New trustees briefed on board duties, Open Meetings Act and policy types

Ms. Collins, the district’s general counsel, told newly sworn trustees during a May 19 orientation that the Board of Trustees’ role is governance while the superintendent handles management and day-to-day operations.

“The board’s authority is above the equator, and that’s governance. Below the equator is the superintendent. That’s her responsibility to do the management of the district,” Ms. Collins said.

She summarized five core trustee responsibilities: create vision/mission/goals; adopt policies; hire and evaluate the superintendent; approve the annual budget (and later adopt a tax rate); and communicate the district’s vision to the community. Ms. Collins pointed trustees to Board Policy BAA for a longer list of duties and to policy BBF for board ethics and conduct.

The general counsel explained the difference between legal framework (rules that compile statutes, state board rules, attorney general opinions and case law via TASB) and local policy, which the board adopts to set district-specific practices. “Legal policies are not adopted by the Board,” she said; TASB issues updates and the district has a 30‑day review before updates are uploaded into the policy manual. Local policies must align with legal requirements and are implemented through administrative regulations.

Ms. Collins warned about statutory limits on trustee communications under the Texas Open Meetings Act. She defined a quorum as four of seven trustees and said any deliberation by a quorum that is not publicly posted can violate the act. “You can’t have any formal action, and you can’t discuss any public business unless it’s incidental,” she said, and described a prohibited “walking quorum” (a series of communications that cumulatively involve a quorum and constitute deliberation).

She noted penalties for violations including fines, possible jail time, and that agency investigations or legal actions can follow. The counsel also reviewed when closed sessions are permitted (e.g., attorney consultation, personnel, real property, student discipline) and that any closed session return to open meeting must cite the Texas Government Code sections used.

Trustees asked for clarification about legal vs. local policies; Ms. Collins said local policies must be aligned with legal framework but the board adopts and interprets its local policies. She reminded trustees that only the board can interpret its policy.

The orientation closed the governance segment by reiterating practice pointers: avoid reply‑all on district emails, treat social media and group texts cautiously, do not take straw polls, and direct media or public inquiries through the communications office or a board‑designated spokesperson.