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Consultant outlines balanced‑governance board evaluation and proposes added policy review session Oct. 3
Summary
Dr. Alsbury, the consultant for balanced‑governance evaluation and policy review, told trustees Aug. 6 he would distribute two online surveys and conduct independent observations if the Board proceeds with the proposed timeline.
Dr. Alsbury, the consultant engaged to perform a balanced governance evaluation and governance‑handbook review, briefed the Board of Trustees on Aug. 6 about a three‑part evaluation and a proposed schedule for survey distribution and follow‑up work.
"If we're gonna meet our timeline that we had in our proposal, we need to start the process and start it immediately," Dr. Alsbury said, adding that he planned to send the first online surveys on Aug. 7. He described the evaluation as three parts: two online surveys (a 12‑standard board evaluation with 81 indicators and a 10‑practice individual trustee survey) and independent observational analysis of regular board meetings. He said the two surveys each take about 15 minutes on average and that trustees would have two weeks to complete them.
Dr. Alsbury described a second, optional component in which trustees can receive confidential one‑on‑one coaching to review individual results; he said that coaching is included in his contract and would be private between the trustee and consultant.
Separately, Dr. Alsbury recommended an additional in‑person work session on Oct. 3 for trustees and staff to review proposed governance policy revisions and a redlined handbook. That session would be used to refine policy language before legal and staff review and before the district posts materials for the formal first reading and subsequent board adoption. Joe Caruso, board liaison, and staff asked the Board to consider making the evaluation timeline and related dates flexible to avoid repeated formal amendments to the consultant agreement when scheduling shifts are needed.
Trustees asked about missing survey responses: Dr. Alsbury said the president and officers typically decide whether to proceed with partial data or to delay the final report, and he said he is happy to be flexible. Trustees and staff also discussed logistics for staff training associated with any newly adopted policies; staff said that leadership training for administrators would occur after policies are finalized so the district trains to adopted language.
No action was taken at the meeting. Trustees and staff agreed to bring the evaluation timeline and proposal flexibility language back to the September work session for potential formal action. Dr. Alsbury will deliver the survey invitations if the Board proceeds, and staff will coordinate legal and superintendent office reviews for policy redlines.
Ending: The Board received the briefing and asked staff to return with a recommended procedural motion (agenda language) to allow modest timeline flexibility and to post final policy materials consistent with open‑meeting rules.
