination, (e.g. presentations by futurists, demographers, advocacy groups, staff, etc.) will be arranged as desired to be held during the balance of the year and continually assessed throughout the year.
  4. Attend to consent agenda items as expeditiously as possible.
  5. Decide Superintendent and Business Administrator contract modifications only after a review of monitoring reports received in the last year.
  6. The Board will conduct a review of Governance Process (GP), Board/Superintendent Connection (B/SC) and Executive Limitations (EL) policies monthly. The reviews will serve two purposes:
    1. To conduct Board assessment by reviewing Board activity and adherence to GP and B/SC policies.
    2. To examine policies for possible revision. The Board President will post the GP, B/SC and EL policies to be reviewed at the respective meetings on the annual calendar.

Appendix for GP108

Published on

Effective: 09/25/2012
Revision: 1/25/2022

Board members may represent the Board on committees created by the District or other organizations.

  1. The President shall collaborate with Board members to make assignments and submit them to the Board for approval.
  2. Appointments to District or community boards/committees must be made according to the bylaws of the committee or board.
  3. Individual Board members assigned to committees or other organizations should report to the full Board when items pertaining to the Board or District arise.
  4. Board members should speak in harmony with Board policies and practices when representing the Board.
  5. Recommendations or proposals from committees can be provided during committee reports or processed as outlined in policy GP109 Construction of the Agenda.
  6. Assignments to committees and/or organizations may change as needs arise. See appendix Jordan School District Board of Education Committee Assignments for a list of current committees and assignments.

Revision history: 1/28/2014, 3/31/15, 3/27/18

Published on
  • Effective: 9/25/2012
  • Revision: 4/23/19

The Board will instruct the Superintendent through written policies that prescribe the organizational Ends to be achieved and describe organizational situations and actions to be avoided, allowing the Superintendent to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies.

Accordingly:

  1. The Board will develop policies instructing the Superintendent to achieve certain results for certain recipients at a specified cost. These policies will be developed systematically from the broadest, most general level to more defined levels, and will be called Ends policies.
  2. The Board will develop policies which limit the latitude the Superintendent may exercise in choosing the organizational means. These policies will be developed systematically from the broadest, most general level to more defined levels, and they will be called Executive Limitations policies.
  3. As long as the Superintendent uses any reasonable interpretation of the Board’s Ends and Executive Limitations policies, and specific action or instruction of the Board, the Superintendent is authorized to establish all further policies and procedures, make all decisions, take all actions, establish all practices, and/or develop all activities.
  4. The Board may change its Ends and Executive Limitations policies, thereby shifting the boundary between Board and Superintendent domains. By doing so, the Board changes the latitude of choice given to the Superintendent. However, as long as any particular Ends or Executive Limitations policies are in place, the Board will respect and support the Superintendent’s choices.
  5. The Superintendent will author policies to direct the operation of the District through staff and public input and the Board retains final approval.

Published on
  • Effective: 9/25/2012
  • Revision: 11/26/20
  • Reviewed: 2/24/2015

The President assures the integrity of the process of the Board of Education, and when called upon, represents the Board to outside parties.

Accordingly, the President will have the following roles and duties:

