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GP113 – Board Committee Principles

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.