Board to refine records-retention policy after audit recommendation; members flag electronic records and litigation-hold language

District administrators presented a new records-retention policy drafted to consolidate guidance on how long the district keeps records and when records may be destroyed.

Administrators told the board the policy was developed with the solicitor following an audit recommendation to formalize record-retention practices. “We really didn't have one. So we used a bunch of different policies, merged them together and our solicitors approved it,” a presenter said.

Board members raised two persistent questions: whether the policy covers electronic network files and shared drives, and whether language in the draft could be read to allow destruction of records subject to a litigation hold. Board members asked that the policy be changed to clarify that records subject to litigation holds or outstanding legal/regulatory requests not be destroyed absent explicit permissions.

The administration said it will confer with the technology director (referred to in the discussion as Larry) to ensure server and network-file retention and deletion procedures are aligned with the policy. “This policy is more about the content, not where it's stored,” a speaker summarized in response to questions about electronic files; administrators confirmed they will update language and return to the board with edits before Thursday.

No final vote was taken; the board agreed to move the revised policy forward to Thursday once the ambiguous language is corrected and the technology director has reviewed electronic-records procedures.