  1. To ensure that the Board behaves consistently with its own policies and those legitimately imposed upon it from outside the organization, by enforcing that:
    1. Meeting discussion content will be on those issues, which according to Board policy, clearly belong to the Board to decide or to monitor.
    2. Information, which is neither for monitoring performance nor Board decisions, will be avoided or minimized and always noted as information.
    3. Deliberation will be fair, open, thorough, timely, orderly, and specific to the issue.
    4. The Board be in compliance with its own policies on Governance Process and Board/Superintendent Connection, and advising the Board, particularly in the case of Board behavior that is detrimental to the working relationship between the Board and the Superintendent and/or the Business Administrator.
  2. To make decisions that fall within topics covered by Board policies on Governance Process and Board/Superintendent Connection with the exception of employment or termination of a Superintendent or Business Administrator, and where the Board specifically delegates portions of this authority to others. The President is authorized to use any reasonable interpretation of the provisions in these policies in acting within the following powers and limitations:
    1. The President is empowered to chair Board of Education meetings with all the commonly accepted responsibility of that position (e.g., ruling, recognizing speakers and following Robert’s Rules of Order.)
    2. The President has no authority to make decisions about policies created by the Board within Ends and Executive Limitations policy areas.
    3. The President has no authority to supervise or direct the Superintendent.
    4. The President, in collaboration with the Second Vice President, is responsible for the creation of the annual policy review calendar, which is to be derived from the Board approved perpetual calendar. The President must present the calendar for Board approval by July 1st.
    5. The President may represent the Board to outside parties in announcing Board-stated positions and in stating chair decisions and interpretations within the area delegated to her/him.
    6. The President may delegate this authority but remains accountable for its use.
    7. The President may call special meetings of the Board of Education:
      1. whenever there is sufficient business to come before the Board; or
      2. upon the written requests of three members of the Board; or
      3. with the concurrence of three members of the Board at a regular meeting and in accordance with the Open Meeting Law.
    8. The President shall sign all papers and documents as required by law or as authorized by action of the Jordan School District Board of Education.
    9. In the absence of the Second Vice President and the First Vice President, the President may appoint another Board member to assume the Second Vice President ’s duties.
  3. To ensure the delivery of an annual progress report to the public by the Superintendent as delegated by the Board to include the following items:
    1. Student performance data indicating student progress toward accomplishing the Board’s Ends policies;
    2. Information about District strategies, programs, and operations intended to accomplish the Board’s Ends policies; and
    3. Revenues, expenditures, and costs of major programs and elements of District operation.

Published on

Effective: 9/25/2012
Revision: 1/25/2022
Reviewed: 2/24/2015

A Board Advisory Committee is a committee created by the Board of Education to study issues and make recommendations to the Board. This includes any group, which is formed by Board action, whether or not it is called a committee and regardless whether the group includes Board members. It does not apply to committees formed under the authority of the Superintendent.

  1. Accordingly, Board Advisory Committees:
    1. Are to support the Board of Education in doing its job. Committees ordinarily will assist the Board by gathering information, studying issues, preparing policy alternatives and implications for Board deliberation. In keeping with the Board’s broader focus, Board committees will normally not have direct dealings with current staff operations. A committee shall obtain Board approval when requests for information of assistance from staff require a material amount of staff time or funds to fulfill.
    2. May not speak or act for the Board except when formally given such authority for specific and time limited purposes. Expectations and authority will be carefully stated in order not to conflict with authority delegated to the Superintendent. Decisions made by a committee do not carry the authority of the full Board unless it is a Board committee of the whole.
    3. Cannot exercise authority over staff. Because the Superintendent works for the full Board, he or she will not be required to obtain approval of a Board committee before taking executive action.
    4. Will avoid over-identification with organizational parts rather than the whole. Therefore, a Board committee that has helped the Board create policy on some topic will not be used to monitor organizational performance on that same subject.
    5. Will be presided over by the committee chair, who has the responsibility to determine meeting schedules, approve agenda items, facilitate the meeting, direct discussion, delegate assignments to committee members, direct the budget assigned to the committee to meet the objectives of the committee, assign a facilitator in the absence of the chair, work with the President to keep the full Board informed of the committee’s progress, and assume the commonly accepted responsibility of the position.
  2. The President shall collaborate with Board members to make committee assignments and submit them to the Board for approval.
  3. Any Board member can serve as an alternate on any Board Advisory Committee.
  4. A Board Advisory Committee will have no less than two or more than three Board members at all meetings. A Board Advisory Committee will be supported by a District representative.
  5. Recommendations or proposals from Board Advisory Committees can be provided during Committee Reports or processed as outlined in GP109 Construction of the Agenda.
  6. The Board creates Board Advisory Committees that will best serve their needs. Committees and committee membership may change as needs arise. See appendix Jordan School District Board of Education Committee Assignments for a list of current committees and assignments.

