HUSD trustees agree to try tightened meeting format, time limits and a process for adding future agenda items

At a retreat focused on board development, Humboldt Unified trustees agreed to pilot several procedural changes aimed at shortening meetings and improving clarity around agenda-setting and action items.

President Wolcott said shortening meetings was a priority: “I want to shorten those meetings. Give the people what they ask for and be respectful of everybody else's time,” she said during discussion. Trustees voted to experiment with combining VIP school celebrations and school highlights into a single “school showcase” block and to apply time limits to presentations (a common format discussed was 10–15 minutes for the presentation plus a 5-minute question period).

Trustees also discussed altering the order of business so that action items can be addressed efficiently while discussion/presentations are grouped; several members said they support conducting a motion and receiving a second before extended discussion to avoid spending time on items that will not proceed. One board member asked staff to provide a short briefing on handling amended motions under Robert's Rules of Order for a future board update.

For agenda-setting, the board agreed to trial a process in which members may request future agenda items during the current meeting’s closing business. If three or more trustees vote to add the request, staff will schedule the item for a future meeting and propose an appropriate calendar placement. Trustees emphasized this vote is to set agenda priorities and does not itself approve substantive action.

No formal policy change was adopted at the retreat; trustees instructed staff to draft proposed time-limit procedures and to bring back recommended language and training on Robert's Rules for the board to consider at a future meeting.