The Pleasant Valley School District Board of Education on April 22 appointed community members to a new Citizens Advisory Committee and set curriculum as the committee's first focus.

Board members read a randomized selection of applicants by township and announced the named members and alternates for Eldridge, Polk, Ross, Chestnut Hill and other townships. The board said applicants' stated topics of concern had been grouped into categories such as curriculum, community/trust/communication, fiscal responsibility, safety/mental health, teacher support/retention and others.

A board member explained the selection process and said the board will ask the alternates to attend initial committee meetings so meetings are not left short if a member is absent. The board agreed to ask the district curriculum supervisor to attend the first Citizens Advisory Committee meeting and to present a couple of potential dates/times for evening meetings. The board discussed setting meetings at about 5:30 p.m. once a month and said the committee would identify a first topic for study; board members suggested the committee initially take the top three curriculum concerns and prioritize them at its first meeting.

Board members said the committee is new and the board and staff expect to learn as they go, but emphasized the board will have final decision authority and asked for constructive, solution'oriented participation from members.

The board said staff would email candidates with dates and times and that board members would provide two board members to serve as permanent representatives and one alternate.