Published on
  • Effective: 9/25/2012
  • Revision: 7/30/2019

Continuous monitoring of Superintendent job performance will ensure organizational accomplishment of Board policies on Ends, and organizational operation within the boundaries established in Board policies on Executive Limitations. The purpose of the monitoring is not to criticize or find fault with the Superintendent, but rather to facilitate the success of the Superintendent in accomplishing the Board’s goals.  A Board’s highest responsibility is to complete the evaluation and is the key role as a Board member.

Accordingly, monitoring will be accomplished as follows:

  1. After the conclusion of the school year and prior to the beginning of the following school year, the Superintendent will present to the Board a self-evaluation. This is an informal self-evaluation.
  2. In November/December, the Superintendent will present Executive Limitations and Ends policy interpretations and data showing compliance to each Ends policy.
  3. Each Board member will complete the Superintendent Monitoring Tool (see Appendix Superintendent’s Performance Monitoring Tool). This formative written evaluation document will include areas of strength/commendation as well as areas targeted for improvement/growth.
  4. The Board will meet in closed session to discuss each Board member’s evaluation of the Superintendent. The summative evaluation will be based upon data collected during the previous school year from monitoring Board policies on Ends and Executive Limitations.
  5. The President of the Board will prepare an evaluation summary and present it to the Board for approval.
  6. The Board President will present the approved evaluation summary to the Superintendent.
  7. The Superintendent will be given an opportunity to respond to the Board’s evaluation summary.
  8. The Board will publish a summary of the Superintendent’s compliance to the public. The formal summative evaluation will be included on the Board’s business meeting agenda as part of the open meeting.
  9. The Superintendent and the Board President will sign and date the completed formal summative evaluation following the meeting. (See Appendix Superintendent’s Performance Monitoring Tool)
  10. Any changes to Ends and Executive limitations by which the Superintendent’s performance will be judged for the upcoming year must have been completed by April in accordance with policy GP108, section B.
  11. In an effort to resolve concerns and safeguard the reputation of the Superintendent and the Board, should any difference of opinion arise between the Superintendent and a member of the Board, the following steps will be applied before either of those parties make his or her difference of opinion a matter of public discussion.
    1. The Superintendent and Board member agree to meet privately and commit to keeping efforts positive and constructive.
    2. The Superintendent and Board member will provide sufficient time adequate to remedy any concern that is presented in the initial meeting.
    3. If either party does not feel that the concern has been addressed sufficiently the concern shall be brought to the attention of the Board of Education in closed session or study session, as allowed by the Utah Open and Public Meeting Act.
    4. If discussion with the entire Board of Education is not deemed to have resolved the issue by either the Superintendent or a majority of the Board present, either party is allowed to request further exploration of the issue through continued discussion of the issue, requesting private recommendations from disinterested third parties, or creation of a committee selected by the Board.
    5. The Superintendent or any Board member has the right to invoke B/SC 204 section K. in closed session or study session and request that the Board instruct the affected parties to follow the steps as outlined.

Revision history:  4/23/13, 6/10/14, 3/31/15, 2/21/17

Published on

Effective: 09/25/2012
Revision:
Reviewed: 4/28/2015

The Board serves as a policy-making body and employs a Superintendent to serve as executive officer. In accordance with its Board governance model, the Board shall adopt general policies and regulations that provide authorization and guidelines for the Board, Superintendent, and staff to take action. Application of such policies is an administrative function of the Superintendent.

  1. All District policies and regulations, as well as the policies of the Board, shall be approved in an open meeting with notice as established by law. Any Board member or the Superintendent may ask for policies and regulations to be reviewed, revised or developed.
  2. In accordance with its governance model, the Board delegates to the Superintendent the function of formulating administrative guidelines and District procedures designed to interpret and carry out District policies and Board policies. The administrative guidelines and procedures will specify required actions and detail the arrangements under which the District will operate. These rules and procedures must be consistent with the policies adopted by the Board.
  3. The Board retains the function of formulating Board governance policies. The Board policies will be ratified at an open meeting.
  4. The Board is responsible for final approval on all policies.
    1. New Policies: New policies will be brought to the Board to review and discuss in a study session. In a public meeting, public input will be taken and the Board will vote on final approval.
    2. Policy Revisions: If a policy is revised to the extent that the intent of the policy is changed, or if revisions are needed to be in compliance with the law, the policy will be presented in an open meeting for public input, and consideration and action by the Board.
    3. Policy Corrections: When corrections to a policy are necessary to update references to sections of the law, dates, personnel title changes, or other minor corrections, the Superintendent or designee is authorized to make the changes, advise the Board of the modifications, and present the policy on the consent agenda for approval.
  5. The Board will honor current negotiated policies, designated as NEG, during the applicable terms of the policies.

