Advisory chairs say staff's revisions to policy 11.64 undercut public loop; board delays rulemaking

Committee chairs from the District Advisory Council (DAC) and several advisory groups told the School Board at a May 9 workshop they were concerned staff brought forward a version of school board policy 11.64 that diverged from the language DAC had reviewed in 2023.

DAC and area advisory chairs described confusion after a rule-development meeting and said language changes were "cherry-picked" from the 2023 version and staff's April 8 draft. DAC Chair (name given as part of a committee report) said the board previously voted against sunsetting policy 11.64 and expected revised language to be looped through DAC again. "So now the request that I'm making...is to honor what appears to be the board's original intent," she said, asking the board to delay any rulemaking and allow staff to work with DAC over the summer and into the 2025-26 school year.

Several advisory chairs also told the board they did not know whether Coward & Coward, the district's contract legal adviser on policy work, had been given the version DAC reviewed and whether the law firm had participated in community sessions. "Coward and Coward was not available...which was one of the many objections attendees besides myself had," DAC chair said.

Board and staff response: Board members raised a mix of views; some said they were willing to delay to let the superintendent's task force report on committee structures and policy interactions; staff said the item had been removed from a board agenda (the May 13 agenda) to allow for more review. Staff told the board the version being presented was a staff-proposed revision and said they would provide the red-line documents and legal reviews to DAC and the public upon request.

Why it matters: Policy 11.64 defines how the district communicates with and engages the public and how advisory groups are involved. Advisory chairs told the board the policy has language that assigns responsibilities to volunteers and advisories and insisted those provisions require clear definition and legal review. Chair Dr. Natalie Lynch Walsh and others said policy language affects volunteers' workload and the district's compliance with statute and board intent.

Current status: At the workshop staff said the item was removed from the May 13 agenda; some board members recommended delaying final rulemaking until fall to allow the superintendent's task force on advisory committees time to finish its work and for DAC to review the staff-proposed language. No final board vote was taken at the workshop.

Ending: DAC and advisory chairs asked staff to share the Coward & Coward red-line versions and for the board to ensure advisory input shapes the final draft before any vote.