Washington Elementary board debates communications protocols, agrees to copy superintendent on direct cabinet emails

Washington Elementary School District trustees met in a special study session July 22 to review draft communications protocols and related "guardrails," focusing on how board members should receive and share information with the superintendent and cabinet.

The discussion centered on three priorities for trustees: timely, district-level information; avoiding surprises for the superintendent or public; and preserving compliance with the open meeting law and public-records obligations. Board President Kyle Clayton and Superintendent Dr. Hightower led the session alongside Jennifer McLennan of the Risk Retention Trust, who presented the draft protocols.

Why it matters: the trustees said clearer rules will reduce instances when board members learn of staffing or operational changes from the public before district leadership, and will help the board and administration coordinate responses during emergencies or high-profile incidents.

Trustees and staff debated how detailed weekly superintendent updates should be, whether cabinet reports should remain a standing agenda item, and how the board should be notified about administrative leave. Several trustees said past weekly emails sometimes felt either too long or too editorialized; others said succinct bullet-point updates and a short weekly schedule were useful. Trustee Lindsey Peterson said concise material gives her time to process information and prepare questions in advance of public meetings.

Jennifer McLennan, introduced as an attorney and model policy manager with the Risk Retention Trust, advised that board communications be guided by a simple principle: "no surprises." McLennan said some written communications can be subject to public-records requests and noted that sensitive details about students or personnel should be handled with care.

Board members discussed cabinet access and chain-of-command concerns. Some trustees prefer the long-standing culture where the board president and superintendent serve as the central points of contact; others said trustees should be able to call cabinet members directly. The group reached a working compromise: trustees may contact cabinet members directly, but the trustee must copy the superintendent and the board secretary (Shannon Tucker) on those emails so the whole board is kept informed and a written record exists. Trustees discussed an expectation of timely replies and suggested an informal target for responses; speakers proposed 24–48 hours for an initial acknowledgement and up to 7–10 business days for fuller responses for more complex items.

Emergency notifications were another focus. Trustees said they want to be notified about events that affect the school day or the community — for example, lockdowns, major bus accidents, campus evacuations, or deaths or other catastrophic incidents — and asked to receive notice at the same time or shortly before the community or media. Staff present confirmed existing practice of sending ParentSquare and similar advisories to trustees and said the district will continue to prioritize notifying the board before or alongside public notices.

Trustees also asked to be notified when any district employee is placed on administrative leave; the superintendent said she can provide notice that a leave has occurred but cannot disclose confidential details beyond what is allowable.

The board discussed the district's written "guardrails" (existing governance limits and norms). Trustee Bill Adams suggested softer language — for example, replacing recurring phrases of "the board shall not" with positively framed norms such as "the board shall" or "the board will." Adams said the change would make the document read as guidance rather than prohibitions.

Staff described next steps: Dr. Hightower and Shannon Tucker will synthesize today's discussion, produce a revised draft communications protocol, and return it to the board for further review. Trustees noted the broader governance model and guardrails will be revisited at an upcoming work study session on July 31; any formal changes to the guardrails would be presented for public discussion at a future meeting where votes can occur.

Ending: The board did not adopt policy changes at the study session. Trustees asked staff to circulate a revised communications protocol that incorporates the "copy superintendent and board secretary" practice and clearer timelines for responses before the next public meeting.