Published on

Effective: 9/25/2012
Revision: 3/28/2017
Reviewed: 2/28/2018

In compliance with Utah Code 52-4-205, closed sessions of the Board of Education are not open to the public or news media and may be conducted only to deliberate (a) personnel, (b) negotiations, (c) student appeals, (d) property, (e) potential litigation,(f) employee appeals or (g) security.

Accordingly, all closed sessions shall comply with the following:

  1. All meetings of the Jordan School District and committees of the Board shall be conducted in compliance with the requirements of the Utah Open Meeting Law. All Board members shall familiarize themselves with the Utah Open Meeting Law and complete Utah School Board Association training. Any question regarding open meeting compliance shall be immediately brought to the attention of Board legal counsel.
  2. A person requesting a closed session shall inform the President of the Board regarding the reason for and the scope of the requested closed session. If necessary, ascertain from Board legal counsel whether the proposed reason and scope comply with the Utah Open Meeting Law .
  3. Board meetings conducted in closed sessions shall, as required by law, be audio recorded. The Board’s Business Administrator shall retain the audio recording for a period of ten years from the date of the closed session, or longer if needed for resolution of any related litigation.
  4. Minutes may be released only as provided by statute or court order, or with the prior approval of the Board President and Board legal counsel, when the Board determines that the matters discussed no longer require confidentiality, and the person whose character, conduct, competence, or health was discussed has consented to such release. The person discussed is entitled to a copy of that portion of the minutes relating to him/her upon request, whether or not the minutes become public records.
  5. Voting is permitted in closed session to give direction but not to finalize any action.   A resolution, policy, contract, or appointment may not be finalized in a closed meeting in accordance with Utah Code 52-4-204.
  6. If a dispute arises regarding the scope of a closed session, the Board shall consult Board legal counsel.

Published on
  • Effective: 9/25/2012
  • Revision: 4/23/2013
  • Reviewed: 11/28/2017

The Board of Education will govern lawfully by policy on behalf of students with an emphasis on strategic leadership for the future of Jordan School District.

The Board of Education is accountable to the people of the Jordan School District for competent, conscientious, and effective accomplishments of its objectives.

Accordingly:

  1. The Board is responsible for excellence in governing. The Board of Education is the initiator of policy, not merely a reactor to staff initiatives. The Board honors diverse viewpoints but does not use the expertise of individual members to substitute for the judgment of the Board, although the expertise of individual members may be used to enhance the understanding of the Board as a body.
  2. The Board of Education directs, controls, and inspires the organization through the careful establishment of broad written policies reflecting the Board’s values and perspectives. The Board’s major policy focus is on the intended long-term impacts outside the staff organization, not on the administrative or programmatic means of attaining those effects.
  3. The Board of Education accepts information, which reflects the need for improvement, as well as success in order to gain a clear understanding of the District.
  4. The Board of Education maintains a professional relationship with all of its advisory committees in communicating requests, receiving information, and requesting staff assistance when necessary.
  5. The Board of Education governs with excellence in matters such as attendance, preparation for meetings, policymaking principles, respect of roles, and ensuring the continuance of governing capability. Although the Board can change its governance process policies at any time, it will observe them scrupulously while they are in force.
  6. New Board member orientation shall occur between the election of new Board members and January 1 and will be delivered by the sitting Board president or designee. Refer to the Appendix “Guidelines for New Board Member Orientation.”
  7. The Board of Education monitors and discusses the Board’s process and performance at a regular monthly meeting. This brief assessment will include review of Board activity and adherence to policies in the Governance Process and Board/Superintendent Connection categories.
  8. The Board will allow no officer, individual Board member, or committee of the Board to be a reason for not fulfilling its commitments.