Mount Vernon City School District trustees voted by consensus during their July 15 work session to suspend a standing rule and allow public comment tonight while the board reviews policy 15‑20 governing work sessions.
Superintendent Dr. Strickland told trustees the district will use work sessions to shift the board’s focus from routine operational approvals to student achievement, curriculum and long‑term strategy. “What gets monitored gets done and that's going to be paramount to bring to the board of ed,” she said.
The board president, Maribel Arba, opened the meeting by asking trustees whether they objected to allowing public comment tonight despite a prior notice that work sessions were not subject to public comment under board policy 15‑20. “We are asking our trustees if there's no objection, if we may suspend the rules for this evening and allow the public comments to proceed,” Arba said, and later announced, “Hearing none, we have adopted it by consensus.”
Why it matters: The change lets the public speak during this new work‑session format while the board simultaneously considers whether to revise policy 15‑20. The superintendent framed the sessions as a vehicle to give trustees regular, data‑driven briefings and to free up regular board business meetings for votes and consent items, which she said will make governance more strategic and efficient.
Key elements Superintendent Strickland described for the new work sessions include monthly reviews of student achievement metrics, development of a long‑term strategic plan through 2030, updating mandatory policies, policy roadmaps that solicit input from parents and educators, and stronger stakeholder engagement. She listed specific monitoring topics: assessment trends, college and career readiness, equity and access for subgroups (including students with disabilities, English‑language learners and Black male students), social‑emotional learning and chronic absenteeism.
Trustees asked how the new cadence would mesh with existing policy work and with resident concerns. Trustee McDonough asked whether an earlier draft of district policy revision would be incorporated; Strickland said she and in‑house counsel had already met to coordinate a policy review and that she is creating a policy roadmap that will solicit input from students, parents and administrators. Trustee Middleton pressed about how staff misconduct or personnel complaints should be handled; Strickland directed trustees to forward constituent complaints to the clerk and superintendent so administration can investigate and report back.
The superintendent also announced an expedited timeline for a separate, state‑mandated student cell‑phone policy. She told the board the district must adopt the state model by early August and said the district will hold a public hearing next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. to collect comment and satisfy required timelines. She described a communications plan to notify staff, students and families.
Discussion vs. action: Tonight’s vote to allow public comment was a temporary suspension of the rules for this meeting only; Strickland said the district will ‘‘honor our current policy and we will also, take into consideration a review of that policy to see if it still meets the needs of our district.’' Formal changes to work‑session rules and the cell‑phone policy will require subsequent readings and votes.
Ending note: Trustees said they intend to publish meeting materials in advance and provide printed agendas at in‑person sessions to improve transparency for seniors and residents without reliable internet access. The board and superintendent also signaled plans for a retreat to finalize meeting cadences and communication protocols.