Bound Brook board reviews self-evaluation, agrees to four continuing goals

Mary Ann Friedman, a field representative from the New Jersey School Boards Association, led the Bound Brook Board of Education through a new board self-evaluation and an abbreviated goal-setting session, concluding with the board agreeing to advance four continuing goals and to ask the superintendent and administrative team to develop action plans.

Friedman told trustees the district—ompleted the new tool with strong results: "Anything in the regular standards that's a 3 or above is a board that's working effectively together." She said the board's averages were all above that threshold and highlighted resource management and governance team relationships as particular strengths.

Why it matters: board goals define what the board will evaluate the superintendent on and shape district priorities and action plans. Friedman and board members outlined a timetable for periodic progress reviews in November, January, March and June and recommended the superintendent deliver action plans that specify activities, responsible parties, resources, timelines and success indicators.

Trustees reiterated four continuing priorities for the coming year: continue advancing student achievement by providing the support and resources necessary to implement the district strategic plan; continue supporting and expanding course offerings and extracurricular activities; continue supporting administration in recruiting and retaining staff that reflect the community; and continue strengthening two-way communication with families and community members. Friedman said the board should limit the number of formal goals (ideally no more than five) so work remains focused.

Board members discussed how goals relate to the district—9s strategic plan and agreed that the superintendent should recommend district goals that the board then approves. Friedman emphasized that district goals are the superintendent's responsibility to implement and that the board should collaborate on and evaluate those goals because they become part of the superintendent's statutory evaluation.

Trustees and Friedman discussed the board self-evaluation results in more detail: the board scored highest in governance team relationships and resource management and lowest in the policy standard, in part because some members rated the board lower on encouraging development of regulations to guide policy implementation. Friedman noted the superintendent develops regulations and that clarification could raise that item.

On process, the board agreed action plans could be developed by committees or by the superintendent's administrative team and that the board should adopt final district and board goals in September with the first formal progress report in November. Friedman said she would send a memo and sample action-plan templates to the board the following day and that the NJSBA could provide targeted professional development to help trustees and the new business administrator understand financial reports.

Board members asked that communication goals emphasize two-way outreach from community to the district as well as district-to-community messaging. Trustees also asked staff to consider whether any cooperative goals with South Bound Brook should be included and whether board professional development (for example, NJSBA's Academy) should be a continuing item. Several members urged keeping the goals broad enough to let the action plans define specific tactics.

Board members and Friedman closed by agreeing the board would review the board self-evaluation comments and the sample action-plan template and return in September with formal goal language and adopted action plans to present to the public.