The Saint Louis Public Schools Governance Committee approved a recommendation to revise the district's DA fiscal responsibility policy to clarify the composition and voting role of the audit committee. The committee's review aligns the written policy with current committee practice by specifying that community members and district employees may serve as voting members alongside appointed board members.

District counsel brought the revision to the committee, noting the policy language previously described the audit committee as comprised of district employees who could consult with community members. Committee members and counsel said the committee had been operating with community voting members and that the policy text should reflect that practice for transparency and compliance.

The committee discussed limits on board-member voting and confirmed that while board members may be appointed to the audit committee, the committee typically includes two board members and three community or employee members as voting members to reach a five-member voting panel. Members emphasized the committee's role in recruiting community members with fiscal expertise when a vacancy arises.

Outcome and next steps: The committee voted to accept counsel's recommended language and to forward the policy revision to the full board. The audit committee will continue recruiting community members with the fiscal background necessary for effective oversight; staff will follow usual appointment procedures for community-member vacancies.

Discussion vs. decision: Discussion centered on aligning policy text with committee practice, preventing confusion about voting status, and ensuring community trust through clarity. The decision was the committee's approval to forward the clarified DA fiscal-responsibility policy to the full board for consideration and adoption.

Ending: The revision aims to increase transparency about who may serve and vote on the audit committee and to make the policy consistent with actual committee composition.